In a letter that has been sent to Congress, more than 1,000 pro athletes and coaches from the NFL, NBA and MLB voiced their support for the Ending Qualified Immunity Act.
Players and coaches who attached their name to the letter include Tom Brady, Odell Beckham Jr., Drew Brees, JJ Redick, Chris Archer, Matt Kemp, CC Sabathia, Giancarlo Stanton, Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich.
Today, on behalf of 1100+ athletes & coaches and 300+ front office personnel across the @NFL @NBA & @MLB, we urge Congress to pass the Ending Qualified Immunity Act, introduced by @justinamash & @AyannaPressley
We demand accountability for police brutality. It's time for change. pic.twitter.com/ro7eRmvSK6
— PlayersCoalition (@playercoalition) June 10, 2020
Introduced by Representatives Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Justin Amash of Michigan in response to multiple recent examples of police misconduct, including the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the proposed legislation would remove defense or immunity from civil liability from police officers that “brutalize or otherwise violate the civil rights” of citizens. (For more on qualified immunity, see Sunday’s episode of John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight.)
Spearheaded by the Players Coalition, a group of former and current NFL players that is working to end social injustices and racial inequality, the letter urges Congress to pass the Amash-Pressley bill and end the protection that has “shielded some of the worst law enforcement officials in America.”
“It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity, and it can do so by passing the Amash-Pressley bill,” the letter reads in part. “When police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law. And officers must know that if they act in such a manner, there will be repercussions. A legal system that does not provide such a recourse is an illegitimate one. In their grief, people have taken to the streets because for too long, their government has failed to protect them. The Courts and elected officials alike have instead shielded people who caused unspeakable harm. Congress must not be complicit in these injustices, and it should take this important step to show that law enforcement abuse will not be tolerated.”
Other notable signers of the letter include Adrian Peterson, Quenton Nelson, Jim Kelly, Gardner Minshew, Andrew McCutchen, Cameron Maybin, Baker Mayfield, George Kittle, Kam Chancellor, Tony Gonzalez, Doug Baldwin, Melvin Gordon, Dee Gordon and Erik Spolestra.
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