culture
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No Indictment for Houston Cop Who Shot Unarmed Jordan Baker
Houston Police Officer Juventino Castro will not be charged in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Jordan Baker, who was unarmed, the Houston Chronicle reports. A Harris County grand jury came to its decision Tuesday, formally clearing Castro in the January shooting. According to the Chronicle, the case marked one of the county’s first grand jury…
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Cop Shoots, Kills Black Teen in Berkeley, Mo.
Updated Wednesday, Dec. 24, 11:10 a.m. EST: The officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Antonio Martin had a body camera issued to him at the start of his shift but was not wearing it at the time of the shooting, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The Berkeley, Mo., officer, so far only identified as a…
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Justice Department to Review Fatal Shooting of Dontre Hamilton
The family of Dontre Hamilton—the 31-year-old African-American man who was fatally shot by a white police officer in Milwaukee in April—is now looking to the Justice Department to bring about justice since the Milwaukee County district attorney announced Monday that no criminal charges would be brought against Officer Christopher Manney for the shooting, Al-Jazeera reports. The…
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Selma Powerfully Tells the Story of a Critical Moment in the Civil Rights Movement
As one watches Selma—which opens in limited release Christmas Day and nationwide Jan. 9—it’s hard not to reflect on the protests going on around the country over the shooting deaths of unarmed black men by white police officers. It’s a topic that comes up often when Selma director Ava DuVernay discusses her film. She and some…
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No, Mayor de Blasio, There Is Never a Wrong Time to Say That Black Lives Matter
During his remarks Monday at the Police Athletic League, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called for a moratorium on protests demanding justice for the scores of black people who have fallen victim to police brutality while the city mourns the deaths of two police officers—Wenjian Liu, 28, and Rafael Ramos, 40—killed in Brooklyn on…
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Cop Killer’s Mom Publicly Apologizes
The mother of New York City cop killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley spoke out, apologizing for the havoc and devastation her son caused when he killed two police officers in cold blood before taking his own life, CNN reports. “Ismaaiyl was a very troubled young man whose life was in turmoil and spiraling out of control,” Shakuwra…
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Baltimore Protester Confronts Local Fox Affiliate That Edited ‘Kill a Cop’ Chant
One Baltimore protester got to clear the air Monday night after a local Fox affiliate edited the chant she was leading to make it sound as if demonstrators were calling for the death of cops, Talking Points Memo reports. WBFF apologized on Monday, inviting Tawanda Jones, the woman who was leading the chant at a…
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Shaneka Thompson Isn’t Just ‘a Woman in Baltimore’—Her Life Matters and You Should Know Her Name, Too
Shaneka Nicole Thompson’s name should be familiar to you by now—but it isn’t. Shaneka Thompson is a black woman who was shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley this past Saturday before he headed to Brooklyn, N.Y., and tragically killed two police officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, before killing himself. Thompson is the woman vaguely referred to…
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Eric Garner’s Daughter Lays Wreath on Memorial for Slain NY Officers
On Monday Eric Garner’s daughter, Emerald Garner, visited the memorial for two New York City police officers who were killed Saturday. Emerald Garner laid a wreath at the makeshift site for officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were fatally shot by lone gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley while sitting in their patrol car. Brinsley committed suicide…