Despite constitutional guarantees, Americans’ civil rights and liberties are constantly in danger of violation, whether by individuals, corporations or government institutions.
Regardless of whether personal prejudices or national security concerns lie at the root of these violations, challenging them – and holding wrongdoers accountable – is imperative for the sake of constitutional integrity and the preservation of The American Way.
Trial Lawyers advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person’s right to know. They believe that in the absence of the truth, all of us stand helpless to defend ourselves, our families, our health, and our way of life.
Often times we don’t think about or worry about or understand what is happening to another…. until it happens to us. Deceits have no boundaries. Disease doesn’t recognize the color of our skin or our political party’s affiliation.
When it comes to cover-ups and false allegations by Agencies of the State and the Federal Government, there is not a soul amongst us who does not have a cringing fear of their Overwhelming Awesome power .
It is at these times that we need experienced and dedicated Trial Lawyers….the Warriors in the Courtroom … who are willing to battle for us “tooth and nail” in the Halls of Justice…. To protect our cherished way of life” .
Even when a person with disabilities, or anyone else for that matter, calls the police seeking assistance they expect to receive help. Sadly, people with disabilities and their family members or friends do not always receive the help they expect. In fact, they may receive something that is quite the opposite.
People who experience forms of developmental or mental disabilities are often times doubly targeted by police violence due to high rates of poverty and homelessness.
The brutal murder of a homeless man with schizophrenia in Fullerton, California presents what happens…. when homelessness, mental illness, and police brutality meet. Kelly Thomas was sleeping on the streets when he was murdered; he was approached by six police officers in July of 2011.
When Kelly allegedly refused to comply with his arrest two police officers held him down… while four more police officers took turns beating him with their batons and stunning him with Tasers for eight minutes. The beating left Kelly comatose and disfigured – he died less than a week afterward.
To be plain, very little information is collected on a national level concerning police injuring and killing of people with disabilities.
The problem comes from a larger failure to gather information on a national basis about police injuring and killing civilians as a whole.
Police departments either do not collect, or are reluctant to collect, this kind of information. Reports of police injuring and killing civilians are scattered and imprecise.
All across this great nation of ours, we see horrific examples of some cops beating and mistreating persons with developmental or mental disabilities because the cops are not properly trained.
More training and better awareness of the complexities of interacting with people with disabilities will help decrease and maybe eliminate these unspeakable crimes against societies less fortunate.
In Maryland, Ethan Saylor died because police responded with rapid and unnecessary force to his disability.
In San Diego, 21-year-old Antonio Martinez, who has downs syndrome, was walking to his parents’ bakery around 8 p.m. when he was stopped, pepper-sprayed and beaten by a San Diego sheriff’s deputy. –
In Los Angeles, a LA County sheriff’s deputy was caught on a cell phone camera throwing a punch in a girl’s face. What makes it more outrageous is that it is obvious he hit a person with special needs that was struggling to break loose from the grip of the cop and a female deputy as they were trying to make her get off the bus.
In Dayton Ohio a mentally disabled teen was harassed and abused by police officer.
In Washington D.C. Police Assaulted a Homeless Man In a Wheelchair –In Idaho Police Arrested and Handcuffed an 8 year old Autistic Girl
In Hillsborough County, Florida, police were caught, by their own surveillance cameras, dumping a quadriplegic man from his wheelchair onto the ground. Apparently they were trying to determine whether or not he actually needed the chair. –
These are just a few of the hundreds of daily examples improperly trained police officers perpetrate on those less fortunate than us.
Americans want to feel safe! Should we continue to accept the argument that cops only occasionally overstep their boundaries… And only when handling guilty criminals and never with us?
Can we really expect them to investigate and prosecute themselves when faced with allegations of misconduct? Can we believe that they are acting for our own good? Too many innocent people are convicted…too many are wrongly executed. The cost has become too high for free people to bear.
The Department of Justice has reported how deeply embedded police brutality is, and why recent political rhetoric promising solutions barely scratches the surface.
In this INSIDER EXCLUSIVE NETWORK TV SPECIAL, “AMERICA’S POLICE-CITIZEN & CIVIL RIGHTS CRISIS– What You Need to Know” we visit with Beverly Grant, at the Beverly Grant Law Offices.
As we take you inside today’s legal system, examining lawyers strategies, and clients thoughts, and in vivid detail…. showing you the often heartbreaking stories of police abuse, excessive force, and wrongful death cases of these clients, dramatically demonstrating what motivates John to fight for his clients causes.
These victims could be you or me one day….And if you are so unlucky… you will quickly find out that Justice in America is a hard won battle…. where very few Police Departments, Law Enforcement Agencies, Prosecuting Attorneys and Prison Officials…. “Do the Right Thing”…when they are wrong….. and you need experienced and passionate trial lawyers who wage a battle with their own financial resources to get their clients justice.
From Ferguson to Baltimore, a new story about police brutality in America surfaces almost daily, raising the timely questions…. Are we protected from the people hired to defend us? Do these recurring acts of excessive force signal something new? Are we headed into a budding police state or have we already arrived?
The Insider Exclusive Investigative Documentary Network TV News Archives contain unprecedented news coverage on headline-making TV stories of police brutality, excessive force, corruption, wrongful death cases….AND Here’s just a few of the stories of the many victims of Police Brutality and Wrongful Death that the Insider Exclusive Network TV Shows have reported on National Network TV, such as:
Police Brutality – The Execution of Oscar Grant
Oscar Grant III was fatally shot by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California, United States, Jan 01, 2009. Grant, who was lying face down and handcuffed by shot in the back and killed by Mehserle. Grant was unarmed; he was pronounced dead the next morning at Highland Hospital in Oakland.
On January 30, 2010, Alameda County prosecutors charged Mehserle with murder for the shooting. On July 8, 2010, Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter.
Orange County Sheriff’s Dept Police Brutality
Orange County has paid $750,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a Matthew Fleuret who was Tasered 11 times, while handcuffed and slammed to the floor by sheriff’s deputies. The lawsuit stemmed from Matthew’s March 2006 arrest on suspicion of obstructing a deputy after getting into a bar fight on St. Patrick’s Day. He was never prosecuted.
Police Brutality – James LeBleu’s Story
Jimmy LeBleau was viciously beaten by three police officers. The officers pulled him out of his home and severely beat him and then yanked him up by his neck to apply pepper spray.
This excessive and unprovoked attack led to severe spinal injuries to Jimmy, which required major surgery to correct. He successfully sued the police officers and their department and won a $ 1.8 million dollar settlement
YAKIMA WASHINGTON Free Speech – Eddie Ford’s Story
Eddie Ford successfully sued the Yakima Police Dept and won a precedent setting 9th circuit appellate case.
Civil Rights Justice – Albuquerque Police & Michael Cruz’s Story
Michael Cruz successfully settled his case against the Albuquerque Police Dept
LA Sheriff’s Dept. Alleged Police Misconduct
Winston Hayes was suffered nine bullet wounds h when deputies fired 120 shots at him at the end of a low-speed pursuit on May 9, 2005. A Los Angeles jury decided that Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies used excessive force on him and awarded him $1,326,468.60
Lawrence Taylor vs. L.A Sheriff’s Department
Lawrence Taylor’s family successfully sued the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. Lawsuit costs rose from from police abuse, excessive force, and wrongful death have risen to $118.9 million for the LA Sheriff’s Department.
Police Brutality – Carlos Pacheco’s Story
On September 30, 2006….Carlos’s girlfriend, Christina Sanchez had telephoned the 9-1-1 emergency-response service.. for HELP. NYPD SGT James Sutter arrived, and repeatedly used his Taser to subdue Pacheco, while he was suffering an epileptic seizure, while Pacheco was rear-handcuffed and strapped by a lap/thigh belt and a chest belt to an EMS chair. Pacheco won a $2 Million dollar verdict against the NYPD.
Police Brutality – Malcolm Ferguson’s Story
On March 1, 2000, Malcolm Ferguson was shot and killed in the Bronx, by plainclothes NYPD officer Louis Rivera. His mother, Juanita, has been fighting for justice for Malcolm and all victims of police brutality. She fought in court for years and in June 2007 a jury awarded her $10.5 million for the killing of her son.
Police Brutality Cases – Harris v City of Milwaukee
On October 13, 2009, the City of Milwaukee approved a $ 3 Million dollar settlement for Curtis Harris, which is believed to be the largest settlement in a police brutality case in State of Wisconsin history. The settlement was a culmination of a six-year legal battle on behalf of Mr. Harris. Former Police Officer Kevin Clark was fired.
TRIAL BY MEDIA – Brian Dorian’s Story
Lynwood Police Officer was arrested, thrown in jail, wrongfully charged with murder and accused of being the “Honeybee Killer.” He successfully settled his lawsuit against he Will County Sheriff’s Department, former Sheriff Paul Kaupas and three investigators.
The Exoneration Of Ted White Jr.
In April 1998 Ted White, a 37-year-old businessman in Lee’s Summit, Kansas was wrongfully arrested and falsely accused of sex crimes based on false allegations of his estranged wife Tina in the hopes of securing a better divorce settlement.
Ted spent over 5 years in prison for this wrongful conviction. He successfully sued the City of Lee Summit and their Police department, and On July 22, 2011 Lee’s Summit announced that it had reached an agreement to pay Ted $15.5 million to settle all his claims against the city, and the police.
JUSTICE IN AMERICA – DARREL PARKER’S STORY
Since 1989, there have been tens of thousands of cases where prime suspects were identified and pursued by police and prosecutors—until DNA testing (prior to conviction) proved that they were wrongly accused.
To date, 341 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 20 who served time on death row.
All of these tragic and unfortunate stories are about real “ordinary” people who were victimized by the Police and Prosecutors, and about their real lives, and the legal maze they faced in these extreme life-altering adversities to get justice
Police abuse remains one of the most serious and divisive human rights violations in the United States today! The horrific images of Rodney King being beat by the LAPD is one of the most blatant reminders of police brutality against innocent victims.
The excessive use of force by police officers…. including unjustified shootings,…. severe beatings, ……and fatal chokings, persists…. Because overwhelming barriers to accountability make it possible for officers who commit human rights violations to escape due punishment ….and often to repeat their offenses.
Police or public officials greet each new report of brutality with denials …..or explain that the act was just an aberration, while the administrative and criminal systems that should deter these abuses by holding officers accountable instead… virtually guarantee them impunity
This Special INSIDER EXCLUSIVE investigation discovered….. that police brutality is persistent and rampant across America….AND that systems to deal with abuse have FAILED….
Victims seeking redress face daunting obstacles at every point in the process, ranging from overt intimidation to the reluctance of local and federal prosecutors to take on brutality cases.…… of officers who have committed these human rights violations.
Despite claims to the contrary…. from city officials where abuses have become scandals in the media….. efforts to make meaningful reforms have fallen short.
The barriers to accountability are remarkably similar from city to city. Shortcomings in recruitment, training, and management are common to all……
So is the fact that officers who repeatedly commit human rights violations tend to be a small minority…. who taint entire police departments…. but are protected routinely…..by the silence of their fellow officers ……and by flawed systems of reporting, oversight, and accountability.
In this Insider Exclusive Investigative Network TV Series our news team examines this epidemic in this exclusive Special: “AMERICA’S POLICE-CITIZEN & CIVIL RIGHTS CRISIS– What You Need to Know” with famed Seattle-based Civil Rights Lawyer Beverly Grant, at the Beverly Grant Law Offices.
You will see how Beverly exposes the lies and the contradictions of some police officers…As Beverly has often said…. “the problem of Police Brutality is much more widespread than most Americans are willing to admit. …….Our nation practices….. a selective blindness…In this great and strong nation, we have all become unwitting accomplices to the continuation of the conflict”.
Beverly has earned the highest respect from citizens and lawyers alike…. as one of the best Civil Rights Trial lawyers in Seattle…. In Washington….. and across the nation.
She has seen many innocent & hard-working people become VICTIMS of the Police Brutality. She understands that Police brutality is one of the most serious, enduring, and divisive human rights violations in the United States. The problem is not just in Oakland…BUT nationwide….AND its nature is institutionalized. And because of that….
She is driven to fight for people who had been harmed by the willful or negligent actions of others.
She learned A long Time ago …. that “If a person hasn’t discovered something that they will die for… They aren’t fit to live.” Her goals…. Not ONLY to get Justice for her clients. But to make sure ALL Americans have the right to a fair trial, honest cops, impartial prosecutors, and fair judges with NO AGENDAs…because “INJUSTICE ANYWHERE….IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE” and Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just …. may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.”….
Please contact Beverly Grant @ Beverly Grant Law Offices http://www.bevgrantlaw.com/ 253 252 5454