May 11 2017, 36-year-old Andrew Kearse, a Black resident of the Bronx, died from a heart attack in the back seat of a squad car. Dashcam footage captures him utter “I can’t breathe” as pleaded for 70 times over the course of 17 minutes before he finally fell unconscious.
Medical investigators later concluded he would have lived if Schenectady, New York officers had called for medical help. The officer behind the wheel was never criminally charged.
Ever since the grand jury declined to indict officer Mark Weekes for his part in Kearse’s death, Kearse has hit the ground with Black Lives Matter and worked to pass the Andrew Kearse Act at the state level.
The Andrew Kearse Act was signed into New York State law in June 2020, marking a major milestone in the fight for justice,
Rep. Ayanna Pressely is leading the push within Congress to make it a crime for federal law enforcement officers to neglect medical care for individuals in medical distress while in their custody.
Pressley’s bill would also require training for federal law enforcement officials on assisting individuals in medical distress, and would direct the Inspectors General of the agencies that employ federal law enforcement officers to investigate potential violations and refer them to the DOJ for prosecution.
She is joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the House, and Senator Elizabeth Warren in the Senate.
