SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Protesters with the Racial Justice Network on Saturday had a new message, this time asking for Savannah Mayor Van Johnson to either resign or be voted out.
“Mayor Johnson, as a black man he should know,” says James Johnson, CEO of the Racial Justice Network. “I’m pretty sure he knows all the killings of a Black man this year all across this country. You think he’d want to reform his police department. And if he don’t, he needs to resign or the people need to vote him out.”
Regardless of the new message to the mayor, the network is still looking for police reform in the city as well as additional support from the justice department.
“We’re asking for the justice department to come in and do an investigation for why this is happening,” says Johnson. “Here you have a man who tried to obey the law and has a permit to carry a weapon and was still gunned down.”
Johnson referring to the Savannah Police Department’s fifth officer-involved shooting this year at Carver Village it took the life of 31-year-old Saudi Lee.
With Police Chief Roy Minter officially stepping down at the end of July, WSAV asked Johnson what he hopes to look for moving forward as the process for finding a permanent replacement is underway.
“I would hope that whoever it may be that we can have a communication with the new chief so he can reform his police department because it needs reforming,” said Johnson. “This is the boiling part. It’s just a matter of time before the community rises up.”