The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May 2020 provoked national turmoil. It transformed qualified immunity into an issue of national importance, seemingly overnight.
The video of Floyd’s death shows him losing consciousness and posing no threat to officers. The Chauvin trial brings into question the training capabilities of police departments and the choices officers make outside of their training.
Witnesses have called it murder. Derek Chauvin, the officer charged with Floyd’s death, calls it reasonable use of force. Now, his defense is arguing that Chauvin did what he was trained to do. In other words, the defense maintains that the police department trained Chauvin
The "Back the Blue Act" received opposition from both civil rights groups and police associations. As a result, lawmakers broke the bill down into a trio of bills. Most of the legislation from SSB 1140 made it into Senate Files 479, 534 and 476. One
The new law is broad in scope, making it easier for citizens to obtain a remedy if their civil rights are violated by any government agency or employee, not just a law enforcement officer. As a result, it could have significant ramifications for justice movements
The New York City Council voted on three resolutions and five bills related to public safety and police accountability. Among that package of legislation was a resolution that ends qualified immunity.
The doctrine of qualified immunity has been at the center of the justice-reform debate for a while. Three lawmakers want to end it.
Colorado is attempting to eliminate qualified immunity to address police accountability.