Law Enforcement
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St. Louis Police Request Permission to Use Mace, Tear Gas on Non-Violent Protesters
In September of 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri sued the city of St. Louis and its police force after officers responded to peaceful demonstrations with excessive force. In what has come to be known as the “kettle,” more than 100 victims were arrested and testified that they were surrounded, beaten, pepper-sprayed and…
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All in Their Feelings: Chicago Suburban (Read:White) Cops Call for Kim Foxx's Resignation Over Jussie Smollett Case
And the piling on when it comes to Chicago’s chief prosecutor, Kim Foxx, continues. Now, a group of suburban Chicago police chiefs have joined the call of Chicago’s police union in demanding Foxx’s resignation over her office’s handling of the Jussie Smollett case. After Smollett’s claims of having been the victim of a racist, homophobic…
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Lawyering While Black: Cop Detains Attorney in Courthouse, Accuses Him of Impersonating a Lawyer
It’s a shame there isn’t a tag for stories on The Root called “dumbassery on your tax dollars,” because I promise you, there would be at least one cop story filed there every day. This latest example comes to us from Harford County, Md., where the local sheriff’s office now finds itself the subject of…
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Things Michael Rosfeld Can Do Today In Pittsburgh, America's Most Livable City, Because He's Free (And Antwon Rose Can't Because Michael Rosfeld Killed Him)
1. Watch a pierogi race at a Bucs game. 2. Ride the Duquesne incline down from Mt. Washington, and take in the city’s amazing skyline. 3. Eat a Primanti Brothers sandwich in the Strip District or Oakland. 4. Ride the Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood Park, and grab a funnel cake (with strawberries) to go on…
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Columbus, Ohio Disbands 'Moral Crimes' Police Unit Due to Its Penchant for Committing Moral Crimes
A vice unit is a police division responsible for investigating “moral crimes” such as gambling, prostitution, narcotics, and illegal alcohol sales. But due to a rash of scandals that have called the morality of its officers into question, Columbus, Ohio, no longer has one. Columbus became subject to internal and FBI investigations after botching the…
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Power: For Those Who Survive Police Violence, Their Black Lives Matter, Too [Watch]
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Marie Cullors wears many hats: activist, author, abolitionist, white supremacy slayer. But one role many may not know of Cullors is that of “artist.” Cullors, currently a 2019 MFA candidate at the University of Southern California, has been flexing her creative muscles since before she came to international prominence as…
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San Francisco Man Gets $13M Settlement After Being Falsely Framed for Murder by Police
A San Francisco man will receive a $13.1-million settlement after being framed by police and spending years in prison for a 2007 murder he did not commit. As a young man, Jamal Trulove was tried and convicted in the killing of his friend Seu Kuka in a San Francisco housing project. A state appeals court…
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Murder Trial Date Set for Former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger in the Shooting Death of Botham Jean
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has a trial date for her role in the shooting death of Botham Jean, an unarmed black man. NBC 5 reports that court records show Guyger’s trial will begin Aug. 12. Guyger has been charged with murder in the Sept. 6, 2018 shooting. Guyger and her attorneys were in…
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LAPD Officers ‘Violated Policy’ in 2018 Shooting of a Black Man Inside a Crowded Mall
On a Tuesday evening in April 2018, a black man who appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis ran through the crowded Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Mall in Los Angeles armed with a long kitchen knife. When commanded by police to drop the knife, he did not comply, so officers began shooting at…
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Trial Begins for Former Police Officer Who Shot and Killed 17-Year-Old Antwon Rose II
The white former East Pittsburgh police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in the back goes on trial Tuesday, potentially facing life behind bars. The Associated Press reports that lawyers for 30-year-old Michael Rosfeld are expected to say that the June 2018 shooting of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II was justified. Rosfeld is…