Letter from President
 Irma Dela Torre’s sister called 911 for an ambulance. Irma was 45 years old, recently married, and had had seizures her whole life. This time Irma was disoriented and had locked herself in her sister’s van. Police arrived. The officers heard Irma was “crazy” and they saw her trying to start the minivan with a penny, as if it were the key. They could see she was unarmed. Despite their training and state law enforcement standards, the officers never tried to communicate with Irma. They did not keep her safe and contained in the minivan.
Instead, the first officer told his partner that he planned to order Irma out of the van and then tase her. Irma had not threatened anyone. When Irma came out of the van as ordered, officers later claimed that in the dim light it looked like she was holding a knife. It turned out to be a five-inch crochet hook. The first officer tased her, and his partner shot Irma in the back, killing her. The first officer would later testify he did not believe deadly force was necessary or justified, and that he was “surprised” when his partner shot her.
This avoidable tragedy outraged the whole community. The police department circled the wagons and completely exonerated the officers, ignoring blatant discrepancies in their stories. The District Attorney declined to press charges against either officer. Six months later, the officer who shot Irma mistakenly opened fire on an SUV carrying two unarmed people. Again, the department said it was not his fault.
It was only through a civil rights lawsuit that Irma’s death was properly investigated, the truth was uncovered, and Irma’s family finally found some justice. In this situation, as is usually the case, the only enforcement of the Constitution – the highest law of the land – was through the work of civil rights lawyers working for Irma’s family.
This is the work of the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) and its members. NPAP is an organization of attorneys, legal workers, and law students working to improve law enforcement and hold accountable officers who abuse their authority, violating rights. NPAP supports the work of our members who use civil rights lawsuits to obtain compensation for victims of police misconduct, including excessive force, false arrest, illegal strip searches, and other civil rights violations. We also obtain improvements to police department training, policies and procedures to prevent future injuries.
NPAP helps lawyers who are concerned with police misconduct connect with each other. By sharing strategies and information, including on our members only listserve, we hope to improve our collective ability to bring about greater accountability for law enforcement officers. NPAP sponsors continuing legal education seminars on police misconduct issues across the country. We also provide support to community groups concerned with police accountability and law enforcement best practices.
NPAP is on the front line enforcing the law and the Constitution – often where no one else will. We are working within the legal system to protect and enforce the rights of our communities to respectful, professional law enforcement. If this describes you, please join us!
Sincerely,
Michael J. Haddad
Michael J. Haddad
HADDAD & SHERWIN
505 Seventeenth Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Tel: (510) 452-5500
Fax: (510) 452-5510
CIVIL RIGHTS - TRIAL LAWYERS
www.haddadsherwin.com
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