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* Background to this infuriating story is here and here if you need it. ACLU of Illinois…
“We are pleased to announce the successful resolution of Butler v. Staes, et al., a matter first filed in January 2020. We filed this case after our client Jaylan – an innocent college student returning from a swim meet on his team’s bus – was taken to the ground and had a gun held to his head by police officers. After reaching a settlement with two of the officers who directly interacted with Jaylan on that fateful evening, Jaylan has filed a stipulation to dismiss the remaining claims.
We filed this case to seek accountability for Jaylan and to raise awareness of the degree to which traumatic police interactions harm individuals, even when the person harmed is able to walk away. We believe, and Jaylan concurs, that our actions to date have satisfied those goals. Now, Jaylan can put this matter behind him and continue his private life as a student, athlete, and young man.
We are so pleased to have worked on this case, and to represent Jaylan as he pursued accountability for the actions taken against him by police officers. Jaylan was determined to ensure that his experience would not simply fly under the radar the way abusive police interactions with young Black men often do. Despite all of the challenges of the last year, Jaylan has remained committed to this quest for accountability – both for himself and for the wider community – and continues to seek to ensure that police officers treat young Black men like himself with dignity and respect.
We thank our co-counsel at Sidley Austin and all of those who have been part of the legal team supporting Jaylan. We also thank Jaylan‘s family for their support and partnership at every step in this process. We wish Jaylan the best of luck in the future and are pleased that this matter has been resolved in a positive fashion.”
Statement of Jaylan Butler:
“The memories of that night being pressed to the ground, with officers swearing at me and a gun pointed at my head, will remain with me forever. But I know that unlike other Black men who have been stopped and manhandled by police, I got to go home. For me, this lawsuit has always been about holding the officers accountable for their actions that night. I believe I have accomplished that goal. As a result, I am happy to dismiss the suit and move forward.
I want to thank all of the people from across the country who were supportive of me during this time. I value your well wishes and words of appreciation more than I can say.
The end of this lawsuit is not the end of the fight for police accountability. We must ensure that officers are held to account when they violate someone’s constitutional rights. This is an effort that I will continue to support for the rest of my life.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 5:29 am
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This case has been my go-to example when discussing racial profiling to friends and relatives.Thank God it didn’t result in the death of a college athlete whose only crime was taking a break during a roadtrip while Black, and the officers don’t have to live with the knowledge & consequences of shooting an innocent man.
Did/will the sheriff’s department issue a statement as well?
Comment by Dysfunction Junction Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 6:04 am
Good News. Safety and good fortune to Jaylan and his family. Any indicators that the officers involved and/or the department have changed their toxic policing approach?
Comment by Froganon Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 8:34 am
Anything I have to say about these police officers will get me banned.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 8:41 am
I hope that these guys really were held accountable, it should be made public.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 8:51 am
The Quad City Times reports a settlement with two of the officers who directly interacted with Jaylan and a stipulation to dismiss the remaining claims.
https://qctimes.com/news/local/college-student-quad-city-police-reach-settlement-in-rest-area-takedown/article_7d1960e8-f78c-58a9-bccd-1bcfdc14bbff.html
Before the settlement SwimSwam compared the police reports with the parties then positions in court. They also reported “local media report the suspect was eight inches taller and 70 pounds heavier than Butler.”
https://swimswam.com/officers-court-claims-contradict-police-reports-in-detainment-of-jaylan-butler/
Comment by Bigtwich Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 9:54 am
===I hope that these guys really were held accountable, it should be made public. ===
This is now up to elected officials and other public officials to determine. The question should be directed at Mr. Cheri Bustos, the Rock Island County Sheriff. It could also be a good demonstration of bona fides for anyone else who might be from that county that is considering running for a United States House of Representatives seat.
The levers that would need to be pressured to cause that action are high profile and easily available.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 9:59 am
=== “local media report the suspect was eight inches taller and 70 pounds heavier than Butler.”===
Good lord, were they writing a high school football program?
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 10:00 am
==I hope that these guys really were held accountable, it should be made public. ==
Believe it or not, the most detailed coverage I was able to find about the event was on a swimming blog. The only “accountability” I saw was that one of the officers in the lawsuit was fired (or allowed to resign) last August. “Bush no longer works for the village, and has a history of short tenures with police forces.”
Guess that happens when you “accidentally” turn off your bodycam while apprehending the wrong suspect. No word on what happened to the officers who refused to give their badge numbers. And no word if Officer Bush found employment at a different PD.
https://swimswam.com/report-50-minutes-of-bodycam-footage-missing-in-jaylan-butler-detainment/
Comment by Dysfunction Junction Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 10:02 am
This is a textbook example of the need to remove qualified immunity for LEOs. What officer in their right mind levels a weapon at a compliant unarmed college athlete?
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 10:29 am
Good lord it’s time to end these heavy handed aggressive policing techniques. Unfortunately, this “us verses them” warrior mentality methods have been taught for decades to police officers. A wholesale change in thinking at the top needs to happen. Putting a new face in leadership positions with the same old tired thinking accomplished nothing. It’s time for true police reform and these types of warrantless encounters need to be banned.
Comment by Bob Meter Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 11:05 am
“[H]as a history of short tenures with police forces.”
This is such a problem all over. These guys should not be able to move on to the next town so they can continue to be very, very bad at the job.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 11:13 am
Were they booted from the pension system?
Comment by Thomas Paine Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 11:23 am
Still makes me mad and my blood boil.
But also hopeful, because Illinois has young people like Jaylan Butler who speak, act and lead.
Sidenote: after the murders of Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and other Black women and men and the national call for real police reform, the headline to this story at the above link does not age well:
“Traveling teen mistakenly taken down by local police. ACLU has filed a lawsuit”
Comment by Scott Fawell's Cellmate Wednesday, May 19, 21 @ 12:09 pm