culture
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John Crawford’s Family Files Suit Against Wal-Mart, the City and the Police
John Crawford’s family filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday “charging negligence and violations of Crawford’s civil rights” in the fatal shooting of the 22-year-old inside a Beavercreek, Ohio, Wal-Mart, the Associated Press is reporting. The suit is levied against “the city of Beavercreek, the two Beavercreek officers involved, the police chief and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.” A…
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The Year of Cops Caught on Camera
2014 has been the year of police violence caught on video. From Eric Garner’s death to the assault of an Arizona professor, police have been caught red-handed abusing their power. As the country continues to debate the use and effectiveness of police body cameras, what these videos have done is offered a glimpse into black…
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D’Angelo Has His Second Coming With Black Messiah
Like many people, I waited so long for D’Angelo’s new album that I stopped waiting. Its title, Black Messiah, partly mocks the idea that any artist—even the so-called R&B Jesus—could warrant such anticipation. But it’s also about something greater: the problem of waiting for messianic leadership from “on high” and the current refusal to wait…
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Indiana Cop Designs ‘Breathe Easy, Don’t Break the Law’ Shirts
“I Can’t Breathe” has become a popular rallying cry for activists around the country protesting the choke hold death of Staten Island, N.Y., father of six Eric Garner and police brutality in general. However, one Indiana cop is taking the phrase and transforming it to represent what he considers to be the other side of…
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Report: Key Witness in Darren Wilson Case Caught in Web of Lies
One of the key witnesses in Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson’s grand jury case has a history of making racist statements, as well as a history of mental illness, the Smoking Gun has revealed. “Witness 40,” who has been identified as Sandra McElroy, 45, also got herself involved in another prominent criminal case in…
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Twin Plays in Honor of Brother Who Died to Save Him: ‘Issy Would Want Me to Play Ball’
Demacio Bailey, the twin brother of 15-year-old Demario Bailey, who died when the pair were attacked by armed robbers in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, played in his Monday-night high school basketball game, dedicating it to his twin, the Chicago Tribune reports. “He said, ‘Mama, Issy would want me to play ball,’ ” the boys’ mother,…
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Outpouring of Kindness Continues for Grandma Caught Shoplifting to Feed Family
On Dec. 6, Tarrant, Ala., police Officer William Stacy got a shoplifting call from Dollar General. Stacy gets such calls all the time. When he got to the store, he was shocked by what he saw: Helen Johnson, 47, was short the money she needed to get a carton of eggs, so she had stuffed…
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6 Dead in Philly-Area Killing Spree
Police officers were stationed on Monday outside the home of a Pennsylvania man who may have been involved in “a killing spree” in which six people were shot dead and one person severely injured, Al-Jazeera reports. “The [alleged] gunman was identified as 35-year-old Bradley William Stone and described by authorities as being armed and dangerous,” the…
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Families in Sandy Hook School Shooting Sue Gun-Maker
The families of nine of the 26 victims of the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., have filed a lawsuit against “the manufacturer, distributor and seller” of the rifle that was used by the gunman, Al-Jazeera reports. “The negligence and wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Bridgeport Superior Court on Monday, asserts…