Dear Mr. President,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to urge you to reject or ignore the most recent requests from misguided activists and Members of Congress to grant any clemency to the convicted cop-killer Leonard Peltier.
There is no doubt that Peltier executed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Ronald A. Williams and Jack R. Coler in 1975, and he was found guilty of this heinous crime. There should be no doubt that anyone who murders a law enforcement officer in cold blood should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, which means they should serve the full term of imprisonment for which they were sentenced. This man is one of the most notorious cop killers in our history—he should not ever be considered for clemency.
President Obama rejected granting this murderer clemency before he left office, and we know that he often consulted with you closely on law enforcement and criminal justice matters because of your long history of supporting rank-and-file law enforcement officers and your consistent support for the survivor families who lost loved ones in the line of duty. President Obama made the right call in 2017 and we have every confidence that you will make the right decision for the families of Special Agents Williams and Coler during the course of your Administration. We believe the calls for his release because of his age and health issues are deeply misguided and unjust.
On behalf of the more than 373,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you for taking into consideration our views on this matter. If I can provide any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President
cc: The Honorable Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General of the United States