police accountability
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No Charges Filed Against Police Officer Who Killed 11-Year-Old Riding a Bike: 'Justice Was Not Served'
In what has become an all too familiar outcome, another officer of the law will go unpunished for his role in taking a young black life. WWMT reports that after reviewing the death of 11-year-old Norman Hood of Battle Creek, Mich., the special prosecutor assigned to the case declined to file criminal charges against the…
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Use of Force Investigation Underway After Black Man Tased, Choked by Police: ‘It Was Police Brutality’
In 2014, the world watched in horror as 43-year-old Eric Garner lost his life to an illegal chokehold used by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, and five years later, 25-year-old Elonte McDowell came dangerously close to experiencing a similar fate. ABC News reports that the DeKalb Police Department in Illinois has opened an investigation to determine…
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U.S. Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Accusing Baltimore County Police Department of Racial Discrimination in Its Hiring Practices
Something is amiss in the Baltimore County Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to get to the bottom of it. From the Baltimore Sun: The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Baltimore County government Tuesday, alleging that a written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against…
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Philadelphia Police Commissioner Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment, Discrimination Allegations
With the integrity of the Philadelphia police department crippled by allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination, commissioner Richard Ross made the abrupt decision to resign on Tuesday. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released an official statement announcing the shocking news. “Today, Commissioner Ross tendered his resignation,” Kenney said in his statement. “I am disappointed, because he’s…
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Phoenix Police Now Required to Self-Report Every Time They Point a Gun at Someone: ‘That’s a Traumatic Event’
Phoenix is well known for its oppressive heat and obnoxious Republicans. But with police misconduct rapidly working its way up the power rankings, city officials have announced that Phoenix officers will now be required to document every instance in which they point their gun at someone. CNN reports that a supervisor will review each incident…
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How American Slavery Helped Create Modern-Day Policing
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in what we now know as Virginia. Their voyage was, no doubt, filled with unspeakable horror and death, and their presence would forever change the United States—especially when examining the way this country approaches policing. When enslaved Africans arrived in America,…
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California Governor Signs 'Stephon Clark Law,' One of the Strictest Police Use of Force Laws in the Country
In its efforts to deter police shootings and change the culture of its police departments, California has officially adopted one of the strictest laws in the country regarding police use of deadly force. The Los Angeles Times reports that on Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 392 into law. “We are doing something…
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NYPD Fires Officer Responsible for the Death of Eric Garner
Five years after “I can’t breathe” became a rallying cry for police accountability in light of the unnecessary death of 43-year-old Eric Garner, comes the news that the officer responsible, Daniel Pantaleo, has been fired. According to the Washington Post, NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill made the announcement on Monday, weeks after a departmental disciplinary…
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#LookingWhileBlack: Police Stop, Question Black Man for ‘Looking Suspiciously’ at a White Woman
In what serves as the latest example of #ExistingWhileBlack, I present 20-year-old Devin Meyers, who was stopped by police for—wait for it—“looking suspiciously” at a white woman. No, really. Have you ever seen a white woman in public? They do a lot of suspicious shit. But regardless, according to the Daily Dot, police in Royal…