Police Violence in America
Chicago cop cleared in the 2012 killing of 15-year-old Dakota Bright
By Benjamin Mateus, 15 October 2018
The decision means that Brandon Ternand will not face any discipline for the murder and will be reinstated to active duty with back pay.
The fifth death in two years
Eighteen-year-old found hanged in northern Wisconsin jail
By Jacob Crosse, 8 October 2018
The tragic and preventable deaths in Wisconsin Rapids reflect an upward trend in suicides throughout the United States’ overcrowded, backlogged and brutal jail and prison system.
Chicago police officer convicted of second-degree murder in 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald
By Jessica Goldstein, 6 October 2018
The trial and guilty verdict followed an attempted cover-up of the murder by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Police Department.
Nashville, Tennessee, police officer charged in shooting death
By Zac Thorton and Warren Duzak, 2 October 2018
Tennessee has a long history of deadly police violence against fleeing suspects.
New York police officers caught running prostitution ring
By Guillaume Garnier, 28 September 2018
Seven NYPD officers were arrested this month for their involvement in the administration of prostitution rings and illegal gambling.
Trial underway in Chicago police murder of Laquan McDonald
By Kristina Betinis and George Gallanis, 27 September 2018
The defense team is relying on allegations that McDonald was a “combative” person to convince the jury he posed a threat and deserved to be killed.
26 September 2018
ICE conducts anti-immigrant raids throughout Wisconsin
By Jacob Crosse, 24 September 2018
The families of the workers seized by federal agents have been given little information as to why they were detained or where they are being held.
Report shows that US police militarization does not reduce crime
By Erik Schreiber, 19 September 2018
The results of the study directly contradict the assertions of law enforcement officials across the country.
Portland officials fail to indict two university police for murder of 45-year-old worker
By Kayla Costa, 17 September 2018
Far from an unavoidable tragedy, the killing of Jason Washington is a direct consequence of the growing militarized police apparatus in cities and schools across the United States.
Hundreds protest fatal shooting of unarmed man in Dallas, Texas
By Trévon Austin, 12 September 2018
Off-duty police officer Amber Guyger fatally shot unarmed 26-year-old Botham Jean inside his own apartment.
Dallas police officer charged with manslaughter 72 hours after shooting neighbor in his own apartment
By Harvey Simpkins, 11 September 2018
Texas Rangers interviewed officer Amber Guyger and told the police department to “hold off” on arresting her supposedly to investigate the matter further.
As National Football League season opens
Nike unveils ad featuring blacklisted quarterback Colin Kaepernick
By Alan Gilman, 10 September 2018
The National Football League season has opened against the backdrop of Colin Kaepernick becoming the face of Nike’s new “Just Do It” campaign and a ruling allowing his collusion lawsuit against the NFL to go forward.
090 Rahm Emanuel not seeking reelection/police killing trial
6 September 2018
New York police union offers $500 bounty to vigilantes for assisting in arrests
By Leslie Murtagh, 5 September 2018
The union for New York City police sergeants has offered a $500 reward to anyone who assists a cop in making an arrest.
Immigrant mother sues for $40 million after child dies following ICE detainment
By Kevin Martinez, 31 August 2018
The death of Mariee Juarez is one more casualty in the Trump administration’s brutal war on immigrants.
“We are watching and we are coming”
ICE raids North Texas factory, arrests 160 immigrant workers
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 30 August 2018
In one of the biggest workplace raids in the past decade, ICE arrested 160 migrant workers at a factory north of Dallas.
Former Texas police officer found guilty of murdering unarmed teen
By Trévon Austin, 30 August 2018
Prior to this year, the last time a Texas police office was convicted of murder was in 1973.
Mayor demands New Yorkers “respect police officers”
By Isaac Finn, 24 August 2018
Following the posting of a handful of videos on social media of New York City residents cursing at police, Mayor de Blasio told New Yorkers that they “have to respect police officers.”
Chicago teen dead after police chase, family disputes official report of suicide
By Matthew Verhoven, 22 August 2018
More than 120 people marched to Mount Sinai Hospital, and to the Chicago Police Department 10th District, to demand the release of the boy’s body and footage of the events.
On anniversary of fascist killing in Charlottesville
Washington police mobilize to protect handful of neo-Nazis
By Patrick Martin, 13 August 2018
Despite a massive media blitz, only a few dozen fascists rallied in front of the White House, dwarfed by thousands of counter-demonstrators.
Baltimore police officer resigns after video of vicious assault sparks outrage
By Harvey Simpkins, 13 August 2018
The video shows footage of the police officer throwing at least 10 punches, in about 12 seconds, at his victim's face, without any provocation.
America’s unending reign of police terror
By Niles Niemuth, 11 August 2018
Four years after the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri by police officer Darren Wilson sparked popular outrage over police violence, the daily onslaught of police killings in the US continues.
Off-duty Cincinnati police officer uses taser on 11-year old child
By Jacob Crosse, 11 August 2018
Eleven year old Donesha Gowdy was suspected of “petty shoplifting”.
Portland police attack anti-fascist counter-protesters at neo-fascist rally
By Alec Andersen, 7 August 2018
Police in full riot gear used flashbang grenades and pepper spray and charged a group of anti-fascist demonstrators, beating them with batons and arresting four.
Former tennis player James Blake criticizes NYC mayor for handling of false arrest in 2015
By Isaac Finn, 7 August 2018
On Wednesday Blake condemned New York City’s Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio for failing to inform him about a disciplinary trial of the cop who tackled him in front of a hotel.
041 Minneapolis police killing video
1 August 2018
Mississippi: No charges for police officers who fatally shot worker in address mix-up
By Nick Barrickman, 30 July 2018
The decision to deny charges comes nearly a year after Ismael Lopez’ death sparked protests and opposition within Southaven, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee.
020 Report on undercountings of US police killings
26 July 2018
Trader Joe’s manager killed by Los Angeles police in shootout
By John Burton, 26 July 2018
Melyda Corado was killed Saturday afternoon by a police officer shooting at a suspect fleeing into the store.
American justice: New York City cop who killed Eric Garner may lose vacation days
By Daniel de Vries, 24 July 2018
Daniel Pantaleo has remained on the job pending an internal investigation into the 2014 strangling death of Garner.
As protests continue, Chicago police release footage of Harith Augustus’ murder
By our reporters, 17 July 2018
The footage was released very quickly, against official protocol, as the city attempts to defuse popular anger over the shooting and police aggression towards protesters.
Protesters clash with Chicago police after police murder of Harith Augustus
By Benjamin Mateus and Kristina Betinis, 16 July 2018
Simmering anger over police violence led to protests after police harassed a local barber and shot him in the back as he tried to flee.
Use of heavy sedative by Minneapolis police under investigation
By Anthony Bertolt, 9 July 2018
Details were leaked last month from a report which details multiple instances where police directed paramedics to inject ketamine into individuals who were already restrained and/or handcuffed.
Hundreds more immigrant children detained than previously reported
By Eric London, 7 July 2018
The parents of 19 children under the age of 5 have already been deported. Many will never see their children again.
Killing of 45-year-old postal worker by Portland State University police draws protests
By Kayla Costa, 3 July 2018
The tragic murder of Jason Washington is a direct result of the militarization of campuses across the country.
Unaccompanied immigrant children sent to New York are “disappeared” by ICE
By Steve Light, 29 June 2018
As refugee children were separated from parents at the southern border while seeking asylum in the United States, some were transferred almost 2,000 miles to New York City.
Murder charges filed against East Pittsburgh police officer in shooting death of teenager
By Samuel Davidson, 28 June 2018
Michael Rosfeld shot and killed a 17-year-old Antwon Rose, Jr. last week as he ran from a car after it was pulled over by police.
Hundreds protest after Minneapolis police fatally shoot 31-year-old man
By Anthony Bertolt, 26 June 2018
Thurman Blevins Jr. was shot down by police in an alleyway in a hail of bullets Saturday evening, sparking almost immediate protests from neighborhood residents.
Protests continue in Pittsburgh over police killing of unarmed teen
By Samuel Davidson, 25 June 2018
Hundreds of people continue to hold daily demonstrations to express their outrage over the murder of unarmed 17-year-old Antwon Rose, Jr. last week.
Hundreds rally in Pittsburgh to demand justice for unarmed teen killed by police
By Samuel Davidson, 22 June 2018
Antwon Rose, a 17-year-old Woodland Hills High School honor student, was shot three times in the back Tuesday as he ran from a traffic stop.
East Pittsburgh police fatally shoot unarmed 17-year-old
By Trévon Austin, 21 June 2018
Antwon Rose, Jr. was shot without any warning as he attempted to flee a traffic stop Tuesday night.
Phoenix police shootings on track to double in 2018
By Trévon Austin, 18 June 2018
Phoenix police have shot 23 people so far in 2018, 11 fatally.
Videos show recent beatings committed by Mesa, Arizona, police officers
By Matthew Verhoven, 11 June 2018
In a press conference Friday, Police Chief Ramon Batista claimed that incidents such as these “would not be tolerated.” But another whitewash is being prepared.
Gestapo-style immigration raids in Ohio: An urgent warning to the working class
By Eric London, 8 June 2018
State repression against immigrant workers is an attack on the democratic rights of the entire working class.
Notes on police violence
Cop who punched woman on New Jersey beach will not face charges
By Trévon Austin, 7 June 2018
In a video viewed over 7,000,000 times, an officer can be seen punching the woman twice.
Video of Chelsea Manning “wellness check” highlights threat posed by police to mentally ill in US
By Matthew Verhoven, 6 June 2018
In a comment given to the Intercept, Manning said of the video, “This is what a police state looks like. Guns drawn during a ‘wellness’ check.”
Florida jury awards $4 to family of man killed by police
By our reporter, 4 June 2018
Gregory Hill was only 30 years old, and leaves behind three young children.
US Border Patrol execution of undocumented Guatemalan woman sparks anger and nationwide protests
By Alec Andersen, 4 June 2018
Claudia Gomez Gonzalez, 19, was summarily executed by a Border Patrol agent in the border town of Rio Bravo near Laredo, Texas, on May 23.
Notes on Police Violence
Jersey Shore beachgoer beaten after refusing to give last name
By Adam Mclean, 31 May 2018
Not a day goes by without someone in the US being killed by law enforcement or subjected to an egregious beating.
US Border Patrol agent executes Guatemalan woman
By Alec Andersen, 28 May 2018
The summary execution of Claudia Gonzalez comes amid a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign of terror against immigrant communities.
Multiple police officers cleared of charges in several recent killings
By Trévon Austin, 28 May 2018
In all of the cases, the killer cops used excessive force and failed to make any effort to de-escalate the situation.
The nightmare inside America’s child immigrant jails
By Eric London, 25 May 2018
An ACLU report details widespread rape, beatings and neglect by prison guards in America’s immigration jails.
Video of tasing, arrest of Milwaukee Bucks basketball star sparks national outrage
By Benjamin Mateus, 24 May 2018
Sterling Brown was tased and arrested after being confronted by a gang up of police officers over a minor parking infraction.
24 May 2018
“He needed help and instead he got five shots”
Friends condemn police killing of Cody Reynolds in Royal Oak, Michigan
By Kathleen Martin, 18 May 2018
The unarmed youth gunned down by a police officer in suburban Detroit is remembered fondly as “the type of person who cared more about other people than himself.”
Unarmed youth shot down in Detroit suburb as US police killings continue
By Tom Hall, 15 May 2018
A recent study found that victims of police shootings lost more than 100,000 years of life from their average life expectancies in 2015 and 2016, rivaling meningitis and other diseases.
North Carolina police officer assaults man at Waffle House
By David Moore, 12 May 2018
The latest incident of brutality caught on video is part of the systematic violence meted out by police to workers across the country
Notes on police violence
Florida, Ohio police officers seen kicking handcuffed men
By Trévon Austin, 5 May 2018
Cellphone videos exposed two particularly cruel instances of police brutality this week in Miami, Florida and outside Akron, Ohio.
Video shows police attacking former NFL player in Atlanta parking lot
By Alec Andersen, 28 April 2018
The police assault on Desmond Marrow is hardly unique in the United States, where police are notorious for their violence and contempt for democratic rights.
US Border Patrol agent who shot teenager dead acquitted of murder
By Genevieve Leigh, 25 April 2018
Lonnie Swartz was found not guilty of second-degree murder for the slaying of an unarmed Mexican teenager through the border fence in 2012.
Black Lives Matter, ACLU stay lawsuits, promote Chicago police “reform”
By Jessica Goldstein and George Marlowe, 25 April 2018
The involvement of BLM in the CPD consent decree is intended to provide further cover for police and the political establishment while giving middle class activists a “piece of the action.”
Federal prosecutors reportedly recommend charges in notorious chokehold death
US Justice Department officials may refuse to take action in 2014 murder of Eric Garner
By Alan Whyte, 24 April 2018
The Garner case was among the first to attract national attention to the ongoing and increasing police violence against unarmed and often innocent workers and youth.
Anger mounts over police killing of unarmed man in Barstow, California
By Alec Andersen, 23 April 2018
Police unleashed a hail of 30 bullets into a car being driven by 26-year-old Diante Yarber, killing him and wounding two passengers.
Unite the working class against police killings!
By David Moore: SEP candidate for US Senate from California, 19 April 2018
The killing of Diante Yarber in Barstow, California is the latest in an unending series of police killings in the state and throughout the country.
Police kill two men in two days in Detroit suburbs
By a reporter, 17 April 2018
The killings last Monday and Tuesday went largely unreported in the media, perhaps because they took place in middle-class suburban areas rather than the inner city.
Police kill two men in two days in Detroit suburbs
By a reporter, 17 April 2018
The killings last Monday and Tuesday went largely unreported in the media, perhaps because they took place in middle-class suburban areas rather than the inner city.
Two police killings in Billings, Montana in two days
By Bryan Dyne, 14 April 2018
More than 360 people have been killed by police in the US so far this year.
Police kill man at Portland homeless shelter for allegedly refusing to drop knife
By Alec Andersen, 10 April 2018
The murder of John Elifritz Saturday night is yet another demonstration of the fact that police violence in the United States is fundamentally an issue of class, not race.
New York police release video and transcripts from shooting of unarmed man in Brooklyn
By Sandy English, 9 April 2018
In the video compilation, almost no one seems threatened and most people, inches from the man, hardly notice him.
New York City police kill unarmed mentally ill man in Brooklyn
By Sandy English, 6 April 2018
Police officers fired 10 bullets into Saheed Vassell, a 32-year old unarmed African-American man with a mental illness
University of Chicago student with mental illness shot by campus police
By George Marlowe, 6 April 2018
Suffering from a severe mental breakdown, Charles Thomas was shot and wounded by campus police Tuesday night. He now faces criminal charges.
Outrage over protection of killer cops expressed at Sacramento City Council meeting
By David Moore and Evan Blake, 5 April 2018
Dozens of speakers denounced the City Council members and District Attorney for their indifference towards the murder of Stephon Clark and the broader social crisis in California’s capital.
US Supreme Court grants police wide immunity when using excessive force
By Trévon Austin, 5 April 2018
The court ruled on Monday that an Arizona police officer who shot a woman from the other side of a fence could not be sued on claims that he used excessive force.
Sheriff’s deputy runs down Sacramento protester and flees scene
By Alec Andersen, 2 April 2018
A woman taking part in demonstrations against the police murder of Stephon Clark Saturday evening had to be transported to the hospital after a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy struck her with his SUV and fled the scene.
Protests continue in Sacramento as autopsy shows police shot Stephon Clark multiple times in the back
By Alec Andersen, 31 March 2018
Hundreds of people have joined the protests against police violence that have occurred nearly every day over the two weeks since Clark’s murder.
Democrats seek to use Stephon Clark’s funeral to divert anger over police killings
By Kayla Costa, 30 March 2018
While hundreds grieved over the loss of 22-year-old Clark, Al Sharpton sought to direct opposition to police violence into the dead end of reformism, identity politics and the electoral efforts of the Democratic Party.
Notes on Police Violence
Unarmed man with pants down fatally shot by deputy in Houston, Texas
By Anthony Bertolt, 30 March 2018
So far this year the police have killed more than 308 people of every race, ethnicity, gender and age.
The murder of Stephon Clark and the fight against police violence
By Niles Niemuth, 29 March 2018
Amid a growing strike wave by workers throughout the country, demonstrations have once again broken out against the reign of police terror that has claimed over 300 lives this year.
045 Houston police killing
29 March 2018
Police will not face charges for the 2016 murder of Alton Sterling
By Shelley Connor, 28 March 2018
Sterling was face down on the pavement, struggling to move with bullets lodged in his chest, when Officer Salamoni shot him three more times.
Black Lives Matter promotes illusions in African-American police chief after Sacramento police murder
By Alec Andersen, 26 March 2018
The response of Black Lives Matter activists to the killing of Stephon Clark further demonstrates the complete bankruptcy of the group’s racialist perspective.
Police murder in Sacramento, California sparks two days of protests
By Evan Blake, 24 March 2018
The brutal murder of Stephon Clark, who was unarmed when police unleashed hail of bullets, has prompted hundreds to once again demonstrate against police violence.
Sacramento police shoot and kill unarmed man in his backyard
By Matthew Taylor, 23 March 2018
Clark’s murder exposes the futility of the various reforms promoted by Black Lives Matter and put in place in the aftermath of mass protests against police murders.
Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Justine Damond charged with murder
By Anthony Bertolt, 23 March 2018
Though Mohamed Noor has been charged for the killing of Damond it is still very unlikely that he will be convicted.
Trial begins for Border Patrol agent who murdered Mexican teenager
By Kevin Martinez, 23 March 2018
Opening arguments were heard in the trial of a Border Patrol agent who shot and killed 16-year-old Mexican Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez for allegedly throwing rocks near the US-Mexico border in 2012.
055 Officer charged in Minneapolis police killing
22 March 2018
Farm worker parents of six children die in car crash while fleeing ICE agents
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 16 March 2018
The tragic deaths of Santo Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Profecto are the outcome of the Trump administration’s immigration policy in action.
Conviction overturned after Texas judge ordered multiple electric shocks on defendant in court
By Trévon Austin, 13 March 2018
The barbaric use of “stun belts” during trials began in the 1990s, justified as a way of delivering a shock in the event a defendant becomes violent or attempts to escape.
Anger mounts over video of police beating unarmed man in North Carolina
By Alec Andersen, 9 March 2018
Although the beating of Johnnie Rush occurred in August, the public was not informed until police body camera footage was leaked to a local newspaper this week.
Four Detroit area police officers await trial for murder, use of excessive force
By Tyler Van Dyke, 3 March 2018
The indictments follow a year that witnessed mounting public outrage in the wake of a series of incidents involving police violence against unarmed and unresisting citizens.
Security firm Palantir secretly providing New Orleans police with predictive policing software
By Tom Hall, 1 March 2018
The deal concluded in 2012 with mayor Mitch Landrieu handing over the city’s population as guinea pigs for products destined for other police departments and spy agencies.
Alabama sheriffs pocket money meant to feed county jail inmates
By Shelley Connor, 20 February 2018
Two poverty advocacy groups have filed a suit against 49 county sheriffs for failing to comply with a public records request concerning their usage of jailhouse food funds.
New York City cop acquitted of the murder of Deborah Danner
By Katy Kinner and Mark Ferretti, 17 February 2018
The acquittal of a NYPD sergeant of the killing is the latest state sanctioning of police murder in the Bronx, New York City’s poorest borough.
Tennessee police deliberately murder fleeing unarmed suspect, as sheriff boasts, “I love this sh*t”
By Dan Conway, 9 February 2018
A lawsuit is being brought against a Tennessee sheriff after footage revealed him encouraging other officers involved in a car chase to kill the man they were pursuing.
ICE agents arrest Kansas chemistry professor who was taking his daughter to school
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 7 February 2018
The scope of the administration’s brutal immigration policies continues to widen as stay orders become increasingly out of reach for blue and white collar workers.
Police step up harassment of Los Angeles homeless
By Adam Mclean, 7 February 2018
The harassment of the homeless is connected to efforts to gentrify downtown Los Angeles, which is near Skid Row, the largest concentration of homeless people in California.
Six Baltimore police officers plead guilty to racketeering
By Harvey Simpkins, 6 February 2018
The criminal activity of the Gun Trace Task Force exposes in microcosm the contempt that the police have for the constitutional rights of the working class throughout the United States.
2018 begins with US police reign of terror
By Niles Niemuth, 29 January 2018
In the years since the murder of Michael Brown in August 2014, popular anger against police violence has been channeled behind the Democratic Party by groups such as Black Lives Matter.
Notes on police violence
Unarmed 25-year-old shot nine times at close range by US Park Police
By Harvey Simpkins, 27 January 2018
While Bijan Ghaisar was gunned downed by police on November 17 of last year, police dashcam video of the incident was only released on Wednesday.
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