Toussaint Romain (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty)
We can’t lose any more lives, man. I’m a public defender. I can’t represent any more people.
We don’t need any more people to go to die, no more people to be arrested. We need to take a stand and do it the right way. People are hurting, man. People are upset. People are frustrated. People need leaders. I’m not trying to be that leader. I’m trying to prevent people from being hurt.
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There’s always one that’s going to end up being bad. There’s one other that’s there to do good. I’m here to do good.
— Toussaint Romain, a public defender in Charlotte, North Carolina, speaking to CNN’s Boris Sanchez during the sometimes violent protests in downtown Charlotte that were sparked by the police-involved shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. Romain, who has been a public defender for eight years, stood between police and protesters as tear gas was fired, attempting to make the protesters disperse.
Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.