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 ACLU slams Georgia’s indictment of Cop City activists; the NYPD agrees to ban aggressive tactics against peaceful protestors; Ohio demands justice for Ta’Kiya Young; and more!
FEATURED STORY
UPI: 61 Indicted on RICO Charges in Georgia Over ‘Cop City’ Protests
“‘Georgia law enforcement officials are disproportionately wielding these over-broad laws to stigmatize and target those who disagree with the government,’ Aamar Ahmad, senior staff attorney with ACLU’s National Security Project, said in a statement.”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
As part of a civil rights settlement, the NYPD has agreed to ban aggressive tactics against peaceful protesters, to prevent “the sort of indiscriminate violence and retaliatory over-policing New York saw in the summer of 2020.”
Read more here.
Since 2016, Detective Richard Hy—known for running a YouTube channel called “Angry Cops”—has been subject to several lawsuits and misconduct allegations, including injuring a motorcyclist with his patrol car. Instead of holding Hy accountable, the Buffalo Police Department has promoted him to lieutenant.
Read more here.
Civil liberties groups blasted the NYPD for using drones to surveil Labor Day festivities. “One of the biggest concerns with the rush to roll out new forms of aerial surveillance is how few protections we have against seeing these cameras aimed at our backyards or even our bedrooms,” said privacy advocate Albert Fox Cahn.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
USA Today: A Pregnant Ohio Mother’s Death by Police Sparked Outrage. What We Know About Ta’Kiya Young
“Local activists and protest groups met…on Friday night and again on Sunday evening to call for justice and accountability in the shooting. Meanwhile, more than two dozen family and friends gathered Friday night at Young’s grandmother’s home, where they lit candles in memory of Young and her unborn child.”
Read more here.
AP News: Fort Wayne Police Sergeant Fined $35.50 for Fatally Striking Pedestrian in Crosswalk
“Sgt. Joshua Hartup pleaded guilty to failing to yield to a pedestrian causing bodily injury and was fined $35.50 by an Allen Superior Court magistrate…Hartup’s unmarked police vehicle struck Henry Najdeski, a Fort Wayne attorney, on April 19. Najdeski died from his injuries three days later….Hartup has not received any police department discipline for the crash.”
Read more here.
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder: Reexamining Police Killings After the Investigation Is Over
“‘We try to look at what they say,’ Emma [Pederson] continued, ‘compare it to everything in the reports. Compare it to the physical evidence. Compare it to news articles that provide more information. And we really try to understand the actual narrative of what happened versus the first police narrative that often comes out.’”
Read more here.
Atlanta News First: ‘They’re Hurting Me in Here’: Athens Man Dies Inside Fulton County Jail Just Days After Pleading for Help
“In late August, Samuel Lawrence sent a letter to the federal courthouse in Atlanta asking for help surrounding his treatment at Fulton County Jail…Lawrence was found unresponsive in his jail cell on August 26, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. Lawrence’s death marks the eighth custody death at the Fulton County Jail since January. It’s the 25th custody death since 2019.”
Read more here.
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