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, Slate explores the current response to police reform; New Yorkers rally in Albany to end qualified immunity; Texas introduces legislation to hold law enforcement accountable; and more!
FEATURED STORY
Slate: “We’re in the Process of Mass Forgetting”
“We’re currently in this period of the cycle that happens every 20 to 30 years, where we’re in the process of mass forgetting. In another 20 to 30 years from now, unless somehow the cycle has picked up speed, we’re going to say, oh, I remember that person and when they were killed and when that started it. George Floyd just reignited a pattern that we have in the United States.”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
On Wednesday, a group of lawmakers and civil rights advocates gathered in Albany to reaffirm their commitment to ending qualified immunity in the Empire State. “We cannot have public safety without trust,” State Sen. Robert Jackson told the crowd. “We cannot have trust without accountability.”
Read more here.
Disgraced former NYPD detective Joseph Franco is standing trial for perjury after prosecutors uncovered damning evidence contradicting statements he made on police paperwork and in court. “His lies were a poison that tainted any fair or legitimate case,” said Assistant DA Samantha Dworken during her opening statements last week.
Read more here.
WASHINGTON
The ACLU of Washington voices its support for HB 1513, the Traffic Safety for All bill. This public safety measure “takes a system that isn’t working and replaces it with solutions” by de-prioritizing low-risk traffic stops, which disproportionately affect drivers of color.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
Ivan Bates, Baltimore’s new top prosecutor, has declined to charge Officer Connor Murray for fatally shooting teen driver Donnell Rochester in February 2022. The decision came despite an investigation that found the victim “no longer posed a threat” when Murray took his life.
Read more here.
TEXAS
Seeking accountability for the botched police response to the Uvalde massacre, State Senator Roland Gutierrez has introduced Senate Bill 575, which aims to end qualified immunity. “We’re not asking for the moon and the stars. We’re asking for commonsense solutions,” Gutierrez said at a news conference, where he was flanked by families of the school shooting victims.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
ABC 7: Tyre Nichols ‘a Human Piñata’ for Memphis Cops, Attorney Says After Viewing Bodycam Footage
“‘Our son ran because he was scared for his life,’ Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, said. ‘He did not run because he was trying to get rid of no drugs, no gun, no any of that. He ran because he was scared for his life. And when you see the video, you will see why he was scared for his life.’”
Read more here.
ABC News: North Carolina Police Probing Death of Darryl Tyree Williams After Cops Used Taser
“Darryl Tyree Williams allegedly yelled that he had heart problems as the officers tased him during the Jan. 17 arrest, according to a preliminary report….After becoming unresponsive and showing no signs of a pulse, police and an EMS team tried to resuscitate Williams, who was taken to a hospital where he died an hour later, the report said.”
Read more here.
The Guardian: ‘Assassinated in Cold Blood’: Activist Killed Protesting Georgia’s ‘Cop City’
“The killing has stunned and shocked not only [Manuel Esteban Paez Terán’s] family and friends, but also the environmental and social justice movement in Georgia and across the United States. Circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear and there are demands for a thorough investigation into the killing and how it could have happened.”
Read more here.
CBS: Investigation Underway into Fatal Police Shooting of Sudanese Worker at Oklahoma Pork Processing Plant
“‘The local police did not take sufficient measures to protect [Chiewelthap Mariar] instead brandishing their weapons and ultimately taking the life of a 26-year-old young man who had his whole life before him,’ said Martin Rosas, president of UFCW District Union Local 2, in a Jan. 12 statement.”
Read more here.
Courthouse News Service: Cop Seeks Immunity for Siccing Dog on Man During Welfare Check
“[Andrew] Lucchetti, who represented [victim Dillard] Putman during Tuesday’s arguments, told the panel that his client simply spent a minute calmly asking the officers why they were present on his property and did not physically resist them. He added the officers refused to tell Putman why they were there.”
Read more here.
Spread the word for accountability—submit a letter to the editor to your local newspaper.
Stay atop of new state QI updates by signing up for our email list here.