WASHINGTON 鈥� A statue of a convicted killer at American University鈥檚 campus is generating outrage in law enforcement circles.
Made mostly out wood, 9-foot-tall statue of Leonard Peltier sits in a garden along Ward Circle, where Nebraska Avenue meets Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest D.C. For Peltier鈥檚 supporters, the statue meant to raise awareness to his push for clemency. But others say it鈥檚 an insult to the law enforcement community.
Peltier was convicted in the 1975 killings of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams on a Native American reservation in South Dakota. The two agents had tried to pull over a car Peltier was in when they took on rifle fire. Both agents were shot in the head at close range before they even got out of their car. Months later, Coler鈥檚 gun was found in Oregon in a vehicle in which Peltier was traveling, with Peltier鈥檚 thumb print on the bag where the gun was in.
Eventually Peltier was apprehended, convicted and given two life sentences for the agent鈥檚 deaths. Peltier has admitted to shooting at the agents but denies firing the lethal shots.
鈥淭he evidence told the truth,鈥� said Tom O鈥機onnor, who is president of the FBI Agents Association. 鈥淭hese two agents were not just shot and killed. They were executed. That鈥檚 what that statue stands for to the FBI agents, law enforcement and their families.鈥�
O鈥機onnor said that there have been more than 12 appeals heard in Peltier鈥檚 case 鈥� two of them made it up to the U.S. Supreme Court. 鈥淎ll of them were upheld,鈥� said O鈥機onnor.
鈥淭he facts are never told when you hear the story of Leonard Peltier,” O鈥機onnor said. “It鈥檚 always the person who is wrongly accused.
鈥淭hey can say this and say that but the facts are the courts have reviewed it,鈥� he聽said.
The FBI Agents Association is a nongovernment organization that represents the 13,000 rank-and-file members of the FBI and does not speak on behalf of the FBI itself.
On Thursday, asking the school to take down the statue.
in mid-December stating that it has taken no position on Peltier鈥檚 case and said the statue is 鈥渁n exhibited piece of art.鈥�
But O鈥機onnor noted that the school refers to the statute as part of 鈥渁 major clemency push鈥� and that it is meant 鈥渢o raise awareness for Peltier鈥檚 plight.鈥� The university鈥檚 news release noted Peltier was considered a political prisoner by Amnesty International and links to websites that support Peltier.
鈥淭hat to me, [it] seems like they鈥檙e taking the side of the Peltier supporters,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 seem like it鈥檚 a piece of art. A piece of art you would say, 鈥業t looks very nice,鈥� not that it supports a person鈥檚 request for pardon.鈥�
On Sunday, the university issued a statement stating that it would remove the statue from its current location. The statement did not specify whether the statue would be relocated or simply taken down.
The statement reads:
The decision to host the Peltier statue required a more thorough assessment of the implications of placing the piece in a prominent, public space outside the museum. With the benefit of a fuller review, we have made a decision to remove the piece from this location.
The subject matter and placement of the piece improperly suggested that American University has assumed an advocacy position of clemency for Mr. Peltier, when no such institutional position has been taken. Further, the nature and location of the piece called into question our ability to honor our responsibilities to ensure the security of the art and the safety of our community.
