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BAY MINETTE, AL. (July 31, 2024) – Nationally renowned civil rights law firm, May Jungᴸᴸᴾ, 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.
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