Law Enforcement
-
California Is Close to Banning Karens From Weaponizing 911, But What About the State’s Police Reforms?
Earlier this week, California lawmakers passed a bill that would ban residents and visitors to the state from making racist, false 911 calls. It now awaits Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature before it becomes law. The bill was part of an array of criminal justice reforms proposed by lawmakers in the wake of George Floyd’s…
-
Breonna Taylor’s Boyfriend Kenneth Walker Sues Louisville Metro Police, Says Wounded Cop Was Injured by Friendly Fire
Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor who was with her the night she was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police, has filed a lawsuit against the department, arguing that he is a victim of police misconduct and seeking immunity from future prosecution related to the case. The 28-year-old filed the civil complaint in…
-
Top Kenosha Police, Prosecutor Under Increased Scrutiny in Wake of Jacob Blake, Protest Shootings: ‘Some People…Aren’t Worth Saving’
In the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, all eyes are on top law enforcement in Kenosha, Wis., as organizers and civil liberties groups around the country question the culture of policing that permeates the city. Among the officials under renewed scrutiny is Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, whose comments about a group…
-
![Jacob Blake Is No Longer Handcuffed to His Hospital Bed, Attorney Says [Updated]](https://www.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/vlj9ilfqas3m0vpfbalr-300x200.jpg)
Jacob Blake Is No Longer Handcuffed to His Hospital Bed, Attorney Says [Updated]
After being shot in the back multiple times by Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey, 29-year-old Jacob Blake is paralyzed from the waist down, says his family. Despite Blake’s incapacitation—and his clear need to continue to receive treatment—his father says Blake is currently handcuffed to his hospital bed. Blake’s father, also named Jacob Blake, shared the…
-
Kenosha Police Release Incomplete Report of Jacob Blake Shooting, Claims He Had a Knife in the Car; FBI to Investigate
Three days after Kenosha police shot Jacob Blake multiple times in the back in front of his three children, the department finally has its version of events (or, as CNN aptly put it, “their first version”) of the police shooting. Released late Wednesday, the official police report says officers were responding to a domestic dispute…
-
Without Riot Gear Clad-Police and Armed Militias, 4th Night of Kenosha Protests Is Peaceful
Despite a week of violent threats from police and armed militias, the residents of Kenosha, Wisc., turned out for a fourth straight night of protests in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times in the back as he tried to enter his car on Sunday…
-
You Can Count on One Hand the Number of Days the U.S. Has Gone Without a Police Killing Since George Floyd Died
There are certain figures that, for one reason or another, get seared in your brain. For instance: 53 percent, the number of white women who voted for Trump. Or 1619, the year that the first slave ships arrived in the United States. 8 minutes and 46 seconds: the length of time former Minneapolis police officer…
-
Detroit Lions Cancel Practice to Protest the Police Shooting of Jacob Blake: 'Football Isn’t Important Today'
“Practice?! We talking bout Practice!” In 2002, Allen Iverson’s infamous rant reverberated throughout every corner of the sports stratosphere. “Not the game, but we’re talking about practice, man. I mean, how silly is that?” At the time, Iverson came off as a malcontent for undermining the necessity of being properly prepared for the game at…
-
'This Is Sick and Is a Real Problem': NBA, NFL Players Speak Out After Jacob Blake Shooting
Jacob Blake isn’t supposed to be alive. On Sunday, the Kenosha, Wis., native was shot at least seven times in the back by local police after breaking up a verbal altercation between two women. In response, the city has descended into chaos as the 29-year-old fights for his life in intensive care. Protests have sprung…
-
Kentucky Attorney General Denies Breonna Taylor Announcement Is Forthcoming: ‘The Investigation Remains Ongoing’
Five months have passed since Louisville Metro Police ambushed 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in her home, shooting and killing her. In the intervening months, her case was first met with silence, with her family, alongside local activists and journalists, fighting to share her story and demand accountability from local officials. But as September rolls in, Taylor’s…