ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE—The White House says President Barack Obama is “deeply disturbed” by reports of police shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama is following the situations closely. But he tells journalists aboard Air Force One that the White House can’t comment more specifically while the cases are being investigated.
In the Louisiana case, the U.S. Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of a black man by two white police officers.
Earnest mentioned a task force on policing that Obama established to improve ties and trust between police and law enforcement. He’s urging local law enforcement agencies to implement the Justice Department recommendations.
Earnest spoke as Obama was flying to Poland for a NATO summit.
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