Harris & Hayden Law released the following statement regarding recent events at the Capitol.
All of America and the world watched as self-described “patriots,” hypocritically clad in combat gear and proudly carrying confederate flags, stormed our Capitol. Americans froze in disbelief, shock, grief, and sadness—stunned as cell phones and television cameras recorded the horrific event.
The mass group of Trump supporters first rallied and then surged, breaking through the barriers, unlawfully attacking all in their riotous path, and following their right-wing leaders because their candidate had the presidential election stolen from him. Tragically, five people lost their lives—while the insurgent crowd continued on, supported by an insane and unfounded conspiracy theories.
This and other recent events remind America of the devastating comparisons between police overreaction and police under action. Both are rooted in the consequences of racism.
Last week, we were also notified that the white officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times, paralyzing him from the waist down, will not face criminal charges. Civil rights lawyers John Harris and Herbert Hayden shared last week in the sadness, pain, and disappointment of Blake’s family, friends, supporters, and civil rights advocates across the world, all of whom were dismayed to learn that the Kenosha County DA’s office decided not to press criminal charges against Officer Ruston Shesky. Attorneys Harris and Hayden explained, “We believe Officer Shesky’s decision to shoot Mr. Blake in the back seven times served no legitimate law enforcement purpose.”
Americans witnessed a similar injustice on January 6, 2021, as Capitol Police failed to control the crowd of Trump supporters. Unequal racial treatment was illuminated by the attempted Coup Klux Klan Detente.
Civil rights attorneys Harris and Haden address the disparity solution in broad terms: “The law itself must be enforced equally, but more importantly, it must be applied equally to stem racism,” adding, “without justice under the law, we will not be able to reconcile our two Americas.”
