Stacey Abrams Calls ‘Defund the Police’ Debate a ‘False Choice’

STEPHANOPOULOS We saw immediate ░░░░░░░░ responsibility last night in ░░░░░░░░ I want to ask ░░░░░░░░ about that incident last ░░░░░░░░ the weekend in Atlanta ░░░░░░░░ killing of 27 year ░░░░░░░░ Rayshard Brooks Mayor Keisha ░░░░░░░░ Bottoms did speak out ░░░░░░░░ this yesterday Let s ░░░░░░░░ BEGIN VIDEO CLIP MAYOR ░░░░░░░░ LANCE BOTTOMS D Atlanta ░░░░░░░░ we have a police ░░░░░░░░ full of men and ░░░░░░░░ who work alongside our ░░░░░░░░ with honor respect and ░░░░░░░░ there has been a ░░░░░░░░ with what our expectations ░░░░░░░░ and should be as ░░░░░░░░ relates to interactions with ░░░░░░░░ officers and the communities ░░░░░░░░ which they are entrusted ░░░░░░░░ protect END VIDEO CLIP ░░░░░░░░ What a disconnect that ░░░░░░░░ She mentioned it s ░░░░░░░░ third time in the ░░░░░░░░ two weeks she s ░░░░░░░░ to review police video ░░░░░░░░ And that is why ░░░░░░░░ saw the reaction from ░░░░░░░░ that is why the ░░░░░░░░ of anger remains Activists ░░░░░░░░ necessarily calling into question ░░░░░░░░ s actually being done ░░░░░░░░ what I would say ░░░░░░░░ that there is there ░░░░░░░░ a legitimacy to this ░░░░░░░░ there s a legitimacy ░░░░░░░░ this outrage A man ░░░░░░░░ murdered because he was ░░░░░░░░ in a drive through ░░░░░░░░ we know that this ░░░░░░░░ not an isolated occurrence ░░░░░░░░ also know that a ░░░░░░░░ taking a Taser from ░░░░░░░░ police officer in Pennsylvania ░░░░░░░░ in his arrest but ░░░░░░░░ this person was black ░░░░░░░░ resulted in his death ░░░░░░░░ are conversations that have ░░░░░░░░ be had not only ░░░░░░░░ speeches but through the ░░░░░░░░ made by budget allocations ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ next conversation we have ░░░░░░░░ have in Atlanta STEPHANOPOULOS ░░░░░░░░ and that is a ░░░░░░░░ happening right now this ░░░░░░░░ debate over defunding the ░░░░░░░░ The Democrats nominee Joe ░░░░░░░░ has said he s ░░░░░░░░ defunding the police but ░░░░░░░░ course is for investing ░░░░░░░░ in social services and ░░░░░░░░ programs What does defunding ░░░░░░░░ police mean to you ░░░░░░░░ is it necessary ABRAMS ░░░░░░░░ think we re being ░░░░░░░░ into this false choice ░░░░░░░░ The reality is we ░░░░░░░░ two things we need ░░░░░░░░ of how police officers ░░░░░░░░ their jobs how law ░░░░░░░░ does its job because ░░░░░░░░ happened yesterday to Rayshard ░░░░░░░░ was a function of ░░░░░░░░ force and the decision ░░░░░░░░ the fact that they ░░░░░░░░ either embarrassed or you ░░░░░░░░ panicked led them to ░░░░░░░░ a man who they ░░░░░░░░ only had a Taser ░░░░░░░░ his hand We know ░░░░░░░░ the murder of Breonna ░░░░░░░░ means we have to ░░░░░░░░ no knock warrants We ░░░░░░░░ that in the state ░░░░░░░░ Georgia we also have ░░░░░░░░ look at the larger ░░░░░░░░ issue of the fact ░░░░░░░░ people can use citizen ░░░░░░░░ laws to murder men ░░░░░░░░ Ahmaud Arbery in the ░░░░░░░░ So reformation is absolutely ░░░░░░░░ What we saw happened ░░░░░░░░ New York is a ░░░░░░░░ of this I served ░░░░░░░░ the state legislature for ░░░░░░░░ years and I served ░░░░░░░░ the committee of pergue ░░░░░░░░ I took action to ░░░░░░░░ police accountability I took ░░░░░░░░ to address the issues ░░░░░░░░ criminal justice reform But ░░░░░░░░ also know that we ░░░░░░░░ to have a transformation ░░░░░░░░ how we view the ░░░░░░░░ of law enforcement how ░░░░░░░░ view the construct of ░░░░░░░░ safety and how we ░░░░░░░░ not only in the ░░░░░░░░ that we need them ░░░░░░░░ do to protect us ░░░░░░░░ the work we need ░░░░░░░░ do to protect and ░░░░░░░░ our communities And that ░░░░░░░░ the conversation we re ░░░░░░░░ We ll use different ░░░░░░░░ to describe it But ░░░░░░░░ we must have reformation ░░░░░░░░ transformation.