An early-morning incident today was the fourth time in a month Tallahassee police officers have shot suspects they were pursuing. Tonight, the community is invited to discuss gun violence with TPD at a town hall.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at New Birth Tabernacle, 1200 Harlem St.—that’s near the intersection of West Tennessee Street and Stadium Drive.
Pastor Rudy Ferguson says he’s hosting it because he wants to ensure the African-American community partners with police to work on solutions.
“We really are praying that this meeting is just not a meeting just for rhetoric without a process," he says. "We’re praying that this meeting will spur on some type of initiatives, programs that can be year-round.”
At a press conference last week, Police Chief Michael DeLeo said the city has had a high violent crime rate for years, and he hopes the recent incidents bring attention to the problem.
DeLeo and other command staff will be at the church tonight to take questions.