Class action and mass tort lawsuits for unarmed Black men, women, and children hold municipalities, cities, police departments, and states accountable for inexcusable unprovoked violence against them. Class action and mass tort lawsuits make it easier for individuals similarly situated to get compensation for their loss and for loss of the income that the deceased would've earned had he or she survived. The lawsuits also amplify the magnitude of the injustice brought to light in 2021 when Black Lives Matter organized to make sure that no more unarmed Blacks lose their lives at the hands of police officers.

Officer Kim Potter Guilty of Manslaughter in the Death of Daunte Wright

Minnesota Police Officer Kim Potter, found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright, was sentenced to only two years in prison with the possibility of parole in 16 months. Potter, 49, could have been sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. Only 15 times in the 20 years that police officers have used tasers has a police officer ever mistaken a firearm for a taser. Officer Potter's taser weighed a pound less that her Glock handgun, and her neon yellow plastic taser looked nothing like her pistol.

How Could Officer Potter Mistake Her Firearm for Her Taser?

Conventionally, the taser is worn on the opposite side of the body from the firearm. What was Officer Potter thinking while she pulled her weapon and shot Daunte Wright in the chest at close range? Stress and the knowledge that officers can get killed in routine traffic stops is believed to be why she fired her weapon when she meant to fire her taser. But that doesn't answer the question, why was Duante pulled over? Clearly, Potter was not in imminent danger when she pulled the trigger.

Minnesota Police Controlled Journalists by Force

Duante Wright was killed ten miles away from the courthouse where Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was prosecuted for second and third-degree murder in the death of George Floyd. The American Civil Liberties Union brought a class action lawsuit for journalists reporting on the death of Geroge Floyd after Minneapolis police use riot control measures to suppress them. The Minneapolis City Council approved a $27-million-dollar wrongful death settlement for George Floyd's family.

Mass Tort Lawsuits for Unarmed Black Men, Women, and Children

Mass tort lawsuits are individual wrongful death lawsuits brought for each unarmed Black man, woman, or child unjustly killed by the police. Mass torts are mass casualties usually from defective products, environmental disasters, or mass disasters such as an airplane crash. In 2022, mass tort lawsuits are ongoing following almost every protest in cities from Portland, Oregon, to Louisville, Kentucky, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, even within their public schools.

2022 - Rochester, New York, Murder of Unarmed Black Men

In the United States Western District Court of New York, Free the People and the National Lawyers Guild of Rochester filed a class action lawsuit against 200 named Rochester Police officers, the City of Rochester, 200 named New York State Police Officers, Monroe County, and 200 Monroe County Sheriff's deputies after the brutal murder of a Black man who was naked, bound, and covered with a hood. The evidence in this case, video footage, was not released until six months after his death. The class action lawsuit alleges that the Rochester Police Department is inhumane, racist, and asocial. The City of Rochester, Monroe County, and related New York state police officers face 923 use of excessive force lawsuits and at least 40 federal lawsuits. The class action lawsuit asserts that 'the system will not change itself.'

New York Attorney General Letitia James Investigated

New York's Attorney General Letitia James said that a stringent investigation followed the death of Daniel Prude whose family suffered great pain after calling the Rochester police because they were unable to control his erratic behavior. The Rochester police placed the hood over his head and held him down. Protests in Rochester, New York's third-largest city, demanded accountability for how police respond to mental health emergencies. On February 23, 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James released that the police will not be charged with murder or manslaughter in Mr. Prude's death. Though Mr. Prude died from complications of asphyxia due to physical restraint, his mental health problem was due to PCP ingested at a party. He walked naked in the street until the police subdued him.