Law Enforcement
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Louisiana State Trooper Suspended Without Pay After Video Shows Him Kicking and Dragging Ronald Greene Before He Died in Police Custody
Last October, The Root reported on the mysterious and fatal story of 49-year-old Ronald Greene—a Black man who died in police custody after leading officers on a high-speed chase in Louisiana in 2019. It’s a wild yet familiar story where a Black man is brought to the hospital bruised and bloodied. The cops claimed his…
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Las Vegas Police Say They Fatally Shot BLM Protester After He Raised Rifle. Video Appears to Show Something Different
As a news reporter, my rule of thumb is that the media shouldn’t take police accounts of incidents at face value. Law enforcement officers have every reason to lie just as the civilians they police do, and I’ve covered too many stories where video footage contradicted what officers said happened in their reports. Last June,…
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Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputies Allege a Gang Targeting Black and Latino Communities Exists in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
I know you read that headline and thought “OK, but isn’t that generally Los Angeles policing as a whole?” You’re not wrong, but a group of deputies have alleged that there are functioning gangs embedded within law enforcement that target Black and Latino neighborhoods. According to CBS News, the deputies allege that the “Banditos” are…
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Grand Jury Declines to Charge Rochester Police Officers in Daniel Prude’s Death
On Tuesday, Rochester, N.Y., continued America’s long-standing tradition of not holding police officers accountable for their careless actions when dealing with Black people. On March 23, last year, Rochester police officers encountered Daniel Prude while he was walking naked in the street. Prude was clearly in need of help, but instead of receiving the care…
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Black Man Sues Chicago Police Accused of Brutalizing Him After Stopping Him Because He Had 'A Shocked Look on His Face'
Another day, another Black man harassed and brutalized by police officers while in the commission of…minding his own business. Leroy Kennedy IV has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department alleging that he was “traumatized” by the actions of officers who arrested him last August while he was walking to the store. Recently released…
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Newly Released Video Shows Altercation Between California Deputies and Fatally Shot Homeless Black Man Stopped for Jaywalking
Time and time again, police officers across America prove that they are utterly useless when it comes to dealing with conflicts involving the most vulnerable among us. It doesn’t have to be all cops; there have been enough instances where officers arrived on scenes where no real potential for violence was evident—particularly situations involving Black…
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Watchdog Report Finds Chicago Police Response to George Floyd Protests Was Defined by 'Tactical Incoherence'
I’m sure you don’t need reminding, but George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police spurred ongoing, nationwide protests. Chicago was no exception, and a report from an independent watchdog group finds that the police response to these protests were woefully inadequate. According to ABC News, the Chicago’s Office of Inspector General found that…
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Los Angeles School Board Cuts $25 Million From School Police Force to Go Instead Into Black Student Achievement Plan
The board of education for the Los Angeles Unified School District voted on Tuesday to redirect funds meant for school policing into a program meant to help Black students achieve academic success. According to CNN, the vote will slash the budget of the Los Angeles School Police Department by $25 million, resulting in 133 jobs…
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Phoenix Cops Caught on Body-Cam Allegedly Upset They Forgot to 'Stomp' and 'Gas' BLM Protesters Who Were 'Leaving'
When it comes to Black Lives Matter protests, a common misconception (among white people) is that the violence that occurs sometimes is always against police officers and it’s never the cops who are willing participants if not the ones who started the violence in the first place. People who believe such “back the blue” nonsense likely…
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LAPD Officers Accused of Sharing George Floyd Valentine's Day Photo That Reads 'You Take My Breath Away'
Valentine’s Day is a time for couples and lovers of all walks of life to celebrate their bonds through the exchanging of flowers, candy, spa days, hot-oil massages and the like—it’s a day to commemorate love. In fact, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department are reportedly so into the festivities that they decided to…