police accountability
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Connecticut Police Open Fire on Black Couple Singing Love Song to Each Other
On Tuesday, April 16, Stephanie Washington, 22, and Paul Witherspoon III, 21, were sitting in their car enjoying each other’s company, kissing and singing along to “Nothing In This World” by R&B Singers Avant and Keke Wyatt. Moments later, police opened fire on their vehicle without warning or provocation. Now, residents of the city of…
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Policing the Police: Database of Corrupt Cops Opened to Public View
From so-called gang databases to terror watch lists, reports are plentiful about the various lists cops and other law enforcement keep on the people, but who keeps track of police misdeeds? Now, USA Today, in conjunction with the nonprofit Invisible Institute, is making available to the public a database of some 200,000 incidents of alleged…
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'You Told Me To': North Carolina Police Officer Shoots Black Man As He Was Lowering His Weapon
Newly released body-cam footage shows Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Wende Kerl shouting for Danquirs Franklin, 27, to lower his weapon. The video obtained by the Charlotte Observer then shows Kerl firing on Franklin, killing him. Footage also shows Franklin attempting to lower his gun, adhering to police commands. Franklin reached his right hand toward his pocket,…
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Pennsylvania DA Declines Charges Against Cop Who Shot Inmate in Holding Cell
According to Bucks County, Pa. District Attorney Matthew Weintraub, an officer who shot and wounded an unarmed inmate after accidentally drawing his gun instead of his taser will not be charged. According to findings released by the office Friday, Weintraub determined that the officer who shot the inmate was “neither justified, nor criminal, but was…
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Dallas Police Chief Defends Decision to Charge Black Woman Seen on Video Being Brutally Beaten in Assault
Say what, now? Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall says her heart goes out to L’Daijonique Lee, the black woman brutally beaten in a racially motivated attack last month, but that it was the right call for police to charge Lee with a felony for breaking a window on her alleged attacker’s truck. “In law enforcement…
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These Lyin’ Eyes? Cop’s Lawyer Says NYPD Surgeon Saw No Choke Hold in Eric Garner Death
The latest twist in the saga to hold New York City cop Daniel Pantaleo responsible in any way for Eric Garner’s death may be the ultimate example of the old saying, “Who you gonna trust? Me or your lyin’ eyes?” In an announcement Thursday in advance of a New York Police Department hearing to decide…
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Bodycam Footage Shows Vallejo Police Shoot Willie McCoy While Asleep in Car
Vallejo Police have released footage of the killing of 20-year-old Willie McCoy, who was in his car at a Taco Bell before six officers shot into his vehicle. The body cam footage supports claims made by McCoy’s family who said their loved one, who rapped as Willie Bo with group FBG, was not alert when…
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Former Portsmouth, Va., Police Chief Claims Her Forced Resignation Was Racially Motivated
Former Portsmouth Police Chief Tonya Chapman—the first black woman to lead a city police department in the state of Virginia—said in a statement on Monday that she was forced to resign after attempting to eradicate the racism and discriminatory behavior within her department. “Having been a member of two other law enforcement agencies, I have…
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Columbus, Ohio Disbands 'Moral Crimes' Police Unit Due to Its Penchant for Committing Moral Crimes
A vice unit is a police division responsible for investigating “moral crimes” such as gambling, prostitution, narcotics, and illegal alcohol sales. But due to a rash of scandals that have called the morality of its officers into question, Columbus, Ohio, no longer has one. Columbus became subject to internal and FBI investigations after botching the…