Also garnering attention were the commutation of sentences for 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. That earned him praise from progressives. Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel of the Last Prisoner Project, said Biden’s action offers “hope — not just for those freed today, but for all the individuals still incarcerated for cannabis and their families that have been impacted by the War on Drugs.”
But what Gersten and others did not say is that Biden also handed out clemency and commutations that gave “hope” to cop killers. Shockingly, he granted leniency to the persons responsible for murdering four law enforcement officers. In doing so, he has disrespected the law enforcement profession, reopened old wounds and caused great heartache to the families and colleagues of the officers who were killed.
FBI Special Agents Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams stopped a vehicle on June 26, 1975, on the Oglala Sioux Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Unbeknownst to the two agents, one of the men in the vehicle, Leonard Peltier, had an outstanding warrant for the attempted murder of a police officer in Wisconsin. Peltier and the two other occupants of the stopped vehicle got out and started shooting at Coler and Williams. Both FBI agents were wounded in the initial firefight and then were executed at close range with gunshots to the head. The agents’ vehicles had sustained 125 bullet holes during the shootout. They never had a chance.
Peltier, who was convicted of murdering Agents Coler and Williams, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms and has been imprisoned ever since. And in addition to his sentence for the two murders, he had an additional five years tacked on for a violent prison escape. He was denied clemency by President Obama in 2017 and was denied parole as recently as July 2, 2024. But Biden thought differently and, on his last full day in office, commuted Peltier’s sentence to home confinement. Peltier is now scheduled for release from prison on Feb. 18.
Waverly (VA) Patrolman Allen W. Gibson, Jr., was on foot patrol on April 25, 1998, when he confronted two male suspects, Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson, in the midst of a drug deal. A struggle ensued and Officer Gibson was fatally shot with his own weapon.
Originally charged with capital murder in the death of Patrolman Gibson, Claiborne and Richardson were offered a plea deal—against the wishes of Officer Gibson’s family— and ended up sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the drug offense that led to Officer Gibson’s death. But three days before he left office, Biden granted clemency to both men, despite a recommendation by the presiding U.S. Attorney not to commute these sentences because they are violent offenders. Both men are now scheduled for release from prison in July.
Columbus (OH) Police Officer Bryan Scott Hurst was working special duty at a local bank on January 6, 2005, when an armed robber entered, announced his intentions, and then immediately opened fire on the 33-year-old officer. Officer Hurst was struck in the upper chest area, just above his protective vest. Despite being mortally wounded, Hurst was able to return fire and wound the suspect, Daryl Lawrence. His courageous actions prevented Lawrence from getting any money or injuring anyone else.
In December, President Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole. One of those 37 who had been awaiting execution, was Officer Hurst’s killer, Daryl Lawrence.
The leniency shown to cop killers by Biden helps to amplify the anti-police, pro-criminal movement that has made the job of a police officer far more dangerous in recent years. It was recently reported that the rate of assaults on American law enforcement reached a 10-year high in 2023, with more than 79,000 officer attacks. And, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 147 officers died in the line of duty in 2024, which was a 25 percent increase over the prior year.
Last month, legislation was introduced in Congress that aims to reduce these attacks on police. The “Thin Blue Line Act” would enhance penalties for those who target, kill or attempt to kill a public safety official. It would help to undo the harm caused by President Biden’s leniency toward cop killers by making it clear that those who attack our police officers will be held accountable and punished to the full extent of the law. We must let our officers know that we stand behind them and let criminals know that violence against police will not be tolerated.
Craig W. Floyd is the Founding CEO of Citizens Behind the Badge, a national nonprofit organization supporting law enforcement.