Biden on Police Shooting Deaths: ‘How Did We Get Here?'

While acknowledging that institutional racism "exists throughout our society," Biden said the way to begin to close this perception gap is fairly straightforward

In an interview with NBC Nightly News' Lester Holt Vice President Joe Biden shared his reaction to the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

His response was short and straightforward:

"How did we get here?"

"I looked and saw ... an African American on the ground with two police officers over top of him," he said. "What I didn't know at the time is that a homeless person called in and said there's a guy threatening me with a gun."

While acknowledging that institutional racism "exists throughout our society," Biden said the way to begin to close this perception gap is fairly straightforward: cops need to be better trained in de-escalation tactics. And they need to know who they're policing, just as citizens need to know who they're being policed by.

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