police killings
-
Despite Nationwide Attention to Police Brutality, Arrest Rates for Cops Who Kill People On-Duty Remain Appallingly Low
In some ways, 2020 has appeared to mark a turning point in the United States’ long ongoing racial justice movement. This year’s Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police helped galvanize a nationwide reckoning on race that brought greater attention to other police killings, provoked…
-
Family Calls for Jason Meade, Cop Who Killed Casey Goodson Jr., to Lose His Badge
The family of Casey Goodson Jr., a 23-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy in Columbus, Ohio, last week, is now calling for the cop who fatally shot him to be removed from the force. Since Goodson was shot by Deputy Jason Meade, local authorities have justified the…
-
After 2 Years, No Charges Will Be Filed Against Chicago Cop Who Fatally Shot Black Security Guard
In 2018, Jemel Roberson, a Black security guard, was restraining an active shooter when he was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer. Two years later, the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has announced no charges will be filed against the officer, CNN reports. “After an extensive and thorough review of…
-
You Can Count on One Hand the Number of Days the U.S. Has Gone Without a Police Killing Since George Floyd Died
There are certain figures that, for one reason or another, get seared in your brain. For instance: 53 percent, the number of white women who voted for Trump. Or 1619, the year that the first slave ships arrived in the United States. 8 minutes and 46 seconds: the length of time former Minneapolis police officer…
-
Body-Cam Footage Shows Unarmed Man in Austin, Texas Begging 'Don't Shoot' Before Police Shot and Killed Him
The Austin Police Department has released bodycam footage and the 911 call from a fatal encounter between its officers and Michael Ramos, an unarmed 42-year-old man, in April of this year. According to a report from Buzzfeed, police approached Ramos—who is Afro-Latino—in response to a 911 call that he was allegedly taking drugs with a…
-
Colorado Governor Pledges to Look Into Elijah McClain’s 2019 In-Custody Death After Nationwide Outcry
When 23-year-old Elijah McClain died after police put him in a chokehold last year, the news of his killing—and the subsequent decision to not press criminal charges against the Aurora, Colo., officers who apprehended him—didn’t reach far beyond the state. But, in the wake of the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month,…
-
Oklahoma Police Officer Tells Black Man 'I Don't Care' After He Says 'I Can't Breathe.' Man Later Dies
Every week, it seems a new video emerges showing the police blatantly disregarding the pleas of people in their custody. In Oklahoma City, body camera footage has been released from a May 2019 incident where 42-year-old Derrick Scott can be seen telling police “I can’t breathe,” as he’s being held in police custody. According to…
-
Shameik Moore Dives Deep Into the Spider-Curse of Respectability Politics
When audiences finished the Oscar-winning film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, there was one particular scene that stuck in everyone’s minds: the moment Miles Morales officially became Spider-Man. After many minutes of self-doubt, Miles finally took a leap of faith and we all realized he wasn’t falling, but flying. This shot right here: That happened on…
-
Study Shows Link Between Police Shootings of Unarmed Black People and Health of Black Babies
Fatal police encounters are devastating for the communities in which they occur: families are irreparably ripped apart; trauma spreads through neighborhood institutions like schools and churches; and trust between the community and law enforcement (and, oftentimes, other branches of local government) is broken. Any one of these problems present tremendous challenges to the health and…
-
Jury Finds Florida Cop Nouman Raja Guilty in Killing of Corey Jones
A Florida police officer is facing life in prison after a jury found him guilty of shooting and killing a black man, marking the first time in 30 years a Florida police officer has been convicted for a civilian’s death. At 9:14 a.m. on Thursday morning, a West Palm Beach, Fla., jury convicted former Palm…