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To: Congress
End Qualified Immunity Now!
We need to end qualified immunity. We’re tired of seeing countless folks suffer at the hands of violent police officers on power trips because the law continues to protect them. They need to be held accountable, just like anyone in any other profession. Those who enforce the law should never be immune to it.
Why is this important?
“Shoot first and think later.” That’s how Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor describes the doctrine of qualified immunity. Qualified immunity is a rule that protects government officials (including police officers) from facing the consequences when they violate our constitutional rights. This doctrine allows police officers to escape accountability for their misconduct and signals to the public that cops are above the law. In any other job, individuals who cause harm are held accountable for their actions. Police cannot continue to be an exception, especially at the expense of Black lives.
The police officers who brutally killed Tyre Nichols were dismissed from their jobs, but that won’t bring Tyre back to his family. And a single action against this group of officers won’t prevent police brutality against more Black and brown communities. Police officers remain unchecked, and will continue to wield their power against other people, as long as they’re seen as “above the law.” One way of taking away their unchecked power is ending qualified immunity.