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Qualified immunity protects police officers from lawsuits, making it nearly impossible for individual citizens to sue public officials unless they can prove they violated a “clearly established law”. That’s where the lines begin to blur. Reform or abolishing qualified immunity must happen to hold police accountable for their actions when…
On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, a grand jury refused to bring criminal charges against the Rochester, New York, police officers who killed Daniel Prude. Last March, Mr. Prude was in a psychiatric crisis, naked in the street outside his brother’s home. He had been visiting his brother from out of town,…
When George Floyd was being restrained by Minneapolis police, officer Thomas Lane said on video: “Roll him on his side?” “I just worry about the excited delirium or whatever.” Mr. Floyd died several minutes later of restraint asphyxia as a result of being improperly restrained face down with an officer’s…
By Julia Sherwin Law enforcement shootings of unarmed men of color are an epidemic in this country. And today, we address yet another one. On October 5, 2020, Napa County Sheriff’s Sergeant David Ackman pulled over Juan Garcia’s vehicle because Juan was driving with his headlights off, a minor vehicle…
We helped our two clients, the children of Humberto (“Beto”) Martinez, settle their claims for their father’s wrongful chokehold death for $7.3 million plus police reforms. This local case involved Pittsburg police officers’ use of a carotid hold and choke hold, and other highly injurious force, on video, while Beto…
San Jose Mercury News/Nate Gartell PITTSBURG — The city has agreed to pay $7.3 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of a man who was killed after an officer placed him in a carotid hold for 50 seconds, using a controversial technique that has since been widely banned…
OAKLAND, CA (September 10, 2020) — Civil rights law firm Haddad & Sherwin LLP announced today that they have filed the first claim against the State of California and the CDCR for the COVID-19 death of a San Quentin prisoner stemming from the botched transfer of 121 untested prisoners from…
Buffalo, New York, police recently shoved Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old man who was protesting the murder of George Floyd, knocking Mr. Gugino to the ground and causing a head injury that immediately began to bleed and required hospitalization. Then a gang of officers callously walked past Mr. Gugino as he…
Today, in response to community uprising over Minneapolis police officers’ murder of George Floyd by restraint asphyxia, Donald Trump tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Mr. Trump is promoting the use of deadly force in response to property crimes, which is blatantly unconstitutional. The United States Constitution prohibits…
This was George Floyd’s plea last night to Minneapolis Police Officers as they held him face down, with one knee on his torso and one knee on his neck. News reports show the officers held Mr. Floyd down for over eight minutes, keeping an officer’s knee pressing on his torso…