Nineteen members of the San Francisco 49ers are among the first to sign a Players Coalition letter to Congress supporting a bill to end qualified immunity.
The Players Coalition announced Wednesday more than 1,400 current and former professional athletes, coaches and front-office members have signed the letter in support of the bill, which U.S. Representatives Justin Amash (L-Michigan) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) introduced on Thursday.
Eight 49ers players were among the first to sign the initial letter, including tight end George Kittle, defensive lineman Arik Armstead, running back Raheem Mostert, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and safety Jaquiski Tartt.
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SIGN UP HERE Coach Kyle Shanahan, who spoke passionately on the subject of racism last week in light of the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police, was joined by 10 assistant coaches, including Katie Sowers, DeMeco Ryans, Mike LaFleur, Jon Embree, Kris Kocurek and Richard Hightower.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees are among the other prominent coaches and athletes to sign the letter.
The Players Coalition, co-founded by former 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin and New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, was organized in 2017 with a mission statement to achieve social and racial equality.
The organization’s focus is on systemic social and civic change in the areas of police and community relations, criminal justice reform, and education and economic advancement in low-income communities.
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On May 30, 49ers CEO Jed York announced his commitment to supporting the legislative priorities of the Players Coalition. The organization also pledged to contribute $1 million to local and national organizations designed to create change.
“People throughout our country are hurting,” York wrote in a statement. “Emotions are raw, and rightfully so. Heinous acts have been committed in recent weeks. Before we are able to realize impactful change, we must first have the courage and compassion as human beings to come together and acknowledge the problem: black men, women, children and other oppressed minorities continue to be systemically discriminated against.”
[RELATED: 49ers' Kyle Shanahan decries 'fact' of racism in United States]
The Players Coalition announced it gathered widespread support among individuals in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL for the bill known as the End Qualified Immunity Act or Amash-Pressley Act.
"We are tired of conversations around police accountability that go nowhere, and we have engaged in too many 'listening sessions,' where we discuss whether there is a problem of police violence in this country," the Players Coalition wrote in its letter to Congress. "There is a problem. The world witnessed it when Officer [Derek] Chauvin murdered George Floyd, and the world is watching it now, as officers deploy enormous force on peaceful protestors like those who were standing outside of the White House last week.
"The time for debate about the unchecked authority of the police is over; it is now time for change."
Qualified immunity shields government officials, including police officers, from being held personally liable for constitutional violations, such as excessive force, as long as there is no violation of “clearly established” law. The term "clearly established" means the plaintiff must identify a nearly identical previous case in which a defendant was ruled to have violated the Constitution.