BAY
MINETTE, Ala., July 31,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally renowned civil rights
law firm, May Jung LLP, the family of Otis
French Jr. and the community will rally together this
evening after the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit for the
unlawful shooting and killing of Otis
French Jr. against The City of Bay
Minette and Bay Minette
police officer, Brandon
Thompson.
On August 20, 2022, Otis French Jr. (OJ) was driving in Bay Minette--not violating any traffic laws,
when Bay Minette police Officer
Brandon Thompson made a U-turn and
started following OJ. Thompson executed an unlawful traffic stop.
Although OJ complied with the request to produce his driver's
license and registration, Thompson demanded OJ exit his vehicle,
conducted an unlawful pat-down and search, used excessive force,
and ultimately shot OJ multiple times killing him almost
immediately.
A traffic stop should never result in death. Yet we see that
more than one in four people fatally shot during a traffic stop are
Black. On behalf of OJ's family, civil rights law firm May Jung,
LLP, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Bay Minette Police Department and Officer
Thompson for the violation of OJ's constitutional, federal, and
state rights.
This evening at 5:30PM at
Courthouse Square, the family and community will come together to
remember the life and contributions of OJ and to ask the question
"What Now? How do we make our community safe for Black people?" We
must be vigilant to prevent another senseless loss of life at the
hands of the Bay Minette Police
Department or any law enforcement agency throughout the
Country.
Attorney Je Yon Jung asked, "The
legal system, from the police to the courts, must take action to do
better to value human life, to care and to effect change for our
society." Jung goes on to say, that "Bay Minette Police
Department knew that Officer Thompson's fitness as an officer was
questionable as he was previously terminated by this very
department and other surrounding police departments, yet they still
believed he was fit to 'serve and protect' Bay Minette's citizens." May Jung partner LaRuby
May added, "As we saw with the despicable shooting of our
sister Sonya Massey, we have to stop
granting bad people the power to use their badges and guns against
our communities."
For more information visit www.mayjung.com.
CONTACT:
Kameron Coefield
202-938-3524
info@mayjung.com
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SOURCE May Jung LLP