Cases of Excessive Force Where Officers Walked Away Free

Most recently, the officer shot and killed Amir Locke will not be facing criminal charges.

Since the summer of 2020, when we saw an overwhelming number of police brutality cases, the officers accused of using excessive or deadly force against Black people have rarely been charged. FiveThiryEight found only 110 officers nationwide have been charged with murder in an on-duty shooting yet 1,000 people are shot and killed by police every year. A Washington Post database found 14 Black people have died by police shooting this year.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Fashion Icon Andre Leon Talley’s Best Style Statements

Though the officers who killed George Floyd were brought to justice, other families must live with the fact the officers who shot and killed their loved ones have not been held accountable for their actions. Some investigations are still pending, but below are the most recent incidents of officers escaping criminal charges.

Breonna Taylor

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] New York Times

Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville police officers in the middle of night after her boyfriend Kenneth Williams fired a warning shot at the apartment entrance, thinking they were intruders. One officer, Brett Hankison, was acquitted from his charge of wanton endangerment. The other officers were not charged, reported CNN.

Jacob Blake

Jacob Blake speaks out about shooting, decision not to charge Kenosha police officer. Photo: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] ABC7 Chicago

Blake, was shot in the back by Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey while resisting arrest and reportedly charging toward him with a knife. Blake was paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Federal prosecutors decided not to file charges against Sheskey, reported AP News.

Antwon Rose II

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] Nicole Nesby/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Antwon Rose II, 17, was shot and killed by Officer Michael Rosfeld during a traffic stop. Rosfeld faced one criminal homicide charge in addition to first- and third-degree murder and manslaughter, but a jury found Rosfeld not guilty, per CNN.

Keevin Robinson

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] Keevin Robinson family attorney

Robinson, 22, died in police custody after being chased by officers in a narcotics trafficking investigation. The coroner deemed his caused of death as a homicide. No charges were brought against the officers but Robinson’s family reached a settlement of over $300,000 with the sheriff’s office, reported Fox8Live News.

Cedric Lofton

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] KWCH12

Lofton, 17, died in police custody after being handcuffed and restrained lying face down for 30 minutes. The Kansas district attorney cited the “stand your ground” law to justify not charging the officers in connected to Lofton’s death, reported CNN.

Amir Locke

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] ABC News

Locke, 22, was shot and killed by Minneapolis SWAT officers during a no-knock search warrant raid. Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges against Officer Mark Hanneman, the officer who shot Locke, reported AP News.

Kisha Michael and Marquintan Sandlin

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] Facebook

Inglewood police officers shot and killed the couple while they were in their car after being found unconscious. The officers said they thought the two were reaching for a firearm. The Los Angeles district attorney said there was probably cause to believe the officers feared for their life and declined to file charges against them, reported NBC Los Angeles.

Jim Rogers

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] CBS Pittsburgh

Jim Rogers, 54, was tased 10 times by Pittsburgh police officers as they tried to arrest him for an alleged theft of a bicycle. He died at the hospital the next day of lack of oxygen to the brain, reported WTAE. Three of the five officers involved have been reinstated to their jobs. A jury is deciding on whether they could face criminal charges.

John Neville

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] WXII 12

Neville, 56, died in police custody after deputies held him on his stomach, pulling his arms behind his back and raising his legs to his wrists, causing him to have trouble breathing. None of the deputies have been charged, reported News&Observer.

Byron Williams

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] Nevada Current

Williams died in Las Vegas police custody as a result of being handcuffed and prone out on his stomach. He signaled to officers 24 times he could not breathe. The Clark County district attorney’s office found no “criminal prosecution” of the officers involved would be “appropriate,” reported KTNV Las Vegas.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

Lamar Odom’s Fall: From NBA Champ to Khloé Kardashian’s Heartbreak

Lamar Odom’s Fall: From NBA Champ to Khloé Kardashian’s Heartbreak

The complicated marriage between Lamar Odom and Khloé Kardshian is back in the spotlight thanks to a new documentary. Let’s take a look at their rocky history …
Inside the Unnecessary Renovations Trump Is Making to the White House

Inside the Unnecessary Renovations Trump Is Making to the White House

Here’s all of the changes Trump’s made to the White House in his second term, including his controversial ballroom construction …
Who Is Victor Glover, the Black Astronaut NASA Is Sending to the Moon

Who Is Victor Glover, the Black Astronaut NASA Is Sending to the Moon

Victor Glover will be the first Black American astronaut to reach the moon… And he’s the pilot! …
Regina Hall Explains Why She Almost Became A Nun In Her 40s

Regina Hall Explains Why She Almost Became A Nun In Her 40s

‘Scary Movie’ star Regina Hall is opening up about a particularly interesting time in her life and what led to her almost becoming a nun! …
Why Black Folks Should Participant in the Black Census Project

Why Black Folks Should Participant in the Black Census Project

With four years until the national census, leaders are urging Black folks to make their voices heard after the third launch of the Black Census Project …
Will We Ever See Another Black NBA MVP?

Will We Ever See Another Black NBA MVP?

The shift isn’t about skill. It’s about how the game is being taught …
Brandy Says She Had a Relationship With a Boyz II Men Star When She was 16

Brandy Says She Had a Relationship With a Boyz II Men Star When She was 16

Brandy Norwood is finally opening up about the relationship she shared with Boyz II Men member Wanya Morris. And the details are as eye-opening as you’d expect! …
White Influencer's Bizarre Defense After She Was Caught Editing Her Face on Black Model's Photo

White Influencer’s Bizarre Defense After She Was Caught Editing Her Face on Black Model’s Photo

You’ll never guess what Lauren Blake Boultier, a white influencer, blamed after she allegedly stole a Black model’s photo in a bizarre Photoshop fail …
Olandria's New Sports Illustrated Feature & Red Carpet Slayings Prove She's Here to Stay!

Olandria’s New Sports Illustrated Feature & Red Carpet Slayings Prove She’s Here to Stay!

Olandria Carthen may have gained fame from ‘Love Island,’ but she’s clearly here to stay for a long time. Let’s talk about it! …
Legal Defense Fund Head: Trump's Birthright Citizenship Challenge Is a Danger to Black Americans

Legal Defense Fund Head: Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Challenge Is a Danger to Black Americans

The Root spoke with the president of the Legal Defense Fund on what Black Americans should brace for ahead of the Supreme Court’s case on birthright citizenship …
New Study Links 'Everywhere Chemicals' Found in Plastics to 2 Million Premature Births

New Study Links ‘Everywhere Chemicals’ Found in Plastics to 2 Million Premature Births

In a study covering more than 200 countries, researchers traced two plastic-based chemicals to approximately 2 million early births and 74,000 infant deaths in 2018 alone …
Black NJ Congresswoman Speaks On Facing 17 Years in Prison for Visiting ICE Detainees

Black NJ Congresswoman Speaks On Facing 17 Years in Prison for Visiting ICE Detainees

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. LaMonica McIver, who is facing up to 17 years behind bars stemming from a legally protected visit to an ICE detention facility”, speaks to The Root …
Inside FKA Twigs, Shia LaBeouf's Relationship Drama

Inside FKA Twigs, Shia LaBeouf’s Relationship Drama

From the beginning of their relationship in 2018 to now, FKA twigs and Shia LaBeouf have been embroiled in a legal and public back and forth. Let’s dig into the latest! …
Amber Rose Wants White People to Be Able to Say the N-Word Without Consequence...Here's Why

Amber Rose Wants White People to Be Able to Say the N-Word Without Consequence…Here’s Why

Amber Rose says she allows her kids to curse because they have free speech, AND that white people should say the N-word…and the backlash was swift …
Why 'Paradise' Season Two Finale Has Fans So Shook!

Why ‘Paradise’ Season Two Finale Has Fans So Shook!

The season two finale of Sterling K. Brown’s ‘Paradise’ has folks all over social media talking—and for good reason. Let’s get into it! …
NBA Player Fired Over Anti-LGBTQ Pride Month Comments Sparks Free Speech Debate

NBA Player Fired Over Anti-LGBTQ Pride Month Comments Sparks Free Speech Debate

In a heated debate over religion vs. policy, the Chicago Bulls just waived Jaden Ivey for speaking out about the NBA’s pride nights …
Why Every Black American Must Watch the Birthright Citizenship Fight This Week

Why Every Black American Must Watch the Birthright Citizenship Fight This Week

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on President Trump’s attempt to axe the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing citizenship for the descendants of slavery …
Tisha Campbell Explains Why She'll Always 'Protect' Martin Lawrence, But the Internet Has Questions

Tisha Campbell Explains Why She’ll Always ‘Protect’ Martin Lawrence, But the Internet Has Questions

Tisha Campbell may have more positive feelings for her former costar Martin Lawrence now, but some folks online aren’t buying it. Let’s get into why! …
House Democrat Seeks Reparations for Immigrants Impacted By Trump's Policies

House Democrat Seeks Reparations for Immigrants Impacted By Trump’s Policies

Rep. Pramila Jayapal calls for reparations for immigrant families tramatized by Trump’s mass deportation policy …
Black Virginia Family Finds Army Discharge Papers That Unlock a Mother's Secret WWII Legacy

Black Virginia Family Finds Army Discharge Papers That Unlock a Mother’s Secret WWII Legacy

Stacy Brown and her family had no idea that her mother was one of more than 800 women assigned to the only all-Black female battalion during World War II …