Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) said on this week’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show” that she wants qualified immunity for police offers to be removed so they can be held responsible for the continued “killings of Black unarmed men, in particular.”
On the ongoing Senate negations of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Waters said, “Our negotiators are fighting as hard as they can and should continue to fight, but I’m not giving up on qualified immunity. I do not want to send any message to anybody that I’m willing to support legislation that does not have it in it. I think we’ve got to be tough. We’ve got to be consistent. Understand that we’ve got to hold police officers accountable. Even since the death of George Floyd, we continued to have killings of Black unarmed men, in particular.”
She continued, “These police officers know they have the support of the police unions. They have the support of city council members who are intimidated by the police union. Police chiefs who said if they don’t go along, they can’t be chief — even some mayors. I’m so proud of though mayors that are willing to stand up and fight and for the police chiefs that are willing to stand up and fight. But history tells us that they have been intimidated too long, given in too much, and the police don’t believe they’re going to be held accountable. That’s why even after George Floyd, they continue to kill, and so I want qualified immunity out.”
Waters added, “I believe that the police should be held accountable. They should not be, you know, given a safe harbor and not be allowed to be sued. That’s where I stand on it.”
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