“It makes no sense that the very people responsible for enforcing the law face no consequences for breaking it.”
Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation which would allow people to sue police officers and other state and local government officials.
The Ending Qualified Immunity Act would eliminate the doctrine created by the Supreme Court, which protects police officers from individual liability for violating a person’s constitutional rights.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said the bill ensures police, and all officials, are held accountable for their actions.
“It makes no sense that the very people responsible for enforcing the law face no consequences for breaking it,” Pressley contended.
The bill was first introduced in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, and Pressley argued it provides the families of those abused by police with the healing they deserve. Supporters of qualified immunity said officers should not have to fear lawsuits when dealing with potentially dangerous suspects.
More than 1,000 people in the U.S. were killed by police last year, a record high, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said for decades, qualified immunity has shielded officers who use excessive force, far too often suffered by Black and brown Americans.
“There will be no true justice until there is racial justice,” Markey asserted. “And there will be no racial justice until we end qualified immunity.”
Markey added victims and their families are due their day in court against those officials who violate their civil rights. At least forty lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.
Kathryn Carley began her career in community radio, and is happy to be back, covering the New England region for Public News Service. Getting her start at KFAI in Minneapolis, Carley graduated from the University of Minnesota and then worked as a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio, focusing on energy and agriculture. Moving to Washington, D.C., she filed stories for The Pacifica Network News and The Pacifica Report. Later Carley worked as News Host for New York Public Radio, WNYC as well as Co-Anchor for Newsweek’s long running radio program, Newsweek on Air. Carley also served as News Anchor for New York Times Radio. She now lives near Boston, MA.
