BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — Governor John Bel Edwards on Saturday condemned the death of George Floyd saying that racism and racial inequality has no place in society and that “no one should fear violence or mistreatment because of the color of their skin.” 

In his first public statements on the matter, Edwards weighed in on the death of Floyd who died in police custody after an officer was filmed with his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes while he was handcuffed, face down and saying he could not breathe. 

“Although I never knew George Floyd, I will never forget him or the fact that his death was terribly wrong and completely and easily avoidable.” Shortly after taking office in 2016, Edwards first term as governor was marked by the death of Alton Sterling. 

Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a Baton Rouge police officer who confronted him outside a convenience store in July 2016.

Outrage over Sterling’s death led to renewed Black Lives Matter protests across the nation. 

“Unfortunately this hits home for Louisiana and many other communities across our nation. As Dr. Martin Luther King has taught us, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 

Read the full statement below:

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