In different instances, police departments have settled for decrease quantities. What goes into settlements over wrongful deaths that contain police is decided partly by the potential lifetime earnings of the sufferer, the influence of the loss on the family members left behind, and the quantity a jury may award if the case went to trial.

Siddhartha Rathod represented the Glass household on this case. He spoke with Colorado Issues host Andrea Dukakis about what the household could do with the cash to ahead their targets for police reform and the way different incidents, just like the dying of Elijah McClain, influenced the settlement over Glass’ dying.

Interview Transcript

This transcript has been edited for readability and size.

Andrea Dukakis: What elements go into figuring out a settlement just like the one police made with Christian Glass’ household? Is there a magic quantity?

Siddhartha Rathod: There isn’t any quantity that could be a magic quantity. There is not any quantity that is going to deliver Christian again to his household and to his group. 

It is Simon and Sally Glass’ intent to kind the Christian Glass Basis that may deal with points affecting younger folks, affecting police violence, what that is going to seem like, how that is going to work. These are issues which are going to should be flushed out over the subsequent months and years.

Why are so many legislation enforcement businesses concerned on this settlement?

When Christian received his automobile caught after which the officers pulled their weapons out on Christian, businesses from throughout the realm got here. There have been 5 totally different businesses that responded and 7 officers in complete.

All seven of those officers labored collectively to violate Christian’s rights and end in his dying. Not a single one among them had the braveness to face up and say, “No, we won’t tolerate this.” Officers have an obligation to intervene with their fellow officers. And when an officer does not, that officer is accountable for the opposite officer’s unlawful conduct.

The primary press releases from legislation enforcement, virtually a yr in the past, mentioned Glass was threatening police that night time. Later, legislation enforcement businesses apologized and admitted the knowledge was inaccurate. How vital are these sorts of apologies prematurely of a settlement?

They’re very uncommon, however they’re very vital. Similar to within the Elijah McClain case or the George Floyd case, when the preliminary incident occurred, the police division issued a false assertion about what occurred. We represented Elijah McClain’s mom and that was additionally an enormous subject for her. She wished that file corrected.

Right here, Simon and Sally Glass wished that file corrected that Christian Glass did nothing improper and he didn’t should die. And so the apology letters, the municipalities, the state recognizing that what had occurred right here was improper and the municipalities saying, “We should always by no means have issued these statements and we must always have corrected them,” was important to Simon and Sally Glass. 

The household has emphasised that their major goal in all of this, moreover clearing their son’s identify, is altering police conduct. What would you say is probably the most vital change that legislation enforcement businesses have promised to make?

Clear Creek goes to be implementing a disaster response staff. Disaster response groups are vital. We will see them within the STAR program in Denver. We will take a look at Summit County’s Disaster Response staff and the way it has dramatically decreased the variety of suicides. These kind of disaster response groups are vital instruments for municipalities to assist their residents. And the creation of this program in Clear Creek County will likely be crucial.

One other factor that is form of refined is that Simon and Sally Glass will get to talk with each single new Clear Creek County officer transferring on. Hopefully when these officers hearken to Simon and Sally, hear from a mother and pa, they’ll perceive the gravity of the scenario. They may perceive their accountability to face up for many who haven’t got a voice.

There can even be digital actuality coaching utilizing photographs of what occurred with Christian Glass and police.

Appropriate. The state of Colorado will likely be creating the Christian Glass Digital Actuality Coaching Program. Officers may have the chance to expertise firsthand and make choices in that scenario. And that may hopefully not expose an officer to this example for the primary time in a life or dying scenario.

They may see the place they will get up, the place they will say, “Hey, let’s not do this.” Or, “Hey, why do not we take a special plan of action right here.” There’s additionally a Failure to Intervene Coaching that the state is placing collectively. And at first of that, Sally and Simon Glass will likely be talking through prerecorded video. And once more, the purpose of that’s to emphasise to every of the officers within the state of Colorado that there’s a actual human consequence to their actions.

Are you able to say with certainty that coaching police on this means makes a distinction?

Coaching alone isn’t sufficient, however coaching is an integral a part of the answer, particularly once you’re doing coaching on an officer’s obligation to intervene. When officers then go into the sphere and do not abide by the coaching that they are purported to be residing as much as, it’s the accountability of each different officer there to say one thing.

So when no less than a kind of officers says one thing, it eliminates that tradition of silence. And if we will get previous that, hopefully it can save lives. However there isn’t any magic single bullet. Little by little we’ll change the tradition inside policing. And we’re hopeful that the Christian Glass settlement will end in a cultural shift.

You additionally represented Sheneen McClain in her effort to carry folks accountable for her son, Elijah’s, dying in police custody in 2019. McClain’s advocacy helped result in authorized reforms. What influence did these reforms have within the Christian Glass case?

Sheneen McClain, via her braveness, was in a position to change the legal guidelines in Colorado. Officers are actually required to put on physique cameras in Colorado. Officers are required to intervene in one other officer’s misconduct.

Simply these two adjustments have been instrumental in permitting Simon and Sally Glass to make extra adjustments. It’s a strategy of constructing on one case, constructing on one other case. Sure, the system remains to be damaged. Cops nonetheless have interaction in extreme drive. It is sometimes focused at communities of coloration, however there isn’t any single group that’s secure.

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