National Urban League Statement on the Death of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial has issued the following statement on the death of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson:

"We at the National Urban League are shocked and saddened by the untimely death of Brooklyn's first African-American District Attorney, Ken Thompson.

"We were disappointed that his failing health prevented him from accepting our invitation to share his expertise and professional insight as a criminal justice panelist at our Conference in Baltimore this summer. His thoughtfulness, knowledge and passion for justice impressed all who knew him.

"Ken was a rising star who set a model for progressive prosecutors nationwide. We share our deepest condolences with his wife, Lu-Shawn Thompson; his children, Kennedy and Kenny; and the rest of his family and colleagues. His death represents an enormous loss for the City of New York and the entire legal justice community."