The Players Coalition submitted a letter to Congress on Wednesday in support of a bill to end police immunity.
More than 1,400 current and retired players, coaches and executives from the NFL, NBA and MLB signed the letter, including quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees, outfielders Matt Kemp and Giancarlo Stanton, and basketball coaches Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr.
The letter encourages passage of a bill that would eliminate qualified immunity, a policy that makes it difficult to sue police officers for brutality.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Representatives Justin Amash of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts following the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
"It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity and it can do so by passing the Amash-Pressley Bill," the letter to Congress reads. "When police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law.
"And officers must know that if they act in such a manner, there will be repercussions. A legal system that does not provide such a recourse is an illegitimate one. In their grief, people have taken to the streets because for too long, their government has failed to protect them. The Courts and elected officials alike have instead shielded people who caused unspeakable harm. Congress must not be complicit in these injustices, and it should take this important step to show that law enforcement abuse will not be tolerated."