Below is video of a speech I gave at the peaceful protest against police brutality and racism in Davenport, Iowa on July 11, 2020. WQAD Channel 8 news covered the protest. https://www.wqad.com/article/news/protestors-push-for-end-to-police-brutality-outside-davenport-police-department/526-224441f3-a1f9-4d90-9540-5b63526441d5 So did the Quad City Times: https://qctimes.com/news/local/q-c-protest-looks-at-against-police-brutality/article_33d41c58-c273-568b-b66f-74d51f82bc5f.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Quad-City_Times
Author: Eric D. Puryear
Police brutality in Davenport, Iowa
My office is in Davenport, Iowa and I have had multiple clients mistreated by the Davenport police. Due to attorney-client privilege and confidentiality, I am prohibited from discussing those client’s cases here. So, I will instead only discuss cases from the news that do not relate to my clients. Even with the limitation of not…
Our criminal courts are inherently racist
Our legal system has a serious problem with racism, and I say that as an attorney and a Black man. As discussed below, this is not just some idea of mine; the history, statistics, and peer-reviewed studies make this conclusion sadly inescapable. Starting with my own personal experiences as an attorney who handles criminal defense…
Concrete steps to fix the problem of police brutality in America
The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Botham Jean, Elijah McClain, and so many others at the hands of the police have sparked a civil rights movement in the US and around the world. In particular, watching a police officer crush the life out of George Floyd was just too much for the consciences…
When Protesting, the Perfect is the Enemy of the Good
A gentleman who opposes police brutality and racism publicly stated that he would not attend a protest against police brutality and racism because that protest didn’t also address the problems of inner-city violence and the related social woes. I respectfully disagree and am sharing my response to him here:
Record Interactions with the Police
In both Illinois and Iowa it is your legal right to record the police during a traffic stop (or when the police stop you on foot). You do not need the permission from the police to record. You do not need to inform the police that you are recording. Recording the police, whether they are…
Protest Against Police Brutality and Racism in Davenport, Iowa on July 11, 2020 at 4:00pm
Some friends and I have organized a peaceful protest against police brutality and racism in Davenport, Iowa. The protest will take place at the Davenport, Iowa police station on July 11, 2020 at 4:00pm. The address is 416 Harrison Street, Davenport, IA 52801. More information can be seen on the Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/565306157705631/
The problem with “All Lives Matter”
The “All Lives Matter” response to “Black Lives Matter” is a disingenuous attempt to downplay the fact that the lives of black (and brown) people are undervalued and often ended by the police in the United States. The point of “Black Lives Matter” is not to say that *only* black lives matter, or that black…
White Supremacists and related people falsely Accuse Black Lives Matters protesters and other minorities of violence
People who are opposed to civil rights progress have a long history of trying to smear civil rights groups and their organizers. That was true for Dr. Martin Luther King and it remains true today with Black Lives Matter. The following examples illustrate that point, and show how BLM and minorities are being falsely blamed,…
Video clips of Police Brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s murder
Below is a video that shows numerous examples of police brutality, committed by the police in the wake of the protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd.