Gubernatorial challenger Josh Elliott told a group of police-accountability activists that he would work to end qualified immunity if elected governor.
Police Accountability Conversation
Elliott made the promise at a campaign-hosted Zoom conversation on Monday, where he was asked about his stance on banning qualified immunity. He described qualified immunity as a shield for people to be complicit in damaging Black and Brown communities.
Elliott also addressed his absence from a crucial vote in the summer of 2020, when the state legislature passed the Police Accountability Bill. He explained that he had been at the state Capitol since 10 a.m. and had fallen asleep after leaving to feed his dog.
The bill limits qualified immunity, allowing plaintiffs to sue officers in state court for deliberate, malicious, or bad-faith violations of their constitutional rights. Elliott said he would work with members of the Judiciary Committee to pass laws and lead on the issue to move groups of people by emphasizing a vision of what he would like to see.
Elliott’s vision of policing includes moving away from a purely armed force to being more community-focused, making relationships, and not always having a gun on hand. He emphasized continuing to have conversations with impacted people and building his vision from there.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
