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 addresses police reform at the State of the Union; The New York Times tells Congress to “write out” qualified immunity; community leaders in Washington State call on lawmakers to hold cops accountable; and more!
FEATURED STORY
AP News: Toll of Police Brutality on Display at State of the Union
“‘Let’s commit ourselves to make the words of [Tyre Nichols’] mother come true: Something good must come from this,’ Biden said in his speech. ‘All of us in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment.’”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
2022 was a costly year for police violence, in more ways than one. Last year, New York City spent a staggering $121 million of taxpayer money on lawsuit payouts against the NYPD, according to new data. “What that means is that the city is not taking NYPD misconduct and accountability for that misconduct seriously enough,” said the Legal Aid Society’s Jennvine Wong.
Read more here.
An investigation by New York’s Civilian Complaint Board reveals that 89 NYPD officers were charged with misconduct during the 2020 racial justice protests. However, only 12 of them have actually faced discipline. “Protests against police brutality bred more instances of police misconduct,” stated the report. “If this misconduct goes unaddressed, it will never be reformed.”
Read more here.
Last week, Alvin Bragg, Manhattan’s District Attorney, called for an impromptu meeting following the turmoil caused by his office’s contentious decision to dismiss charges against former NYPD detective Joseph Franco, who has a long history of fabricating drug charges.
Read more here.
WASHINGTON
“Police officers have a special obligation to uphold the law in their encounters with the public. When they fail to do their duty, it…erodes society’s trust in law enforcement as an institution.” A trio of Seattle public safety advocates have written an op-ed calling on state lawmakers to pass new measures to rectify the lack of police accountability, one of these being House Bill 1025, which would end qualified immunity.
Read more here.
A tense standoff caught on camera between cops and an unarmed person in crisis in Seattle’s East Precinct “shows how perceptions of police in a standoff situation have shifted after repeated incidents like the killing of Tyre Nichols.”
Read more here.
VERMONT
The ACLU of Vermont is voicing its support for a new civil rights bill, S.6. This measure would prohibit the police from using unjust coercive tactics on young people. “Vermont should strive to ensure that any confession is accurate, freely given, and obtained through ethical interrogation methods that are rooted in modern science,” said the ACLU.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
In an effort to limit unnecessary police interactions and combat racial profiling, public safety advocates in Maryland are voicing their support for Senate Bill 51, a measure that would prevent cops from stopping motorists based on the scent of cannabis.
Read more here.
ILLINOIS
Nearly 200 people have been cleared of charges tied to former Chicago Police Sergeant Ronald Watts after revelations emerged that the corrupt cop preyed on innocent people, extorted money, and planted evidence for almost a decade. These victims are now seeking justice and accountability.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
The New York Times: Watching the Watchmen
“The single most important change Congress can make is to write out of existence the misbegotten legal doctrine of ‘qualified immunity,’ which makes it unreasonably difficult to hold officers or agencies financially liable for misconduct.”
Read more here.
The New York Times: Memphis Officer Texted Photo of Tyre Nichols After Beating, New Documents Show
“Sending the photograph…violated policies about keeping information confidential, according to the documents. But police officials said it was also part of a pattern of mocking, abusive and ‘blatantly unprofessional’ behavior by the officers that also included shouting profanities at Mr. Nichols, laughing after the beating and ‘bragging’ about their involvement.”
Read more here.
MSNBC: How Qualified Immunity Shields Police from Accountability
“Defenders of qualified immunity claim that cops will refuse to do their job without it. However, “No surveys of law enforcement, no serious social science of law enforcement, supports that as a reasonable conclusion.”
Watch here.
Wood 8 Grand Rapids: Ex-officer Claims Qualified Immunity in Patrick Lyoya’s Death
“Lyoya’s family sued [Christopher] Schurr and the city of Grand Rapids in December, alleging excessive force and a violation of Lyoya’s Fourth Amendment rights when he was shot April 4, 2022, after Schurr pulled him over. The lawsuit argued it was ‘objectively unreasonable’ for Schurr to have shot Lyoya.”
Read more here.
CBS News: Activist Killed at “Cop City” Site Was Shot 13 Times by Police, Private Autopsy Shows
“’Any evidence, even if it is only an audio recording, will help the family piece together what happened on the morning of January 18th,’ said family attorney Brian Spears. ‘This information is critical, and it is being withheld.’”
Read more here.
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