police shootings
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Kentucky Attorney General to Serve as Special Prosecutor in Breonna Taylor Case
The shooting death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of police has spurred national conversation and outrage. Now, the state of Kentucky has appointed a special prosecutor to handle the case. NBC News reports that state Attorney General Daniel Cameron will serve in the role in the Taylor case. “The Office of the Attorney General…
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‘If You Ran for Ahmaud, You Need to Stand for Bre’: Breonna Taylor’s Death Isn’t Getting Enough Attention
It’s been two months since 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, a Louisville, Ky., EMT, was fatally shot by police officers during what has been described as a “botched execution of a warrant.” Now, Taylor’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Louisville Metro Police Department and is being represented by the same attorney who has…
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Can Vallejo Police Be Trusted to Investigate an Officer-Involved Shooting?
When an officer shoots and kills someone, whether on-duty or off, there is usually an investigation into the shooting to determine whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of the officer involved. History has shown us that police officers are rarely held accountable for their actions when it comes to the use of deadly…
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Here’s How Many People Police Killed in 2019…We Think
On Oct. 14, 2019, 12-year-old Akeelah Jackson was returning to her St. Louis home from a Family Dollar store. As she crossed the street, an unidentified St. Louis County police officer was pursuing a traffic violation at 59 mph on a street zoned for 30 mph, according to the St. Louis American. When the car…
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Forth Worth Officer Indicted on Murder Charge for Fatal Shooting of Atatiana Jefferson
On Friday, a grand jury in Texas indicted a former Fort Worth police officer on a murder charge in the fatal shooting of Atatiana Jefferson. NBC News reports that the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Aaron Dean, the 35-year-old former officer responsible for the shooting, had been indicted. Jefferson was a 28-year-old pre-med graduate…
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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…
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Former Fort Worth Officer Who Fatally Shot #AtatianaJefferson Released on Bond
A former police officer who’s been charged with murder after fatally shooting a black woman in her own home as she played video games was released on bail Monday. From The Hill: Aaron Dean, 34, posted bond Monday night after his arrest, the Associated Press reported, citing jail records. He had been held on a…
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If You Love Me, Do Not Call the Police
I do not want to die. Because I am far from infallible, I am willing to concede the slight possibility that there exists a scenario in which I may benefit from the presence of the police. Even though I’ve tried to imagine such a situation doesn’t exist, I admit that I may have overlooked some hypothetical…
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Officer Who Shot and Killed #AtatianaJefferson Resigns 'Before He Could Be Fired' Police Chief Says
The Fort Worth, Texas police officer who shot and killed 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson in her mother’s home early Saturday morning resigned Monday. Interim Chief Ed Kraus told reporters at a press conference Monday that former officer Aaron Dean tendered his resignation before he could be fired. Kraus said Dean was served a written administrative complaint…
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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…