老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana Files Four Lawsuits, Investigating Nearly 40 Claims of Racist Policing

Justice Lab program launches new website featuring police violence heatmap as more than 200 Louisiana residents complain of misconduct

March 4, 2021 11:45 am

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NEW ORLEANS 鈥 Justice Lab, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana鈥檚 litigation and advocacy campaign against racist policing, has filed four lawsuits challenging police misconduct to date, with more than 30 additional cases under investigation for prospective litigation later this year. The team also launched an , which maps the disproportionate use of police violence in Black and Brown communities around the state. Since the Justice Lab initiative began last summer, the 老澳门开奖结果 has received more than 200 complaints of police misconduct from Louisiana residents, ranging from verbal abuse, to racial profiling, to use of excessive and lethal force.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been almost a year since George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers,鈥 said 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana Executive Director Alanah Odoms. 鈥淭his was a deeply traumatic incident, but it wasn鈥檛 anything new. Since last May, more victims have come forward accusing Derek Chauvin, the police officer who pressed his knee into George Floyd鈥檚 neck, of using similar, deadly force on them. This is what we鈥檙e trying to put an end to. Through Justice Lab, we are working to hold police officers accountable for their violent behavior鈥攔ather than encourage it鈥攊n an effort to dismantle the era of legally-sanctioned police violence once and for all. Together, we can continue the fight for Black lives and build a future where no child has to grow up in fear of being killed by the police.鈥

Over the past eight months, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana has refined and expanded Justice Lab in response to community feedback, incorporating non-litigation support and partnering with directly-impacted communities to combat police violence at the grassroots level. The new holds a wealth of resources, including an interactive heat map of police violence across Louisiana, which confirms that parishes in the state show a pattern of racial disparity in police killings鈥攐ne that disproportionately affects Black people.

The site also includes , an overview of the initiative鈥檚 storytelling effort, and additional resources to help empower directly-impacted families and communities in taking on the fight to combat racist policing. 老澳门开奖结果 has partnered with the Louisiana Victims Outreach Program (LAVO), a program that seeks to address the needs of victims of violent crime as they navigate the criminal legal system. Through the partnership, LAVO will provide an array of free services that aim to inform victims about the criminal legal system, facilitate healing on an individual level, and build a supportive community of victims, advocates, and service providers.

The cases Justice Lab has filed include:

  • Sampy v. Rabb et al.: 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana, alongside and , are on behalf of Mr. Raynaldo Sampy鈥攁 Black man who was asleep and pulled from his parked truck, repeatedly thrown onto the pavement face first, and pinned down with officers鈥 knees on his neck, back, and legs. This brutal encounter, involving seven police officers, was in response to an erroneous report that Mr. Sampy had driven into an ice cooler outside of a convenience store and damaged it鈥攁n impossibility, given that a steel guard rail protected the cooler from being struck by vehicles. .
  • Johnson v. Turner et al.: The 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana, along with , are for the unjust and racist arrest of Shauna Johnson, a Black Uber driver, as she pulled over to pick up her Uber passengers. According to the lawsuit, the officer arrested her without probable cause and in retaliation for exercising her freedom of speech. .
  • Beroid v. LaFleur et al.: The 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana, alongside , are of the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff鈥檚 Office for the unlawful use of a Taser on a Black man last March. The officers entered his parents鈥 home without permission, and, in a matter of mere seconds, proceeded to Taser Mr. Beroid in front of his family members, despite the fact that he posed no threat to the officers and he was not attempting to flee. .
  • Stevenson v. Gautreaux: The 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana and the have also asking the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a district court鈥檚 ruling in favor of East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff鈥檚 deputies, who were granted qualified immunity for killing an unarmed man experiencing a mental health crisis in 2016. Deputies fired 21 shots into Travis Stevenson鈥檚 vehicle, killing him, despite the fact that Stevenson posed no immediate threat to the officers. .

The 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana is encouraging community members to visit the new Justice Lab site, learn more about the effort, and spread the word. If you or anyone you know has been the victim of police misconduct, . Filing a complaint is simple and confidential.

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