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 rogue cop responsible for Patrick Lyoya’s death faces consequences; the ACLU of Vermont tracks problematic policing; the Institute for Justice blasts the Supreme Court; and more!
FEATURED STORY
AP News: Michigan Cop Charged with Murder in Lyoya’s Death Is Fired
“‘Two words: about time. What took so long?’ the family’s attorney, Ven Johnson, said. ‘They knew this was excessive force and they put him on paid leave while the family buried their son in the middle of the rain.’”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
On Monday, 40-year-old Anibal Carrasquillo became the seventh inmate to die on Rikers island this year. “Every person in our custody is someone’s son, daughter, brother or sister, and it is an especially heartbreaking tragedy to learn that a loved one has passed away while incarcerated,” lamented Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina.
Read more here.
VERMONT
“Vermonters deserve to know which of their police officers have been accused of lying or bias and which state’s attorneys are taking their constitutional obligations to ensure a fair justice system seriously.” Committed to strengthening public safety, the ACLU of Vermont has established a critical new database that tracks rogue cops.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans sought to dismiss a lawsuit seeking access to vital public records. But thanks to legal efforts led by the ACLU of Maryland, a judge has denied the rogue sheriff’s attempts to block transparency. “We look forward to continuing this action to ensure real access for communities to public information on police misconduct,” said the ACLU’s Dara Johnson.
Read more here.
ILLINOIS
A new Chicago public-safety policy established after the fatal shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez will prohibit police officers from chasing people on foot “if they suspect them of minor offenses such as parking violations, driving on suspended licenses or drinking alcohol in public.”
Read more here.
The family of an unarmed 13-year-old boy shot and paralyzed by Chicago police have filed a federal lawsuit to hold the rogue cops accountable for their unforgivable actions. The distraught victim “just wishes he would have stayed in the house because he might never walk again,” said his mother, Cierra Corbitt.
Read more here.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) has taken action to fire officer David Laskus. The rogue cop, who brutalized Mia Wright in 2020, leaving her partially blind, has been accused “of a total of 29 total violations of CPD rules, including violation of constitutional rights” and other egregious acts.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
Institute for Justice: Supreme Court Ignores Constitutional Violations by Federal Police, Green Lights Absolute Immunity Even in Cases Dealing with Attempted Murder and Well-Documented Lies by Officers
“‘It’s hard to overstate the damage done to federal police accountability by the Supreme Court’s decisions this month,’ said IJ Attorney Patrick Jaicomo. ‘At a time when accountability is so badly needed and immunity has been so thoroughly repudiated, this is a very discouraging move in the wrong direction.’”
Read more here.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Federal Judge Throws Out Lawsuits Against Police Stemming from El Cajon Protests
“U.S. District Court Judge Linda Lopez threw out the suit after concluding the police were entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection for government employees that says they can’t be sued if they did not violate a ‘clearly established’ right when performing their duties.”
Read more here.
The Root: Four Louisiana Officers Acquitted in Death of Black Man
“‘I am heartbroken by the decision….Those that are placed in a position to serve and protect, I no longer have trust in them at all,’ said LaQuita McGlothen, Tommie McGlothen’s younger sister after the verdict was announced.”
Read more here.
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