To the editor:

I was disappointed to read the statement of Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker in response to the recent arrest of her aide on allegations of assaulting a D.C. police officer: in the Aug. 20 Alexandria Times story “Vice mayor’s aide arrested during D.C. protests.”

Bennett-Parker missed an easy opportunity to condemn violence directed at police officers. Instead, she quickly changed the subject, praising her aide’s “anti-racist work” and expressing support for structural reform of policing and the criminal justice system. Fair enough, but what about assaulting police officers? Bennett-Parker wouldn’t express a view on that.

Her refusal to do so should make all Alexandria residents wonder: Will Bennett-Parker condemn violence against police officers, even when it’s committed in the name of causes she supports and by people who work for her? That’s a simple question. Alexandria residents should demand a clear answer.

-C.J. Wenk, Alexandria