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, Aderrien Murry’s family seeks justice; East Buffalo shows up for public safety; Black lawmakers urge Congress to address police reform; and more!
FEATURED STORY
Raw Story: Family of 11-Year-Old Shot by Mississippi Cop Files Federal Lawsuit—and Analysts Think They’ll Win
“Even if you think that you can win on qualified immunity. And I have to tell you…qualified immunity is remarkably easy for police defendants to make out. In essence, the test is, would a police officer in his or her right mind have thought that this was the right thing to do? In other words, you have to prove that it was not just unreasonable to this officer but unreasonable to every officer everywhere that this action was the wrong thing to do. That’s a hard thing to prove.”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
Team Edifye gave back to the East Buffalo community on Saturday, hosting a brake light–repair party to prevent traffic stops and educating folks about the need to end qualified immunity in New York State. The event, co-sponsored by the Campaign to End Qualified Immunity, also offered free grocery distribution and a visit from University of Buffalo athletes.
Read more here.
New York’s police unions issue laminated “courtesy cards” to indicate their members’—as well as their friends’ and family’s—NYPD connection. In a federal suit, Officer Mathew Bianchi warned that these cards are nothing more than a free pass to impunity.
Read more here.
Social media influencer SeanPaul Reyes is part of a growing movement of “First Amendment auditors,” activists who film themselves in New York police precincts to see if they can truly exercise their constitutional rights. “My goal is to expose the bad officers and to try and hold them accountable through my platform,” said Reyes.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
Former Prince George’s County officer Darryl Wormuth was sentenced to 45 days in jail on Tuesday for assaulting Black teen Kayvon Hines without reason in 2020. “We are also going to expose those officers who are racist, who are bias[ed] against our residents, and have conducted themselves outside of their general order,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy after the sentencing.
Read more here.
ILLINOIS
Chicago’s Rule 14, known as the “you lie, you die” rule, greenlights the termination of any officer found to have made false statements. A new report highlights how over 100 cops accused of such violations have nonetheless managed to avoid accountability and remain on the force.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
Axios: Black Lawmakers Push Congress To Do More on Police Reform
“A year after President Biden signed an executive order to improve policing nationwide, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) said there’s more ‘we must do to put an end to bad policing in America.’”
Read more here.
Axios: Rate of Latinos Killed by Police Skyrockets
“[The study] found that Hispanics accounted for nearly 20% of all people killed by police between 2011 and 2020 and that their rate of fatal encounters was 1.33 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic whites.”
Read more here.
NBC News: On 3rd Anniversary of George Floyd’s Death, Biden Stops GOP-led Effort to Block DC Police Reform Law
“‘I believe we have an obligation to make sure that all our people are safe and that public safety depends on public trust,’ Biden said in a statement to Congress vetoing the effort. ‘It is a core policy of my administration to provide law enforcement with the resources they need for effective, accountable community policing.’”
Read more here.
Colorado Public Radio: Interview: The Lawyer Who Represented the Families of Elijah McClain and Christian Glass Talks Police Settlements and Reform
“Training alone is not enough, but training is an integral part of the solution….So when at least one of those officers says something, it eliminates that culture of silence [and]…hopefully it will save lives. But there is no magic single bullet. Little by little we’ll change the culture within policing. And we’re hopeful that the Christian Glass settlement will result in a cultural shift.”
Read more here.
The Philadelphia Citizen: A New Way To Police Philly?
“The principle is that typically these are [low-level] crimes committed by people struggling with complex unmet health needs, living in deep poverty and a state of desperation. What we’re doing as a city is saying, we think there’s something better that can happen for a lot of these people before they go through the next steps of the justice system.”
Read more here.
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