debbie Russell
What will Austin council members do about police accountability on July 29?
Submitted by Southern Shift on Thu, 2010-07-22 21:48"We want to know when our city leaders are going to settle with the people of Austin and fix our broken system of police accountability so this does not happen again."
- The Austin Police Accountability Coalition (APAC)
Austin city council members have a choice to make on Thursday, July 29.
At 11:45am APAC is hosting a Rally for Reform at City Hall. At noon, John Bush will address council about police accountability as part of citizens communications. Later in the afternoon or evening, the city council will vote on whether to accept the $750,000.00 Sanders family settlement for the death of their son at the hands of Officer Quintana. Citizens of Austin can sign up to address city council regarding the settlement and public comment is expected.
Why and How Do Corporations Get to Hire Cops? Austin Activist Debbie Russell Speaks Out
Submitted by Southern Shift on Thu, 2010-06-24 01:27 Authored by Davey DHere at the US Social Forum in Detroit we caught up with longtime Austin based activist Debbie Russell and spoke to her about the growing trend of corporations using cops as a private army or law enforcement wing. Our good friends at Alternet just published a Mother Jones article called Louisiana Off-Duty Cops Working for BP? Corporate Police State Watch...
Sign the Petition to Release the Full NathanielSanders Shooting Independent Investigation
Submitted by Southern Shift on Fri, 2010-04-23 11:19 Authored by Debbie Russell Original ArticleCOMMUNITY PETITION to RELEASE THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION of the SANDERS SHOOTING
Whereas, Austin Police Department ("APD") Officer Leonardo Quintana shot Nathanial Sanders, Jr. to death on May 11, 2009; and
Whereas, on August 19, 2009, the Citizens Review Panel recommended a third party investigate the matter after careful review of the internal documents, witnessing the prejudicial documentation in this death. In response, the City of Austin ("the City") Manager Marc Ott hired KeyPoint Government Solutions ("KeyPoint") to conduct the investigation, saying he has "confidence" in the firm; that he trusts "its ability to complete a thorough review of the case" and We, the People, paid $50,000 for this report; and
Debbie Russell of the ACLU Speaks on Police Shooting of Nathaniel Sanders in Austin, Texas
Submitted by Southern Shift on Tue, 2009-10-13 11:33We caught up with community activist Debbie Russell who heads up the local chapter of the ACLU in Austin, Texas. Here she recounts what happned in the tragic shooting of Nathaniel Sanders and the recently released independent report that shows serious flaws and problems with Austin police.
Debbie Russell of Texas ACLU Speaks on Nathaniel Sanders Shooting & Investigation
Submitted by Southern Shift on Mon, 2009-10-12 13:18 Authored by Davey DWe caught up with community activist Debbie Russell who heads up the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Austin, Texas. Here she recounts what happened this past May when Austin Police shot two men, one of them Nathaniel Sanders fatally, as they slept in a car. The tragic incident sparked a mini riot involving members of the East Austin Walnut Creek community that had grown weary of unarmed Black and Brown people being shot every year by APD for the past ten years around May and June.
Russell speaks about a recent independent report that came out that points out the serious flaws within APD both in how they handled the investigation and their procedures. I.e. the camera that is mounted on the police cars were somehow not working. Russell talked about the Grand Jury investigation and noted that many feel the district attorney did not release enough evidence that would result in charges being brought upon the cop who shot Sanders. She also talks about the importance of community members paying close attention to elections where District Attorneys and judges are vying for seats. She noted those are the people who can exert much sway on police department rules.
