Mothers who lost their children to police violence advocated for an end to qualified immunity for law enforcement in Ohio during a Vigil for Victims of Police Violence outside the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday — the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd Jr.

As sharp gusts of wind whipped down High Street, speakers made impassioned pleas to the crowd of about 30 people to sign a petition in support of a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would end qualified immunity from legal liability for law enforcement throughout the state. They shared personal stories of losing loved ones to police violence and detailed what they believe are shortcomings by law enforcement across the state.

Qualified immunity, which was established by a 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision, protects law enforcement officers as well as state and local officials from personal civil liability unless they are determined by a court to have violated an individual’s “clearly established statutory or constitutional rights.”

The proposed Ohio amendment would end qualified immunity for police officers in the state and allow citizens to sue law enforcement agencies for deprivation of rights, according to the amendment’s text.

“It’s not a moral determination,” Donald Wiggins Jr., legal counsel for Accountability Now Ohio, said of the proposed state constitutional amendment. “It is a legal correction.”

Wiggins said the decision to advocate for a constitutional amendment as opposed to new state law was made to take advantage of the “lifetime of the opportunity” of an amendment.

“They wanted to overcome politics and get right to the brass tacks,” Wiggins said of the organizers’ desire to pursue a new amendment.

Accountability Now Ohio, a grassroots ballot initiative to end qualified immunity in Ohio, and HeartbeatMovement, a collective of grassroots organizations seeking an end to systemic and institutional racism, inequality and injustice, organized the vigil to honor the one-year anniversary of the murder of 46-year-old George Floyd Jr. on May 25, 2020 as well as the death of others at the hands of police officers.

Derek Chauvin, one of four Minneapolis police officers who arrested Floyd after a store clerk suspected he may have used a counterfeit $20 bill, was convicted of murder and two other charges after he knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.

Tania Hudson, whose 25-year-old son, Deaunte Bell, was fatally shot by Columbus police in October 2015 on the Far East Side, expressed her frustrations with what she called a lack of accountability among Columbus police.

“It shouldn’t take rocket science to be fair,” Hudson said.

She also said she’s concerned Columbus police officers engage in violence intentionally.

While Hudson expressed her frustrations, she was also hopeful for the future as organizers come together to demand justice. She spoke of the importance of building bridges.

“There’s power when we come together,” Hudson said. 

She said ending qualified immunity in Ohio was “very important” to creating a more accountable police force in Columbus.

Adrienne Hood, whose 23-year-old son, Henry Green, was fatally shot by plainclothes Columbus police officers who jumped out of an unmarked SUV in 2016 because Green was carrying a gun and exchanged gunfire with them, also spoke at the vigil.

Hood said Congress has broken it’s promise by failing to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

“That’s a fail,” Hood said. “It’s not that complicated. It’s not that complicated when you value life.”

Hood also advocated for the proposed state constitutional amendment to end qualified immunity as a necessary step.

“Qualified immunity is protecting law enforcement continuously,” she said. “We have to change that.”

More speakers shared their personal heartbreak of losing loved ones at the hands of police and encouraged the crowd to sign Accountability Now Ohio’s petition to amend the state constitution.

The vigil ended with a release of red balloons to honor those who have been killed by police. 

Betsy Poling, of Columbus’ North Side, said she attended the vigil to honor Floyd and keep pressure on Columbus police for reforms.

“I’m here to remind the police force we need to tell the truth,” she said.

Hood called on the crowd to take action beyond just attending this vigil. She said organizers need to work together in order to achieve their goal of ending qualified immunity.

“Check your ego, pride, whatever at the door,” Hood said. “Throw it in the river for all I care. There’s work to be done.”