Police Brutality
-
Black Family That Was Handcuffed After Being Wrongfully Suspected of Riding in Stolen Vehicle Sues Aurora, Colo., Police
In August of last year, a Black family was stopped by police in Aurora, Colo. Four Black girls—children and teenagers, ages 6, 12, 14 and 17—were ordered out of their vehicle at gunpoint and made to lie on the ground while officers handcuffed the 12- and 17-year-olds while they screamed and cried in terror. The cops…
-
Why Activists Are Frustrated by the Appointment of Louisville’s New Police Chief
What happens when a high-ranking police officer resigns from one police department after the unjust police shooting of a Black citizen only to become police chief of another embattled police department that came into the spotlight after the unjust police shooting of another Black citizen? Well, mainly, the new police chief is being greeted with…
-
'Enough Is Enough': Anjanette Young Declares That She Will Not Be Taking Her Foot Off Chicago PD's Neck at MLK Day Rally
I have a lot of respect for Anjanette Young, the Black woman whose dignity and wellbeing Chicago police officers had such little regard for that they made her wait handcuffed and naked for over half an hour while they searched the wrong home for a suspect in Feb. 2019. Some victims of police violence let…
-
Maryland ACLU Releases ‘Chasing Justice’ Report Detailing Baltimore Police Misconduct Allegations
In 2017, The Root reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Baltimore reached an agreement on a consent decree to ensure that the city and Baltimore Police Department “protect individuals’ statutory and constitutional rights, treat individuals with dignity and respect, and promote public safety in a manner that is fiscally responsible…
-
'I Can’t Breathe Until I Know Justice is Happening': Son of Unarmed Black Man Killed by Texas Cop Speaks Out
If I’m ever having any sort of mental breakdown, don’t call the police. Of course, that request wouldn’t have saved the life of 52-year-old Patrick Warren Sr. of Killeen, Texas, who was fatally shot by a police officer responding to a call Warren’s family said they made to authorities expecting a mental health professional to…
-
Unarmed Black Man Fatally Shot by Texas Police Officer Responding to Mental Health Check
Over the weekend, an unarmed Black man was fatally shot by a police officer in Killeen, Texas, after the officer responded to a call for a mental health check. Part of the confrontation that led to the shooting, as well as the family’s devastating reaction to it, was recorded by the Ring camera on the…
-
Charges Will Not Be Filed Against 2nd Officer Involved in Oscar Grant Shooting
Just months after the investigation into the Oscar Grant’s shooting was reopened, the Alameda County district attorney announced charges will not be filed against the second officer involved in the incident. According to the New York Times, Nancy O’Malley, the Alameda County district attorney, released a report outlining why charges couldn’t be brought against Anthony…
-
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Claim That She Didn't Know of Anjanette Young Until Recently Contradicted by Released Email
The story of Anjanette Young—the 50-year-old social worker who was undressing when Chicago police officers barged into her home in February 2019 and made her wait handcuffed and naked as cops ignored her pleas to get dressed while they searched for a felon who did not live there—has become another upsetting example of how cops…
-
2nd Officer Involved in Andre Hill Shooting Said She 'Did Not Observe Any Threats' Before Shooting Started
The Dec 22 shooting of 47-year-old Andre Hill in Columbus, Ohio, is arguably among the most reckless acts of police brutality we’ve seen this year—and that’s saying a lot. As the investigation into the incident—in which a white police officer opened fire on a Black man who was standing in a garage clearly holding a…
-
Trump Pardons Racist Former Maryland Cop Who Unleashed Her Canine on Homeless People for Fun
Last week The Root reported that the president of pardoning despicable white people has been spending his last weeks in office doling out absolution to allies, white-collar criminals and war criminals like he’s the Grinch that stole clemency and now he’s giving it all back. Well, it turns out we can add police brutality aficionado…