Bills Today | Current and former Bills join the Players Coalition for this initiative - BuffaloBills.com

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1. Current and former Bills urge Congress to end qualified immunity

Players, coaches and front office representatives from across the professional sports landscape joined forces under the umbrella of the Players Coalition to sign a petition urging Congress to pass the bill introduced by Representatives Justin Amash and Ayanna Pressley to end qualified immunity for the nation's law enforcement.

Qualified immunity has shielded law enforcement from any liability even when their actions have been egregious in exercising force. The Supreme Court has expanded these protections over the years for law enforcement making it extremely challenging to sue police officers for brutality.

The bill reads in part - It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity and it can do so by passing the Amash-Pressley Bill. When police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law. And officers must know that if they act in such a manner, there will be repercussions. A legal system that does not provide such a recourse is an illegitimate one.

The Representatives from Michigan and Massachusetts have submitted this bill in the hopes of eradicating qualified immunity, and in support of that effort, the Players coalition collected more than 1,400 signatures to get elected officials to take definitive action.

Of those 1,400 signatures, 92 were made by current and former Bills players and coaches, including Hall of Famers, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas. Current Bills players Vernon Butler, Dion Dawkins and E.J. Gaines also added their names to the petition.

ESPN's Diana Russini also reported that the Players Coalition invited all 32 NFL clubs to a virtual meeting yesterday at 5 pm to focus on how the league can pursue and enact more initiatives aimed at promoting social justice and assisting black communities.

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June 11, 2020 at 04:00PM
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