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, an Alabama pastor recalls his harrowing experience with racist policing; Chicago’s new deputy mayor for public safety addresses police reform; the ACLU takes on qualified immunity in Louisiana; and more!
FEATURED STORY
USA Today: I’m an Alabama Pastor. I Watered My Neighbor’s Flowers. What Made Me a Suspect?
“Racial profiling by those who have taken an oath to serve and protect us all is a constant reminder to Black people in this country. It doesn’t matter what you have accomplished in life as a minority. To law enforcement, you are de facto the prime suspect. You fit the description solely because of your race.”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
61-year-old David Litts, whom neighbors described as “a sweet guy,” was killed following a police confrontation Monday night in Utica. Litts was in the midst of a mental health crisis and threatening self-harm when the rogue cops opened fire on him. The New York Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the incident.
Read more here.
In a concerted effort to undo egregious cases of police corruption, Brooklyn prosecutors are working to dismiss 378 low-level convictions—some dating back more than 20 years—brought on by rogue cops found to have “planted evidence, falsified records and rewarded informants with drugs.”
Read more here.
MARYLAND
“I want them to be held accountable for what they did to me. I’m 63 years old. I should never have been beaten like that.” On Thursday, Don Hanna, who suffered a broken jaw and other serious injuries following a police encounter in June 2020, filed a civil rights lawsuit against the rogue cops who brutalized him. Along with seeking monetary damages, Hanna’s suit calls for police reform.
Read more here.
ILLINOIS
Officer Jairam Ramkumar faces a 100-day suspension after a Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) investigation ruled that the rogue Chicago cop unjustifiably kicked a handcuffed suspect in the head during a 2018 arrest. “Officer Ramkumar was required to deescalate any force,” stated COPA. “However, Officer Ramkumar failed to properly deescalate his use of force.”
Read more here.
“Right now, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make meaningful and sustainable change to keep our communities safe.” Elena Gottreich, Chicago’s new deputy mayor for public safety, has written an op-ed discussing how the Windy City passed the nation’s “most progressive and comprehensive” civilian oversight package in order to improve policing.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
Law360: ACLU Takes on Qualified Immunity in the 5th Circ.
“Forty civil suits have so far been filed in federal court as part of the [ACLU’s Justice Lab] project. . . .Allegations in the suits range from excessive force to unlawful arrest or search to racial profiling to murder—but they have one thing in common: They challenge actions by cops in Louisiana.”
Read more here.
USA Today: We Know Why Innocent People Are Wrongfully Convicted, So We Fight for Their Right to Sue Police
“From witness tampering and malfeasance in interrogations to fabricating evidence and committing perjury at trial, police misconduct contributed to 35% of known exonerations nationwide. This misconduct stole thousands of years of freedom and a lifetime of priceless memories from its victims. Yet the perpetrators of these injustices rarely face accountability because of…’qualified immunity.’”
Read more here.
LAP Progressive: Qualified Immunity for the Negligent Treatment of Andrew Joseph
“Law enforcement are covering up the death and actions of the officers involved. For years, the sheriffs have used the unjust legal doctrine of qualified immunity to stall the case, filing appeal after appeal, dragging it out, dodging accountability, and causing even greater heartache for the Joseph family.”
Read more here.
WHAS11: Louisville Mayor, Police Chief Provide Update on Policing, Public Safety
“‘I think what we’re going to have to wait and see is how that plays out in real time when an incident happens,’ Kungu Njuguna, a Policy Strategist with the American Civil Liberty Union of Kentucky’s Advocacy Department, said. ‘Some of those things sound good, but let’s see what happens.’”
Read more here.
CPR News: Clear Creek County Deputies Shoot and Kill Man Who Asked for Help After Car Crash
“‘From beginning to end, the officers escalated and proactively initiated force,” [Christian] Glass’ family lawyers, Siddhartha Rathod and Qusair Mohamedbhai, said, in a release. ‘And yet, these officers, including the one who killed Christian, are still in uniform and have paid no price for their conduct. Our country cannot continue to tolerate this level of extreme violence by law enforcement. The act of simply calling 911 for help cannot be a death sentence’.”
Read more here.
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