Police Brutality
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Officer-Involved Killings Now a Leading Cause of Death for Young Men in America
It’s a data point as American as it is macabre, but a new study has identified police killings as a leading cause of death among young American men. The research, recently published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, finds officer-involved deaths (shootings, chokeholds, and other uses of force) to be the…
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Judge Orders Baton Rouge to Release Psych Report of Cop Who Killed Alton Sterling Amid Reports of Abuse, Unprofessional Behavior
Days after Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul admitted that Blane Salamoni, the police officer who shot and killed Alton Sterling in 2016, should never have been hired, a Louisiana judge has ordered the city of Baton Rouge to release a psychological evaluation used in Salamoni’s hiring. The judge handed the decision down Monday; Sterling’s…
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Baton Rouge Police Chief Apologizes for the Hiring of Alton Sterling’s Killer. Sterling Still Dead
In what could only be described as a grievous insult on top of deadly injury, the Baton Rouge police chief apologized for the hiring of the officer who killed Alton Sterling more than three years ago. Police Chief Murphy Paul apologized on Thursday, saying in part, “We are sorry Baton Rouge. I want to apologize…
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Chicago Police Board Fires 4 Officers Accused of Covering Up Laquan McDonald's Murder
An independent civilian board voted Thursday night to fire four Chicago police officers for their involvement in covering up the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The Chicago Police Board ordered Officers Janet Mondragon, Daphne Sebastian, Ricardo Viramontes, and Sgt. Stephen Franko to be discharged from the Chicago Police Department for making false statements about…
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Chicago Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Cop Said to Be Caught on Video Beating Man Undergoing Psych Eval
Attorneys for a man whose vicious beating, allegedly by a Chicago cop, was captured on surveillance video are calling out Chicago’s Cook County prosecutor’s office for deciding to drop all charges against the cop. “I think anyone could look at that video and make a determination that it’s excessive force,” Andrew M. Stroth, a lawyer…
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Report Suggests Police Use of Deadly Force Is on the Decline in California
According to a new report, police incidents involving the use of deadly force are on the decline in California. The Associated Press reports that in 2018, 146 civilians died during encounters with law enforcement. This tally includes unarmed shooting victim Stephon Clark and denotes a significant decline in comparison to 172 civilians in 2017 and…
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Miami Officer Acquitted of Attempted Manslaughter: 'He Should Have Never Been Charged to Begin With'
Charles Kinsey thought he was good. Despite police on the scene, as he laid on the North Miami sidewalk with his arms extended in the air, he believed he posed no threat. And he thought the same of his group home patient, 23-year-old Arnaldo Rios Soto, who sat beside him while playing with a toy…
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Jay-Z's Roc Nation Offers Legal Counsel to Phoenix Family Held at Gunpoint By Police, Calls Incident 'Absolutely Sickening'
If Clark Kent had a real-life alter ego, it might be Jay-Z. The 49-year-old billionaire has been using his immense fortune and influence to save artists like Lil Wayne from the IRS, to pour $50 million into criminal justice reform and to otherwise balance the scales for people of color who have faced prejudice or…
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Family Files $10 Million Lawsuit Against City of Phoenix After Police Allegedly Assault, Threaten to Shoot Family
A family is suing the City of Phoenix for $10 million after police officers were caught on video using what the family believes is excessive force. Per AZ Central: Dravon Ames, 22, and his pregnant fiancée, 24-year-old Aisha Harper were pulled over by Phoenix police near 36th and Roosevelt streets on May 27. They allege…
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A Black Teen Was Going Through a Mental Health Crisis. Wisconsin Police Ended Up Punching Him in the Head
Madison, Wisc., police officers were called to the home of a 17-year-old boy last week because he was experiencing a mental health crisis. The encounter ended with officers tackling the child, placing a bag over his head, and punching the teen, who is black, repeatedly. Unbeknownst to the officers, the entire incident had been recorded…