Jackson Lieber, Darryl Tyree Williams, Christopher Lee Mercurio, Keenan Anderson, Tyre Nichols, Alonzo Bagley and Timothy McCree Johnson. They all have one thing in common. They were all killed at the hands of police in 2023. Just into March, the nation has seen murder and death alongside brutality eerily similar to that of George Floyd and Rodney King.
Just a little over two years ago, the nation was mourning over the tragedy of George Floyd. There, police had arrived on scene due to allegations of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for food at a deli. The result was a failure in proper police tactics and improper use of force by the Minneapolis Police Department. Since then, the police officers involved have faced criminal charges and all been convicted. The family of George Floyd settled out of court with the city of Minneapolis for an amount of $27 million dollars.
Marches and protests ensued after the moral failures of the Minneapolis police department. Enough had been enough. Town halls were held in churches and city councils had meetings in cities all over the United States. George Floyd was supposed be the wakeup call and what ensued was supposed to be the healing of a nation alongside new protocols, strategies, and tactics for an over militarized police force in the United States.
Yet 2023 is upon us, and the same mistakes and deaths are occurring. These deaths are not only heard. These deaths are felt by and impact numerous families, individuals, and leave ripples of unease and distrust in the communities they live in. Every single life is important. How much more does a nation have to deal with before there is local and national legislation that aims at true prevention. There are federal bills in play and in drafting. However, nothing that has been done as of yet has been able to prevent these horrific tragedies in 2023.
Police are called to a specific conduct and set of policies such as use of their firearms and level of force used in their on-duty interactions. They are called to protect and serve. An oath affirmed by every police officer in the United States in all departments. It is more understood that many uniformed officers do excellent in their duties and jobs day in and day out. However, it cannot excuse those who fail to act properly under their duties. Deaths and police brutality at the hands of people who wear the badge is something to be advocated against on a daily basis.
One way for those left victim to these tragedies is obtaining justice by filing a civil lawsuit. Civil Rights are at the core of our United States Constitution and the right of every individual. Inalienable, meaning you are entitled to these rights. Families have something to fight back with. That is Justice. Lento Law Group understands the pain and hurt that have befallen families in these unimaginable circumstances. We understand and empathize. However, we also work at the same time to ensure justice for our clients. We work diligently and focus on making sure our fight is aimed at making substantive change to prevent future police brutality, while making sure our clients are made as whole as possible from the institutions responsible.