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, a Kansas police newsroom raid sparks outrage; Hulu premieres a new documentary of police brutality; and more!
FEATURED STORY
Kansas Reflector: Police Defend Raid on Kansas Newspaper Amid Backlash Over ‘Brazen Violation of Press Freedom’
“‘The First Amendment ensures that publications like the Marion County Record can investigate public officials without fear of reprisal,’ [Jared] McClain [of the Institute for Justice] said. ‘It chills the important function of journalism when police raid a newsroom, storm the homes of reporters, seize their property and gain access to their confidential sources. That’s precisely why we must hold accountable officers who retaliate against people who exercise their First Amendment rights.’”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
In a win for transparency, the New York Civil Liberties Union has obtained and made public over 20 years’ worth of New York State police misconduct claims. According to the records, despite the fact that many of the claims were founded, “over half of these officers were given no more than a slap on the wrist.”
Read more here.
Howard Redmond was once a high-ranking NYPD inspector. Now, he’s a disgraced felon. Redmond has pleaded guilty to blocking an investigation into the misuse of city funds during former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio’s presidential bid.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
A federally mandated report found that the Baltimore Police Department lags behind in building community trust. Among the issues is that many residents believe “foot patrol is an important part of proactive policing, but officers are spending noticeably more time patrolling in their vehicles.”
Read more here.
In her new book, investigative journalist Justine Barron divulges how the Baltimore Police concocted a “convoluted narrative” to cover up the truth about how their brutal use of force caused Freddie Gray’s death.
Read more here.
ILLINOIS
On Sunday, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced that he’s picked Larry Snelling to be the Chicago Police’s new superintendent. Snelling will oversee reforms meant to boost public trust in the department, which has hit rock-bottom.
Read more here.
On August 9, a federal judge heard testimony from a number of Chicago residents concerned about the police’s use of controversial “stop-and-frisk” tactics, which disproportionately affect Black and Latino drivers.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
ABC News: Documentary Traces History of Policing the Black Community—From Slavery Through Present Day
“Incidents of mob violence carried out by white citizens were, in many instances, condoned or helped by law enforcement themselves, according to historians interviewed in the film. After the Great Migration, segregated Black communities saw heavier policing in the forms of practices like ‘stop and frisk’—the right of law enforcement to stop, question and pat down anyone deemed reasonably suspicious.”
Read more here.
Reason: Police Reform and Police Recruitment Don’t Have to Be at Odds
“Americans have every right to demand that officers with life-and-death powers are held to the highest standards. Unfortunately, union protections make it difficult to rid departments of overly aggressive officers. Chiefs and sheriffs ought to blame themselves for having insufficiently rooted out the few bad apples in their midst. That’s the real source of public mistrust.”
Read more here.
KNKX: UW Researchers Find Pattern of Tacoma ICE Facility Using Chemical Agents, Force Against Detainees
“’It became clear that there really were patterns of escalating cycles of uses of force against some specific individuals about whom we were really concerned. And one of those categories was folks facing mental illness,’ Angelina Godoy, the research center’s director, said in a recent interview.”
Read more here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Man Killed by Philadelphia Police Never Got Out of His Car, Didn’t ‘Lunge’ with a Knife, Police Say in New Narrative
“Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference Wednesday morning that the initial information shared was ‘generated internally,’ and that officials are ‘backtracking’ to find out how the details came together. She said they did not learn of the inaccuracies until they reviewed the officers’ body camera footage.”
Read more here.
CBS 58: ‘Are We Safe Here in Kenosha?’: Residents Demand Answers After Police Arrest Innocent Man Holding Baby
“[I’m] heartbroken that an innocent Black man experienced the trauma of being forced to the ground by police while eating with his family,’ Congregations United to Serve Humanity President Monica L. Cummings said. The community wants a full investigation into the use of force in the incident and a third-party assessment of the current culture within the Kenosha Police Department.”
Read more here.
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