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, the officer who killed Patrick Lyoya didn’t follow police training or standards; an NYPD officer brags about milking overtime; and more!
FEATURED STORY
Two police experts for the family of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man killed by a White Grand Rapids police officer last year, have said Officer Christopher Schurr’s conduct violated his training and acceptable police standards, according to a lawsuit against the officer and the city.
Read more here.
NEW YORK
NYC Mayor Eric Adams has revealed so-called “crime-fighting robots” that would patrol subway stations alongside the NYPD. Many groups criticized this unveiling—the Communities United for Police Reform campaign noted, “We need to invest in…mental health care and community programs that will keep us safe, not …in new and expensive technologies to criminalize us further.”
Read more here.
New York Police Officer Shaun Enright, after arresting Johnathan Wohl, was recorded having a conversation with an unidentified coworker about “running time”. Running time refers to the overtime pay officers receive while processing arrests. Wohl was arrested for a misdemeanor trespassing charge, which should not take more than a few hours to process. It took over 5 hours for Enright to process the ticket.
Read more here.
ILLINOIS
Jamal Smith is currently on life support after being shot by a Joliet police officer outside of his apartment building. The officer who shot Smith claims he was firing a handgun, but Smith’s family and residents of the apartment building don’t believe he was armed.
Read more here.
Chicago’s interim police superintendent signed off on disciplinary charges Monday recommending the firing of Eric Stillman, the police officer who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo. The recommendation comes more than two years after Toledo’s death.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
The legal concept of qualified immunity has created a police force which feels invincible – and acts like it. As People for the American Way explains, police must be held accountable for their actions and having a legal loophole for cops to avoid responsibility makes us all less safe.
Read more here.
West Virginia State Police whistleblower Corporal Joseph Comer has come forward regarding his five-page letter to state lawmakers that sparked an investigation into the police department. The allegations include sexual assaults, thefts, and even a hidden camera in the women’s locker room.
Read more here.
A federal judge has released the names of the 17 Antioch, California, cops accused of sending “deeply disturbing” racist texts discovered after the FBI seized their phones. Among them: Rick Hoffman, head of the Antioch Police Association.
Read more here.
The New Orleans Police Department is riddled with racist, violent, and corrupt policing practices, per a recent Justice Dept. filing. A troubling independent review has determined that “17 of the 28 serious uses of force by NOPD officers in 2021—61 percent—were not justified.”
Read more here.
Lamar Thorpe, the mayor of Antioch, California, is calling for an overhaul of the city’s policing practices after a judge released the names of 17 local cops accused of serious misconduct. “There is systemic failure in leadership here….The culture at the Antioch Police Department is a problem and has long been a huge legal and financial liability for the city,” said the mayor.
Read more here.
Iowa woman Shyla Wolf is raising money on GoFundMe to pay for an attorney as she prepares to file a civil suit against the city of Toledo, following a brutal traffic stop that left her with a fat lip, bruises on her neck, and other injuries.
Read more here.
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