DENVER — At the steps of the Capitol building, Courtney and Nicole Mallery were surrounded by supporters Friday as they called for a new law that would prohibit racist people from using 911 to attack people of color.
“The act of falsely accusing someone of something because of their color is disgusting to me,” Courtney Mallery told the crowd. “What me and my wife have been going through, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone."
The Mallerys have accused their neighbors in El Paso County of vandalizing their farm, mutilating their livestock and making false 911 calls.
The couple has also accused the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPCSO) of racism and dismissing their claims, which the agency denied in a lengthy news conference on Tuesday.
The Mallerys face felony stalking charges themselves and are now represented by attorney Tyrone Glover, who said EPCSO has shared only a small part of the evidence through its "highly curated" news conference.
The Rocky Mountain NAACP said it is pushing state lawmakers to pass a version of the CAREN Act in Colorado.
The CAREN Act stands for Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies. The name is also a play on the name “Karen,” which has become synonymous with a person who calls 911 on people of color.
“We need to pass the CAREN Act in the state of Colorado. I am personally going to be leading the charge with that legislation,” said Portia Prescott, president of the Rocky Mountain NAACP.
A bill hasn’t been introduced in Colorado yet, but Prescott said she’s in contact with a few lawmakers who are considering sponsoring such a bill.
San Francisco, New York and New Jersey have passed their own versions of the CAREN Act.
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