Jimenez Statement on JetBlue Poster Depicting Killer of NJ State Trooper

In response to a poster for airline JetBlue’s Black History Month campaign “honoring” Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of murdering New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973, Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez released the following statement. Chesimard escaped from prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where she remains at large.

“There’s no place in Black History Month, or any month for that matter, for us to pay tribute to a convicted murderer,” said Jimenez (D-Bergen, Hudson). “Joanne Chesimard made a career out of seeking out police officers to harm or even kill, and she tragically took the life of one of our brave state troopers. And as a woman of Cuban descent, it’s devastating to know she has been able to live free under political asylum in Cuba for decades. Chesimard does not belong on a poster or a pedestal. She belongs in an American prison. JetBlue’s actions were insensitive and extremely disrespectful to the heroic men and women in law enforcement and Trooper Foerster’s family. I’d like to express my full support for the New Jersey State Police and their outstanding efforts to honor Trooper Foerster’s memory and keep our communities safe.”