Welcome to the weekly update from the Campaign to End Qualified Immunity! Here, we give you a wrap-up of the latest developments and notable news as we continue our state-focused fight to abolish the unjust rule.
This week, President Biden signs police-reform executive orders; Ben Cohen advocates for New York’s bill to end qualified immunity; civil rights activists hold a symbolic memorial for victims of state violence; and more!
FEATURED STORY
CBS News: Biden Signs Executive Order on Policing 2 Years After George Floyd’s Death
“The policing order is intended to ‘advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will build public trust and strengthen public safety,’ according to the White House, by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to implement dozens of reforms, and incentivizing state and local forces to improve their policing practices.”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
“Naysayers insist that ending qualified immunity is anti-police. I can tell you it’s not — it’s pro-justice, pro-accountability and pro-civil rights.” Campaign to End Qualified Immunity Co-Chair Ben Cohen voiced his support for S 1991, the Empire State’s bill to end qualified immunity, in a recent op-ed for the New York Daily News.
Read more here.
“As time goes on, witnesses move and their memories fade; every day the case is dragged out by motions like qualified immunity, justice becomes more fleeting.”
Darlene McDay’s son, Dante Taylor, died as the result of the abuse he endured from rogue corrections officers. Turning grief into purpose, Darlene has become a dedicated civil rights advocate, and is co-leader of End QI NY. She shared her story in City Limits.
Read more here.
“We are fighting alongside community members who have suffered unnamable, unspeakable abuses…this bill is about accountability. It is about transparency. It’s about safety.” End QI NY and VOCAL-NY held a symbolic open-casket memorial on Tuesday, May 24, at the New York Capitol to honor victims of state violence. The event was a call to action for Albany lawmakers to protect New Yorkers through passage of S 1991.
Watch here.
Peyton Hedron was calmly taken into custody after committing a racist massacre in Buffalo. Yet Black people across the country lose their lives to rogue cops over minor traffic incidents. Civil rights leaders are calling out the police’s uneven, race-based tactics: “Why can’t that same restraint and control be applied to a situation involving an unarmed Black person?”
Read more here.
Two years following George Floyd’s murder, public safety advocates in New York are frustrated at the lack of police-reform action, despite the popularity of sensical measures such as ending qualified immunity. Those on the frontlines say lawmakers “clearly showed no real dent in creating a better system and better flow of accountability.”
Read more here.
VERMONT
“By effectively giving police veto authority over public safety reform, the governor and the legislature are doing a great disservice to the majority of Vermonters who want to see real change.” The ACLU of Vermont has released a statement slamming elected officials for neglecting police-reform measures, such as ending qualified immunity, this past legislative session.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
“There is no accountability, no fairness, and no trust in a process that excludes the very people who need to be a part of the Police Accountability Boards [PABs].” The Maryland Coalition for Justice & Police Accountability has voiced its concerns over the implementation of new state-mandated PABs, raising objections to proposed regulations.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
The Washington Post: New Justice Dept. Policy Says Agents Must Intervene If They See Abuse
“The Justice Department has updated its use-of-force policy for the first time in 18 years, telling federal agents they have a duty to intervene if they see other law enforcement officials using excessive force — a change that follows years of protests over police killings.”
Read more here.
ABC 30: Controversial Court Doctrine Could End Case Involving Homicide in Police Custody
“[Joseph] Perez’s parents say they just want a fair fight. They’ve filed a new case in [California] state court, where qualified immunity does not apply, and they’re appealing the federal decision.”
Read more here.
NBC: Florida Man ‘Cooked Alive’ After Deputy’s Stun Gun Ignites Gasoline at Wawa Station, Lawyers Say
“‘This fireball, caused by the reckless, foolish, unnecessary’ use of the stun gun, the statement said, led to ‘the horrific explosion, engulfing the two of them and injuring 2 other deputies with minor burns.’”
Read more here.
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