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, Reason blasts qualified immunity; Washington State inches closer to police accountability; Mississippi activists demand justice for two Black men beaten by racist cops; and more!
FEATURED STORY
Reason: The Cops Who Killed Tyre Nichols Could Be Convicted of Murder and Still Get Qualified Immunity
“It’s an exacting standard that can defy parody in the ways in which [qualified immunity] prevents victims of government abuse from seeking damages in response to government misconduct. In the case of Tyre Nichols, for example, it’s quite plausible that the officers who killed him could be convicted of murder and still receive qualified immunity—a testament to how disjointed and unforgiving the doctrine can be.”
Read more here.
WASHINGTON
On February 10, Washington’s House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary passed HB 1025, the bill to end qualified immunity, by a 6-5 vote. The Evergreen State is now one step closer to holding cops accountable for misconduct.
Read more here.
NEW YORK
“No public official should be above the law or protected when they violate our rights,” said State Senator Robert Jackson, speaking to WNYC’s Brian Lehrer about S 182, the bill to end qualified immunity in New York State.
Listen here.
The trustees of the Village of New Paltz—along with several community members—have voiced their support for ending qualified immunity in New York. An official resolution, passed unanimously, will be circulated to local public officials, including New Paltz’s police commissioners and police chief.
Read more here.
Civil rights activists are sounding the alarm after data on the NYPD’s increased reliance on aggressive traffic-stop tactics raised concerns over a return to unconstitutional stop-and-frisk era policing. “It’s a program that does very little to produce public safety,” warned Christopher Dunn, legal director of the ACLU of New York.
Read more here.
VERMONT
When State Senator Nader Hashim got a hold that a group of troopers were using racist, misogynistic language while playing online games, Hashim—a former trooper himself—reported the incident. But Vermont’s top law enforcement official did absolutely nothing.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
Reflecting upon the 2018 police killing of Anton Black—and the “smoke and mirrors” the authorities used to prevent accountability—the ACLU of Maryland calls on the state’s new leaders to take swift action to stop police brutality.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
NewsOne: Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For ‘Dating White Women’: Lawyers
“Multiple white police officers in Mississippi falsely accused two Black men of selling drugs and ‘dating white women’ before handcuffing and brutally torturing them last month, including shooting one of them in the mouth in what should result in attempted murder charges, a group of lawyers said this week.”
Read more here.
Las Vegas Sun: Video of Police Brutality at Las Vegas School Demands Full Investigation, Accountability
“On what should have been a happy afternoon after school, these officers taught the kids an ugly lesson about the abuse of power. In a time when our entire nation would benefit from a climate in which Black teenagers can trust the police, this cop scarred everyone on the scene and everyone who sees the video.”
Read more here.
The Washington Post: Memphis Police Culture Comes Under Scrutiny After Nichols Beating
“‘There is no way it can be an isolated incident,’ said Memphis City Council Vice Chair J.B. Smiley, 35, who is Black. ‘It seems to be a police culture—not just in Memphis, but across the country—where officers seem to move as if they are above the law.’”
Read more here
NBC 7 San Diego: Racist Comments, Excessive Force and Offensive Behavior Revealed in SDPD Internal Affairs Cases
“NBC 7 Investigates reviewed 68 internal affairs investigations from the San Diego Police Department for incidents that took place from 2014 to 2022. We spoke with city leaders and police oversight officials who say they found the cases ‘eye-opening’ and ‘disturbing.’ They also called for more transparency and accountability from police.”
Read more here.
CBS 42: After Release of Video, Lawsuit Claims Alabama Man Froze to Death in Police Custody, Was ‘Likely’ Placed in Jail Freezer
“‘This is one of the most appalling cases of jail abuse the country has seen,’ the 37-page federal lawsuit begins.‘On the night of January 25 to January 26, 2023, Anthony Don Mitchell (‘Tony’) froze to death while incarcerated at the Walker County Jail.’”
Read more here.
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