Black Americans hoped the prosecution of Derek Chauvin, the ex-police officer convicted of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, would change the tide concerning police brutality and discrimination in the nation. Sadly, since then, there have been more than a few tragic incidents to prove otherwise.
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Now, The Root is diving into cases where white offenders — police officers and citizens alike — have been accused of heinous crimes against Black people… but ultimately, got away.
The Tragic Case of Emmett Till
August 28 marks 70 years since 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered. He was visiting family in Mississippi when he was accused of whistling at a white woman named Carolyn Bryant Donham. According to the story we all know, Till was later kidnapped from his great-uncle’s home in the night by two white men named Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam at gunpoint. The two brothers beat Till beyond the point of recognition and shot him in the head. Police later discovered Till’s body floating in the Tallahatchie River. Till’s mother famously insisted on having a public, open casket funeral for her son so the world could see the horrors done to her son. Attendees said the smell from the boy’s body filled the streets. Despite overwhelming evidence, Bryant and Milam were found not guilty. They later confessed to the murder.
Baptist Street Church Bombing
It was a quiet Sunday morning in Birmingham, Ala. The year was 1963, the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Tensions in the southern state remained high as peaceful civil rights protesters were often met with violent white mobs. At 10:24 a.m. on Sept. 15, a bomb went off at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, completely destroying the place of worship. What no one could’ve expected, however, is the five young church girls who were still inside. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley died as a result of the blast. Collins’s sister Sarah survived but lost an eye, according to FBI files. Although the Klu Klux Klan took responsibility for the terrorist attack, no one was charged with a crime.
Rodney King Beating
The case of Rodney King polarized the nation. In 1991, King was severely beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers during his arrest. The entire thing was caught on a bystander’s camera and quickly was sent to the news. The four officers responsible– Sergeant Stacey Koon, Officer Laurence Powell, Officer Theodore Briseno, and Officer Timothy Wind– were tried in perhaps the most anticipated trials of the early ’90s. They were all acquitted, and as outraged Black Americans sobbed in horror by the jury’s verdict, racial tensions in Los Angeles quickly erupted into chaos, resulting in the infamous LA Race Riots.
Fla. Police Caught on Camera Won’t Face Consequences
William McNeil Jr. recorded a traffic stop with Florida police which quickly escalated. The video went viral, and many have accused the department of excessive force and brutality. McNeil Jr was punched in the face and repeatedly slammed to the ground, the video showed. Department officials came out in support of the officers. McNeil pleaded guilty to resisting an officer and driving with a suspended license. Now, prosecutors have cleared the officers of any wrongdoing, BBC reported.
Tyre Nichols Killed by Police
A simple traffic stop turned fatal after Memphis officers approached Tyre Nichols and beat him to death. An autopsy found the 29-year-old died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to NPR. Still, Nichols’ killers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, were all found not guilty. “It is particularly troubling that an all-white jury from Hamilton County was brought into Shelby County to hear this case — a decision that distanced the proceedings from the very community most impacted by this tragedy,” House Leader Karen Camper said. “That move has understandably raised concerns about fairness and trust in the legal process.”
Kyle Rittenhouse at a Black Lives Matter Protest
Kyle Rittenhouse became a notorious household name after he was charged with the murder of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, we previously reported. In the end, Rittenhouse, who was only 17 years old at the time, was acquitted of all charges. The alt-right conservative now lives out his life as an avid supporter of President Donald Trump.
Jeffrey Melvin Tased to Death
Back in 2018, Jeffrey Melvin was tased at least eight times by police in Denver during a heated stand off, Colorado Politics reported. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide, saying he “died as a result of complication of sickle cell trait and extreme exertion during confrontation with police and associated Taser deployment.” Despite this and more, the cops responsible for his death, officers Daniel Patterson and Joshua Archer were given immunity. Melvin’s family since filed a lawsuit against the city, and they were reportedly awarded $3.2 million, according to Colorado Public Radio.
Daniel Penny Gets a Job After Jordan Neely
Daniel Penny was charged with murder after viral video of him choking Jordan Neely, a Black man on a New York City train sparked outrage across the country, we previously reported. After 16 hours of deliberation, jurors came back with an undecided vote. Penny was ultimately acquitted of all charges and hired by the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz as a deal partner, the New York Times reported.
Black Family Harrassed By White Mob
On May 8, 2020, then-ponice officer Jordan Kita was one of about 15 white people who stormed the front porch of a Black family threatening violence while demanding answers concerns a missing girl, CNN reported. Only two individuals were charged with “terrorizing” the Black family. Eventually, this led to both white people being found not guilty, although Kita was fired. But in 2024, Kita won a lawsuit against a civil rights group that posted defamatory statements about him, WECT News said.
Rayshard Brooks and the BLM Protests
During the height of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by Officer Garret Rolfe at a Wendy’s drive-thru in Atlanta. The officer was trying to arrest Brooks for driving drunk when he confronted the man at the local Wendy’s. During the altercations, Brooks snatched the officer’s taser and ran away, WSB-TV reported. Rolfe preceded to shoot Brooks dead, sparking major outrage in the city. Charges against him were ultimately dropped. Eventually, Rolfe was fired from his position during his trial. He later won a petition to get his job back, Fox 5 reported.
Cops Fire 100 Rounds
This month, prosecutors in Chicago decided not to file charges against officers, who fired almost 100 rounds during a 2024 traffic stop, killing Dexter Reed, a 26‑year‑old Black man. Investigators found the officers responded reasonably after Reed engaged in a shootout, firing the first 11 rounds himself. The gun he used was also determined to be illegal. Reed’s family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit, AP News reported.
Pregnant Dachena Warren-Hill Killed
Dachena Warren-Hill was only 20 years old when she was shot and killed by police in Fort Wayne, Ind., according to WANE. Video and bodycamera footage was released showing Warren-Hill driving a gold car during the incident. During an exchange with Officer Mark A. Guzman, Warren-Hill attempted to drive away. Guzman alleged Wareen-Hill was trying to run him over with the vehicle, WPTA reported. He then shot the 20-year-old multiple times, killing her. Now, her mother has filed a lawsuit against the former police chief, a police officer and another man she claims is responsible for her daughter’s death.
Tyler J. Vogel Threatens State Officials
In 2024, Tyler J. Vogel got access to N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James and Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron’s phone numbers and launched a tirade. Vogel reportedly sent threatening texts to both state officials in defense of President Donald Trump. At the time, Trump was in the middle of his N.Y. trial, which found him guilty of falsified business records, NPR reported. Vogel told the N.Y. officials “Furthermore, you are not to imprison Donald Trump,” and that he had a “whole wall of deadly weapons” to use against them. The serious threat was taken lightly in the courts. Vogel pleaded guilty and was sentenced to “a one-year conditional discharge,” according to the Eric County District Attorney’s Office.
Greg Eaton Arrests the Wrong Woman
A pregnant woman in Vermont spent a night in jail after a police officer made a clerical error but was never held accountable for it. Police were investigating a deadly overdose in 2022, when investigators identified a woman named Alicia Kelley as a suspect, the Brattleboro Reformer reported. But one officer, Police Lieutenant Greg Eaton, mistakenly marked down the wrong birth date. Eventually, cops moved to arrest Alicia M. Kelley, who was one of many women with the same first and last names in the area. Kelley was jailed for one night while she was pregnant, but she was not the suspect in question. Officer Eaton never faced consequences. Now, Kelley has filed a lawsuit against Eaton.
Ohio Cops Mistake Sound of Taser for Gunshots
In July 2023, Columbus, Ohio police responded to a call about a man with a gun making threats, WSYX reported. When they arrived to the apartment complex, where the victim, Antwan Lindsey, was, a stand off began. During the exchange, one officer fired his taser at Lindsey, who immediately submitted. That’s when four other officers allegedly mistook the sound of the taser for the sound of a gun and began shooting at Lindsey. In total, he was hit 15 times, and now, his family is suing, according to 10 TV. The cops responsible for his death were never charged with any wrongdoing.
White Man Punches Black Boy
As we previously reported, an 11-year-old Black student was on his way back from a class field trip in Washington when a random white man named Paul Jonathan Bittner approached him, punching him in the face and pushing him to the ground. An adult spotted the attack and began chasing Bittner away, until a police officer eventually arrested him. During his detainment, the man repeated yelled racial slurs directed to the 11-year-old. He pled guilty and was only sentenced to 41 months in prison.
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