Social Justice
Families and Civil Rights Attorneys Launch Call-A-Thon Urging Passage of George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
The campaign’s goal is to generate 50,000 calls to senators in 50 hours.
Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci have launched a call-a-thon that will run through September 16, asking supporters to call their U.S. Senators to urge them to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The campaign’s goal is to generate 50,000 calls to senators in 50 hours.
George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Call-A-Thon
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass, passed in the House of Representatives on March 3, 2021.
The bill is currently stalled in the U.S. Senate due to partisan disagreements on the changes to nationwide policing it would enact.
“This call-a-thon gives elected officials on Capitol Hill the push they need to prioritize this great concern to their constituents. It is no longer enough to say they are working on police reform legislation. We need meaningful action now,” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
“The families of police brutality victims are relying on us so not one more family has to suffer. They deserve better. Passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act will save lives and hold police accountable.”
Crump and Romanucci joined several of the families they have represented who have lost loved ones to police brutality to create a video voicing support for the bill.
Philonise Floyd, Tamika Palmer, Jesse Brittain, Chelsie Rubin, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, Alissa Findley, Teena Acree, and Tashyra Prude voice their support for the bill’s passage in the video.
“We are calling for real, lasting change — but we’re running out of time. Every day that goes by and every death that results from police brutality is a life that could have potentially been spared had lawmakers acted sooner. Put partisan politics aside and realize that Congress has a responsibility to address this human rights issue immediately,” said Antonio Romanucci.
If passed, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would:
- Limit the unnecessary use of force and restrict the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and carotid holds
- Create the National Police Misconduct Registry to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct
- Lower the criminal intent standard to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution
- Limit qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer
- Grant administrative subpoena power to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in pattern-or-practice investigations
Supporters of the police reform legislation can visit this website, where they will submit their phone number and be automatically connected to their senator’s office to encourage a yes vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
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Social Justice
San Francisco man victim of two hate crime incidents
San Francisco’s Harvey ‘Terry’ Williams was a victim of not one, but two hate crimes and has launched a GoFundMe to protect his family.
San Francisco’s Harvey ‘Terry’ Williams was a victim of not one, but two hate crimes.
San Francisco hate crime
On the morning of April 26th, he was delivered a package containing a black doll with a noose wrapped around its neck, with his name and a picture of his face. The doll, along with the other contents of the package, were covered in horrifying racial phrases and slurs.
A week later, he received a second racist package containing similar items, but this time the threats were escalated.
San Francisco police say they’re investigating both incidents.
Neighbors have rallied behind Williams, helping him build a network of security cameras to help keep a closer eye on their area.
GoFundMe
A GoFundMe was launched to help pay for security cameras, help Terry relocate until the police know more, and help take some financial pressure off the family during a very difficult and scary time.
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Social Justice
Family of Black teen shot in head after ringing doorbell of wrong home sues gunman and HOA
The family of the Ralph Yarl, the Black teenager who was shot in the head after ringing the doorbell of the wrong home in Kansas City, Missouri, last year, has filed a lawsuit against the White man who shot him and the residential homeowners association where the house is located.
The family of Ralph Yarl has filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew Lester, the 85-year-old white man who shot the teen last year on his doorstep, along with Lester’s homeowners association.
Ralph Yarl family sues
The lawsuit, filed by Yarl’s mother Cleo Nagbe in the circuit court of Clay County, Missouri, accuses Lester and the Highland Acres Homes Association, Inc. of “careless and negligent conduct.”
“At all times relevant, Plaintiff (Ralph Yarl) never posed or issued a threat to Defendant, Andrew Lester,” the lawsuit states, adding the Highland Acres Homes Association “was aware of or should have been aware of Defendant, Andrew Lester’s, propensity for violence, access to dangerous weapons and racial animus.”
Yarl’s mother said in a news release that the case is not just about seeking justice for her son. By including the Highland Acres Homes Association, Inc., Nagbe said the lawsuit “underscores the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding our communities.”
“Their knowledge of a potentially dangerous individual in the neighborhood without taking adequate precautions is unacceptable,” Nagbe wrote. “This case is not just about seeking justice for Ralph but about advocating for systemic changes that prioritize the safety and well-being of all children.”
Nagbe said she also hopes the civil suit will create a conversation about the “importance of responsible gun ownership and community safety measures of using words, not weapons.”
Suspect
Lester has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
He was released on $200,000 bond and his trial is set to begin October 7.
Ralph Yarl shooting incident
On April 13, 2023, Ralph Yarl, now 17, went to the wrong home while trying to pick up his younger siblings. After ringing the doorbell, Ralph was shot in the head and arm.
Lester was detained the night of the shooting but released two hours later. After a public outcry, he was arrested and charged nearly a week later.
The 85-year-old claims he was scared to death of the boy’s size. Meanwhile, Yarl is 5ft8in and 140 pounds.
Yarl survived the shooting with serious injuries. Those close to the family said he had a prognosis of a full recovery, but may possibly suffer long-term brain issues.
According to the civil lawsuit, the teenager “suffered and sustained permanent injuries, endured pain and suffering of a temporary and permanent nature, experienced disability and losses of normal life activities, was obligated to spend large sums of money for medical and attention and suffered other losses and damages.”
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Crime & Justice
Paramedic involved in Elijah McClain’s death sentenced to probation, work release and community service
Jeremy Cooper, a former paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with a fatal dose of ketamine, has been sentenced to probation and community service.
Jeremy Cooper, a former paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with a fatal dose of ketamine, has been sentenced to probation and community service.
Paramedic Jeremy Cooper sentenced
He had faced up to three years in prison but was sentenced to four years probation, 14 months of work release and 100 hours of community service.
Cooper and another paramedic, Peter Cichuniec, were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in December in the death of McClain, 23, who was subdued by police and injected with ketamine on August 24, 2019.
Both paramedics had pleaded not guilty to the felony charges. Cichuniec was sentenced in March to five years in prison, the minimum.
Police stop turns fatal
McClain was walking home in August 2019 when the 23-year-old Black man was confronted by police officers who forcibly restrained him. When Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec arrived, they injected him with ketamine.
He went into cardiac arrest in an ambulance a few minutes later and died three days after that.
The McClain family sued the city of Aurora for Elijah’s wrongful death and received a $15 million settlement.
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Connect with Unheard Voices on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.
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Unheard Voices Magazine LLC is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
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