Law Enforcement
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The Police Would Rather Kill White People Than Stop Killing Black People
I was reminded last week, while watching the clip of 75-year-old Martin Gugino getting pushed by Buffalo police officers and cracking his head open, of a Twitter thread a few years ago by Gene Demby. I cannot find the actual thread right now (perhaps someone can help me and I’ll add a link to it)…
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Defund Police vs. #8CantWait Reforms: Differing Calls for Change to Address Police Brutality
Two major calls to action have emerged in the current uprising against police brutality triggered by the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor—not to mention the numerous incidents of cops around the country violently cutting down peaceful protesters and members of the media alike. Protestors in cities across the country have been calling for…
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What You Can Do to Lift Up Breonna Taylor and Other Female Victims of Police Brutality
Nearly three months after 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by the Louisville Metro Police Department in a botched drug raid, no officers have been charged in her killing. In fact, since her death, another black person, West Louisville barbecue caterer David McAtee, was shot and killed by law enforcement. June 5 would…
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What You Need to Know About David McAtee, the Louisville Restaurant Owner Killed After Sunday's Protests
There are a lot of stories circulating about David McAtee, the 53-year-old black man shot and killed while Louisville Metro Police and the National Guard attempted to “disperse” a crowd who had gathered outside a Dino’s Food Mart in the early hours of Monday morning. The details are hazy by circumstance (information coming out in…
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Brother of George Floyd Calls for Peace at the Site of His Death: 'Let's Do This Another Way'
On Monday, Terrence Floyd, the younger brother of George Floyd, did something that no one should ever have to do: He visited the site where his sibling lost his life at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. From the St. Paul Pioneer Press: When Terrence Floyd finally made it to the spot Monday afternoon where…
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Black Minneapoleans are 6 Times More Likely Than Whites to be Choked Unconscious by a Cop. In Other Cities, It's Even Worse
According to the Hennepin County, Minn. criminal complaint, On May 25, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. As Floyd desperately pleaded for his life, Chauvin continued to kneel. Floyd drifted into unconsciousness and Chauvin did not remove his knee for 2 minutes and 53 more…
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Independent Autopsy Rules George Floyd’s Death a Homicide
An independent autopsy ordered by the family of George Floyd finds the 46-year-old man was killed by “homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain.” The early findings from the exam were released Monday afternoon by Floyd family attorney Ben Crump. Dr.…
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‘The Use of Force is Never Acceptable’: 2 Atlanta Cops Fired After Tasing HBCU Students During Protest
At a time when volatile and emotional protests are popping up all over the country behind a black man dying due to what is widely seen as excessive use of police force, you would think that cops at these protests would exercise caution regarding their own uses of force on black demonstrators. Yet, several documented…
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Here's What Happened During the Week Following George Floyd's Death
The month of May has been taxing. It began with growing awareness about the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and ended with a video of a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, killing him. The week following Floyd’s death has been tumultuous, with tensions rising and police violently trying to…
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Man Dies After Being Shot at by Louisville Police and National Guard Following 4th Night of Protests [Updated]
A man was killed after being shot at by Louisville Metro Police and the National Guard on Monday morning, capping off a violent weekend in which police across the country escalated demonstrations protesting police brutality by employing aggressive tactics against protesters. On Monday afternoon, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer identified the man who died as David…