December 11, 2020

As members of the Advisory Panel to Columbus Police Chief Tom Quinlan, we stand with the
Black community. We stand against racism and inequity. We know Black lives matter.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Casey Goodson Jr. Casey’s
killing is an all too familiar reminder of the racial injustice that continues to grip our city and our
country. Together we stand committed to ending the senseless deaths of Black people in our
community and across the nation.  

To that end, we called an emergency meeting last night with Chief Quinlan to discuss how the
police department intends to address the concerns surrounding the killing of Casey, as well as
how the Columbus Police Department intends to respond to the upcoming scheduled protests. 

First and foremost, Chief Quinlan wants what we all want: an unbiased and thorough
investigation of the facts surrounding the shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. Further, the Chief and
Panel agree that it is imperative to ensure the safety of all of those who wish to exercise their
First Amendment right through peaceful protests in the coming days, weeks, and months. As we
have clearly communicated to Chief Quinlan, our city must be allowed to peacefully protest. The
police response to the upcoming protests must be different from the response we all saw earlier
in 2020. 

To protect all protesters, the Advisory Panel has been informed by Chief Quinlan that officer
badge numbers and/or names will be displayed on all CPD patrol officer uniforms worn by any
officer at a protest site. Pepper spray should not be used on non-violent/non-aggressive/non-
dangerous protestors, it will not be used simply to clear a street of peaceful 1st Amendment
protestors. Arrests will not be made for non-violent misdemeanors. If you witness any police
conduct which you believe to be excessive please immediately report such conduct to:

 reportcpd@columbus.gov
 Internal Affairs Bureau - (614) 645-4880 / IABDeskSgt@columbuspolice.org

We encourage you to use your cell phones to capture any incidents you believe should be
investigated.
 
Our names are listed below. We represent you and welcome you to share your thoughts and
concerns with us as this investigation continues. We want your voices to be heard.

Dr. J. Love Benton, Vice President, Black, Out and Proud and Adjunct Professor, Columbus
State Community College
Diane Menashe, Partner, Ice Miller LLP
Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Director, The Latina Mentoring Academy 
Erin UpChurch, Executive Director, Kaleidoscope Youth Center
Aba Azeem, Vice Chair of the Create Columbus Commission
Tammy Fournier Alsaada, Founder and Organizing Director, Peoples Justice Project and
Columbus Community Safety Advisory Commissioner
Florence Lathen, President Lathen HR Consulting and Executive Coaching
Dr. Kristy McCray, Associate Professor, Otterbein University
LaShaun Carter, Chief Diversity Officer at Franklin County Children Services and Columbus
Community Safety Commissioner
Andrew B. Pierce II, Undergraduate Student, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio
State University
Randall Sistrunk, Director of Development, Orange Barrel Media
Yaves Ellis, Pastor
James Burke IV, President, Columbus National Pan Hellenic Council