Advertise on podcast: Unaccountable

In the final episode of the series, Ben and Aloe speak to two serving police officers - Lt. Ray Rice and Officer Shanette Hall - to discuss how they are fighting racism both within their police departments and their communities. And, we tell you the shocking story of Gabriel Olivas who was murdered by police officers in Arlington, Texas in 2017 whilst suffering a severe mental health crisis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we are going to tell you the story of someone whose name we don’t know. someone whose rights were violated, who was denied justice because of qualified immunity, but who needs to remain anonymous... because they are only four years old.   Aloe and Ben also speak to Mahogane Reed from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and recap the stories of both Khari Illidge and Shase Howse from a legal perspective. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode features the interrogation of a 13-year-old child. Art Tobias was coerced into confessing to a murder and ultimately served three years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. And when he tried to sue, the officers involved were granted qualified immunity. Ben and Aloe also speak to Ohio State Senator Nina Turner on why the policing system was never designed to protect and serve the black community. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2016 Shase Howse was standing on his front porch in Cleveland, Ohio, talking to him Mom on the phone. That’s when he was brutally assaulted by plain clothes police officers. But it was Shase who was arrested, and when all the charges were later dismissed, he moved to sue the officers involved. Those officers were granted qualified immunity.   In episode five, Ben and Aloe speak to Brookings Insitution fellow Rashawn Ray about how police misconduct is currently bankrupting cities, and his solution for ending qualified immunity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Khari Illidge was killed by sheriff’s deputies in Lee County, Alabama in 2013. He was tased 19 times. But the case never got to trial, and the truth has never been told. Until now. In episode four, Aloe and Ben are also joined by civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt to find out why it’s almost impossible to hold police accountable in criminal court. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you have the right to videotape the police? In this episode we explain the case of Levi Frasier, who recorded the police assaulting a man in Colorado in 2014. But the police demanded he hand over the video, and then deleted it. And when Levi tried to sue them, the officers were granted qualified immunity. Aloe and Ben are also joined by CNN political commentator Van Jones as we find out why taxpayers are footing the bill for bad cops. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode two we remember George Floyd, one year on since he was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Aloe and Ben are joined by NFL star and Superbowl champion Anquan Boldin, who explains how personal tragedy pushed him to join the fight to end qualified immunity. We also tell you the story of James King, was brutally assaulted by an undercover plainclothes police detective and an FBI agent while walking to work in Michigan in 2014. Seven years on, he is still fighting to hold them accountable. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Muhammad Muhaymin was killed by the Phoenix police in January 2017 after trying to use a public restroom with his service dog. The police have never been held accountable. In the first episode of this new series, Aloe Blacc and Ben Cohen explain qualified immunity to you through story, and urge you to join the fight to bring about meaningful police reform. Join the campaign to end qualified immunity by going to holdcopsaccountable.org See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Unaccountable launches May 18th 2021. Join us in the campaign to hold the police accountable by ending qualified immunity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.