State Police Colonel Richard McKeon released the following statement regarding the killings of police officers in Baton Rouge:
The Massachusetts State Police extend our deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters in Baton Rouge. We stand in solidarity and strength with every state trooper, police officer, sheriff’s deputy, federal agent, marshal, and any other law enforcement professional in the United States. An attack on any of us is an attack on all of us.
Our Commonwealth Fusion Center continues to communicate with the federal Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement partners to monitor developments in Baton Rouge. At this point there is no known connection to Massachusetts.
We routinely remind our troopers — and did so as recently as last week — of the need to maintain a high level of situational awareness, not only for suspicious activity, but also for their own personal safety. We will reiterate that directive again this week.
We know that the overwhelming majority of Americans support our troopers and police officers. But it is just as obvious that radicalized criminals and terrorists have declared war on the guardians of democracy — the police who protect our towns and cities, our streets and our gathering spots, our nation itself. These murderers and extremists are an evil and cowardly element of our society. We will not let them win; to the contrary, we will pursue them with everything in our power to do so. We will not retreat one inch from our mission to protect and serve the good people who live, work, travel, and raise families in Massachusetts.
-Colonel Richard McKeon
