Statement from SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry

WASHINGTON--SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement in response to the killing of two police officers in New York:

On behalf of the 2 million members of the Service Employees International Union, I extend thoughts and prayers to the families of New York Police Department officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos--who were senselessly shot and killed--as well as to Shaneka Thompson, the young woman injured by the same shooter. The deaths of officers Liu and Ramos were unprovoked and deplorable. These brave public servants died serving the people of New York. Their lives matter. All lives matter.

"As a nation, we must redouble our work toward ending violence and building safer, more just communities across America.

"The peaceful, lawful protests of recent weeks have been about ending violence and fulfilling justice. We mourn the deaths of police officers in uniform and we mourn the deaths of unarmed people of color in the streets--both show the dire need across this country for safety and justice. May the families of all parties involved in these tragedies find justice and peace."