ACLU of ConnecticutKonto zweryfikowane

No family should have to go through what @ctalbot has gone through. None. Her testimony highlighted a fundamental truth: the ending of qualified immunity also needs to apply to the DOC.

A police union rep from AFSCME testified their fear that accountability measures would hinder recruitment. There are a lot of things wrong with that statement. (1/2)

The biggest one (say it with us): if someone isn’t applying to be a police employee because they know they’ll be held accountable if they hurt or kill someone, that is a good thing. (2/2)

Fact check: several have implied that the bill is solely in reaction to George Floyd's murder. But police violence and racism in policing aren't new, including here in Connecticut. Ending police violence + racism is vital for people here. (1/2)

(2/2) Police violence and racism are long-standing Connecticut problems. In 2020 alone: Ansonia police killed Michael Gregory Connecticut State Police killed Mubarak Soulemane Waterbury police killed Edward Gendron Justin Griffin died in Milford Police custody

Fact check: Connecticut's existing law regarding members of the public filing complaints relies on police policing themselves. As of 2017, years after that law was passed, Connecticut police agencies weren't even following it. https://www.acluct.org/en/publications-earning-trust …

Pay attention to the language police use in testimony opposing accountability. "Police have to make split-second decisions and sometimes death occurs" assumes people have to die at the hands of police. They don't. It's government choice to allow police to keep harming people.

"Policing that I've received in NHV & Wtrbury is not indicative of what police officers have spoken to in this call. The policing I & people in my community experience is violent. It attacks people who might not have right socio-economic status to defend themselves." @BLMNewHaven

Reminder: part of policing's political machine is its privileged access to halls of power. For example, some police contracts in Connecticut require towns to pay police when they're testifying at the legislature, as long as it's on behalf of union activities.

In response to a question, the Waterbury police chief claims their MRAP is used for "safety" reasons. Fact check: police military equipment endangers people. *Just last month* Waterbury rolled out its MRAP to intimidate peaceful protesters who were advocating for Black lives.

Pay attention to language police use today. A Waterbury police rep just spoke about "public safety." Policing's political machine relies on defining public safety as policing. It isn't. Public safety is health, jobs, food, housing, education -- things that make us safe.

Fact check: Qualified immunity prevents police accountability even in cases where a court has found police violated someone's constitutional rights. There's nothing "frivolous" about those lawsuits.

Fact check: Qualified immunity is rarely a factor early enough to prevent lawsuits from being filed. It DOES prevent police accountability when a lawsuit is successful. A Yale Law Journal study of 1000+ lawsuits against police showed QI only upheld a motion to dismiss in 7 cases.

Fact check: In at least 10 cases of police violence in CT, *even prosecutors* noted the appropriateness of the "objectively reasonable" standard for police uses of force (i.e. a standard not based in what the police employee says they felt/saw in the moment).

Jazmarie Melendez of @Justice4JaysonN just spoke so many hard truths to power. Jayson Negron should still be alive today. No one should have to go through what Jaz and her family have gone through.

Belated shout out to @ConnConnection for holding space for people with disabilities in her testimony about this bill. As Kathy's testimony made clear, systemic ableism means more than half of people killed by police have some kind of disability. https://namiillinois.org/half-people-killed-police-disability-report/ …

Belated shout out to @CTJJA for holding space for youth, especially Black and Latinx youth, in their testimony about this bill.

The @TrialLawyersCT testimony offers a serious fact check to the policing political machine's misrepresentation of qualified immunity. Example: "The Harlow decision was not about police misconduct. It involved an employment case and discipline of a presidential aid."

Rhonda Caldwell of Hamden Action Now held serious space for Black and Latinx people who have been killed by police in Connecticut.

Fact check: Complying with police orders or requests does not guarantee someone's safety in an encounter with police. Remember Philando Castile. Remember Daniel Shaver. Remember others killed by police in Connecticut and across the country whose names we may never know.

Almost hard to believe we have to say this, but fact check: the solution to ending police violence is NOT training police in how to use other forms of violence.

If you live in Waterbury Bethel Danbury Hartford Wilton your local police have testified against police accountability today. If you live in Connecticut: state police have done the same. (we'll update this list again later today)

Shout out to @_jennaasun with @mfolct for bringing and and facts while testifying in support of the police accountability bill. Jenna mentioned Eric Garner. Today marks 6 years since Eric Garner was killed by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo. Police violence is not new.

Thank you, Rev. Pawelek, for holding space for Jay Soto, who was killed by police in Manchester in April. https://cga.ct.gov/jud/related/20200717_LCO%20No.%203471%20An%20Act%20Concerning%20Police%20Accountability/Testimony%20-%20Rev.%20Josh%20Pawelek.pdf …