police brutality
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Opening Statements Begin in Trial of Betty Shelby, White Tulsa, Okla., Cop Who Fatally Shot Terence Crutcher
Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of Tulsa, Okla., Police Officer Betty Shelby, who is facing manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black motorist, after a judge seated a jury of nine women and three men, as well as two alternates. The jury selected consists of two black women,…
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Family of Jordan Edwards Sues Balch Springs, Texas, Police Officer and Department in 15-Year-Old’s Death
The family of Jordan Edwards, the 15-year-old who was fatally shot by a white suburban-Dallas police officer, has filed a lawsuit against (now former) Balch Springs Police Officer Roy Oliver and the Balch Springs Police Department. According to the Associated Press, the lawsuit accuses the department of inadequately training Oliver and also ignoring warning signs…
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Jury Selection to Start for Trial of Tulsa, Okla., Cop Who Fatally Shot Terence Crutcher
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday for the trial of Betty Shelby, a white Tulsa, Okla., police officer who shot and killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man whose car had broken down on a highway. Shelby, 43, is facing charges of first-degree manslaughter, and as Reuters notes, she could face from four years…
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Jordan Edwards’ Family: ‘We Are Not Ready to Make a Martyr of Our Son’
In a statement to The Root, Jordan Edwards’ family makes it clear that, though they appreciate the immense support, they need time to mourn their son privately before they can accept him becoming another hashtag representing all of the young black people who have been slain by law enforcement. Read the Edwards family’s statement below:…
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Roy Oliver, the Texas Cop Who Killed 15-Year-Old Jordan Edwards, Was Previously Suspended for Aggressive Behavior: Report
As the investigation continues into the death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, who was shot and killed by then-Balch Springs, Texas, Police Officer Roy Oliver, more and more details are coming to light. Recently, it was discovered that the prosecutor’s office had once filed a complaint about what it called Oliver’s aggressive behavior. According to personnel…
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Former SC Cop Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Fatal Shooting of Walter Scott
Updated Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 6:52 p.m. EDT: Michael Slager pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating Walter Scott’s civil rights. “We hope that Michael’s acceptance of responsibility will help the Scott family as they continue to grieve their loss,” said Andrew Savage, Slager’s defense attorney. There’s only one thing: Slager has not accepted responsibility. NPR reports…
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Baton Rouge, La., Police Officers Will Not Be Charged in Alton Sterling’s Death: Report
The Justice Department has decided not to charge the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, according to the Washington Post. Sterling was shot July 5, 2016, after someone called to complain that Sterling was selling CDs out of a car in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Mart and had…
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Jordan Edwards’ Family Releases Statement: ‘Jordan’s Brothers Lost Their Best Friend’
The family of Jordan Edwards, the 15-year-old fatally shot Saturday night by a Balch Springs, Texas, police officer wielding a rifle, have released a statement to The Root via their attorney, S. Lee Merritt. Read the Edwards family’s full statement below: We would first like to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts, prayers, and…
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There's No Such Thing As "Good Police"
In the reality-adjacent Baltimore-centered ecosystem of The Wire, “good police” stood as the single highest honor a character could receive. It was reserved for those who possessed the inherent qualities making someone a naturally gifted police officer and also performed those duties with integrity and verve. You had to be born good police, but you also needed…
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Texas High School Football Team Mourns Loss of Jordan Edwards, 15-Year-Old Killed by Police
Monday morning was meant to be the first day of spring football practice at Mesquite (Texas) High School. Instead, a group of grieving high school athletes gathered in the hour before classes were scheduled to begin, mourning the loss of one of their very own, who lost his life in a police shooting. According to…