Dak Prescott, Emmitt Smith among Dallas Cowboys stars seeking to end qualified immunity
Several current and former Dallas Cowboys are among 1,400 people from the world of professional sports who have signed a letter asking the U.S. Congress to support a bill seeking to end qualified immunity for law enforcement officers.
Athletes, coaches and general managers from the NFL, NBA and MLB, some current and some former, attached their names to a letter submitted by the NFL Players Coalition to Congress in support of the bill that would remove the protection that shields police and other government officials from civil liability in cases like police brutality.
The Cowboys who has signed include Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver Amari Cooper, former players linebacker DeMarcus Ware and guard Nate Newton.
Other stars with local connections include Pro Football Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson who played in college at TCU; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who is from Arlington; and former Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder.
Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Wentz, Alex Bregman, CC Sabathia, Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich are among the other prominent athletes and coaches who signed the letter.
The players are supporting the bill introduced last Thursday by U.S. Reps. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) who are seeking to eliminate qualified immunity, the protection that police and other government officials have that often shields them from civil liability.
Amash and Pressley introduced the bill in response to the recent killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police in Minneapolis and Louisville, Ky.
“We are tired of conversations around police accountability that go nowhere, and we have engaged in too many ‘listening sessions,’ where we discuss whether there is a problem of police violence in this country,” the Players Coalition wrote in its letter to Congress.
“There is a problem. The world witnessed it when Officer [Derek] Chauvin murdered George Floyd, and the world is watching it now, as officers deploy enormous force on peaceful protestors like those who were standing outside of the White House last week.
“The time for debate about the unchecked authority of the police is over; it is now time for change.”
“It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity and it can do so by passing the Amash-Pressley Bill,” the player’s letter to Congress continued. “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.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 1:24 PM.
