Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder said Saturday that it’s “tragic” Al Sharpton has such a strong influence in New York City, calling him an “inciter of mobs” ahead of a grand jury’s impending decision in the police chokehold death of Eric Garner.
“In my view, they should not be working with him,” Mr. Kinder told the New York Post as tensions simmered over a grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri, not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9. Mr. Sharpton was also a prominent voice amid the racial unrest there.
“He is an inciter of mobs, and he demands mob justice,” Mr. Kinder said of the civil rights leader, who has inspired nationwide rallies in support of Brown and Garner.
Mr. Sharpton led a chant of “Countdown! Countdown!” at his weekly National Action Network press conference on Saturday, The Post reported. The NYPD is readying for a decision in the Garner case as early as next week, law enforcement sources told The Post.
“Today, November 29, let the clock stop and the countdown [begin] on what will the grand jury say about justice,” Mr. Sharpton said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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