ARLINGTON, Va. — James King had no idea that the men who grabbed him and took his wallet were plainclothes officers looking for a fugitive. So he ran off. And when they caught him, he took a monstrous beating.
Bystanders also were confused. One called 911 to report the beating, telling a dispatcher: “They’re going to kill this man.”
King, 27, was a college student at Grand Valley State in Michigan in 2014 when he was beaten. He sued the officers who arrested him, but a judge tossed out the case, ruling that the officers were entitled to immunity for their actions.
“The biggest problem is, these doctrines have no basis in the history of this country,” said Anya Bidwell, one of King’s lawyers with the institute. “They are inconsistent with our founding principles.”
In a phone interview, King said he feels lucky to be alive after being beaten by officers who seemed unfazed by the fact that bystanders were witnessing the attack in broad daylight. He said one of his lawyers told him that if he’d been black, he would have been killed.
“I thought I was going to be killed,” he said. “And there are people all over the country who deal with this on a daily basis.”
King was charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Court records indicate he bit one of the officers who had him in a chokehold. A jury acquitted King on all charges.
Justices have signaled some interest in the topic. In 2017, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the court should find an appropriate case to reconsider the doctrine. As with other elements of criminal justice reform, a left-right coalition of liberals concerned about police abuse and conservatives concerned about unaccountable government has emerged to agitate for change.
Navy Vet