Law enforcement officers take reports for crimes that happen in their areas. Officers investigate crimes and gather and protect evidence. Law enforcement officers may arrest offenders, give testimony during the court process, and conduct follow-up investigations if needed.

Law enforcement is one of five components of the American Criminal Justice System.


Control Crime and
Impose Penalties on those
Who Violate Laws
The criminal justice system is a set of agencies, procedures and processes established by government to control crime and impose penalties on those who violate laws.

Many Different Systems
with Different Laws and Processes
There are individual criminal justice systems for cities, counties, state, federal, tribal government and military installations.  Each of these "juridictions" have different laws, agencies, and ways of managing criminal justice processes.

The Two Main Systems
of Criminal Justice

• State: State criminal justice handles crimes committed within their state boundaries
• Federal: The federal criminal justice system handles crimes committed on federal property or in more than one state.

The Five Official Component
of the Criminal Justice System

1. Law Enforcement. Law enforcement officers:
   • take reports for crimes that happen in their areas.
   • investigate crimes and gather and protect evidence.
   • make arrests (or issue citations to appear in court) if they find a suspect and enough evidence.  If a suspect and enough evidence is not found, the case remains open
   • give testimony during the court process
   • conduct follow-up investigations if needed.
2. Prosecution. Prosecutors are lawyers who represent the state or federal government (not the victim) throughout the court process-from the first appearance of the accused in court until the accused is acquitted or sentenced. Prosecutors:
   • review the evidence brought to them by law enforcement to decide whether to file charges or drop the case.
   • present evidence in court
   • question witnesses
   • decide (at any point after charges have been filed) whether to negotiate plea bargains with defendants.
   • have great discretion, or freedom, to make choices about how to prosecute the case.
   • Victims may contact the prosecutor's office to find out which prosecutor is in charge of their case and to seek other information about the case.
3. Defense Attorneys. Defense attorneys:
   • defend the accused against the government's case
   • are hired by the defendant or (for defendants who cannot afford an attorney) they are assigned by the court
4. Courts. Courts are run by judges who:
   • make sure the law is followed
   • oversee what happens in court
   • decide whether to release offenders before trial
   • accept or reject plea agreements
   • sentence convicted offenders
5. Corrections. Correction officers:
   • supervise convicted offenders when they are in jail, prison, or in the community on probation or parole
   • makes sure that the facilities that hold offenders are secure and safe
   • oversee the day-to-day custody of inmates
   • oversee the release process for inmates
   • may notify victims of changes in the offender's status
   • may prepare pre-sentencing reports with extensive background information about the offender to help judges decide sentences

Law enforcement has a specific role in the society of the United States of America, whose ideals are often obscured by the proliferation of the use of firearms.

Just for perspective, there are 5 countries where most police officers do not carry firearms -- and it works well. In the following countries, officers are unarmed when they are on patrol and are only equipped with firearms in special circumstances.

• Britain
• Ireland
• Norway
• Iceland
• New Zealand

In addition, twelve of 16 Pacific island nations do not allow police officers to carry weapons.

Most experts agree, however, that it would be counterproductive to suddenly disarm U.S. police officers without addressing the origins of crime.

"Any attempts to roll back the militarization of the American police would need to be accompanied by policies that increase economic and racial equality and legitimate opportunity for advancement for the poor," sociologist Oddsson said.

Reference
"5 countries where most police officers do not carry firearms - and it works well", by Rick Noack, July 8, 2016, The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/02/18/5-countries-where-police-officers-do-not-carry-firearms-and-it-works-well/

Some states have what are called "Stop and Identify" statutes that require someone suspected of criminal activity to provide identification to police, making refusal a crime.

This video was recorded in Merced, California. California has no such statute, so if you refuse to provide an ID while police are detaining you, they can't arrest you just for refusing. It is typical, however, no matter the location , for strong insistence upon your rights not being violated to lead to violent arrest.

At times, there is work to instill fear into some citizens, target those at a very young age. The goal is transference, to get the individual to react as a criminal that they are thought to be. Generally, if fear and submission is not mastered and displayed, the confrontation will normally escalate into a violent arrest.

Incident
Matrice Richardson’s mummified body was found, six months after she went missing, after an L.A. County Sheriff’s station reported her release on her own recognizance.

On September 16, 2009, after being accused of failing to pay an $89 Malibu, California restaurant bill, 24 year old Matrice Richardson was arrested by the Malibu/Lost Hills L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.  She was found to possess less than 1 ounce of marijuana.

Upon arrest, her phone, purse and money were secured in her car and her car was towed to a tow yard on the Pacific Coast Highway. Matrice was then detained and booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff station approximately ten miles up Malibu Canyon.

Mother Pleads with Sheriff's to Detained Her Daughter
Matrice’s mother was notified of her arrest, and out of concern for her daughter’s mental health, requested that her daughter be detained overnight.  She was offered a promise by the sheriff station, that they would indeed detain her.

Sheriffs Release Matrice at
12:30 AM After Booking
However, Matrice was officially released at 12:28 AM, into the early morning darkness, without phone, money, or any personal belongings, to walk the over ten miles down the unfamiliar Malibu Canyon roads.  The sheriff’s reported that she exhibited no signs of mental illness or intoxication, and was released under her own recognizance.

Matrice was never seen again.

Investigation

Former News Anchor Spots Matrice
Several hours after being released, a former local news anchor said that he saw Matrice in his backyard, resting.

Neighbors of Former Newscaster
Neighbors stated that they heard a woman's voice in the tennis courts of the newscaster’s home.  And other stated that they heard and saw Richardson either leaving or attempting to enter that home and that she was with a man who frequented the home, for a few days after her disappearance.

Malibu Hills Neighborhood Community
Multiple neighbors stated that they heard loud screams in a vacant home around the time that Richardson went missing.  They stated that the police were called.

Matrice’s Father Reports Spotting Daughter
Matrice's father, Michael Richardson, publicly claimed to have seen his daughter working as a prostitute in Las Vegas, Nevada, four months after her Malibu arrest.  

Sheriff Department Conducts Wide Search
Around the time of Michael Richardson’s claim, the L.A. Country Sheriff’s Department conducted one of the largest-scale searches in the history of the department.

Although Richardson's remains were not discovered, searchers found racially and sexually offensive graffiti on the walls of a culvert in the canyon. The graffiti was freshly painted and paint cans, brushes and other potential evidence was left at the scene.

Matrice Found Dead
Investigation Ruined
Six months after having been arrested, park rangers on patrol, in search of illegal marijuana plants, came across Matrice’s mummified remains in a creek bed, near a very secluded 21-acre ranch known for producing pornography.

However, the investigation into the cause and circumstances of her death was thwarted, by members of the very sheriff’s station from which she went missing, when the officers disturbed the scene and removed her remains, violating protocol. 

The coroner’s office openly condemned the sheriff's actions as evidence tampering.  The sheriffs however, explained that they were protecting the remains from possible destruction by wild animals.

Sheriff Department Official
Announce No Sign of Foul Pay
Sheriff's officials say there is no sign of foul play. Nor do they believe she fell to her death. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner's office estimated that her remains had been there at least six months, or possibly the entire time she had been missing.

Community


Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas got the county to offer a reward for information and questioned whether Richardson should have been arrested at all.

Matrice’s mother, family and friends joined in search efforts and memorialized the spot where her remains were found.

Incident
In May of 2016, 16-year-old Kalief Browder was walking home when he was arrested and charged with second degree robbery, and was unable to make the $3,000 bail. Kalief maintained his innocence and refused to take a plea bargain that would have released him.

 (Un)Due Process
Punishment for Failure
To Accept Plea Bargain
Kalief’s failure to accept a plea bargain and a criminal record, in exchange for his innocence, led to him languishing in New York City’s mail jail complex, Rikers Island for three years. 

While incarcerated, he suffered horrifying violence, at the hands of both guards and inmates.  And, for two of the three years Kalief that he was held, he was placed in solitary confinement (“administrative segregation”), all alone in a small cell for all but one hour of the day.  The conditions that he suffered while incarcerated, caused Kalief to make at least five attempts to commit suicide.

Life for Kalief
Two years after his release, in June 2015, Kalief committed suicide in his mother’s home by hanging himself. Shortly before his death, Kalief told his mother, “Ma, I can’t take it anymore”.


His mother, Venida Browder, a civil rights activist, said after his death “Before he went in there, he was just a normal kid… He tried to lead a normal life but after being beaten, starved, being in solitary confinement for so long, that would take a toll on a grown man, let alone a child… It did a lot of damage to him.”

Venida Browder died from complications from a heart attack, at the age of 63, in October 2016.

Policy Changes

• In October 2014, Kalief was profiled in The New Yorker for being held for three years without a trial.  This exposure became the impetus for proposed reforms in the New York City criminal justice system. Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed to end the use of solitary confinement for 16- and 17-year-old inmates in the city’s jail system. De Blasio announced a program to clear backlogs in the city’s courts in hopes of preventing lengthy pretrial detentions.
• In January 2015, President Barack Obama wrote an article in The Washington Post criticizing the “overuse” of solitary confinement in American jails, basing his arguments largely on Kalief Browder’s experience.
• In 2015, after Kalief’s death, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy invoked Kalief’s experience in his opinion regarding an unrelated case.

Incident
Shot in the back of the head by off-duty police detective.

On the evening of March 21, 2012, at about 10 minutes to midnight, Chicago police detective Dante Servin, called 911 to report a loud party in Douglas Park, a park and community center on the West side of Chicago.

At some point following his call, he approached a group of four people walking down an alley, and without identifying himself as law enforcement, began verbally attacking the group for talking too loudly.

It is not certain if any words were exchanged with the officer, but it is certain that the group turned and walked away from him, leavingServin to return to his vehicle. And, while in his vehicle, Servin fired multiple shots from a 9mm semiautomatic firearm, over his shoulder, into the group.

One bullet hit Rakia Boyd’s friend, Antonio Cross, in the hand; another hit Rakia in the back of the head and killed her.

Investigation

• Servin claimed that he mistook a cell phone for a handgun and fired.
• Witnesses said that Servin appeared drunk at the time.
• Eight months after the shooting, Servin was charged with “involuntary” manslaughter.

Officer Status

• In April 2015, Servin was cleared of all charges by Judge Dennis J. Porter in a rare directed verdict.  A directed verdict occurs in a jury trial, where the presiding judge “orders” the jury to return a particular verdict, rather than have them decide the case.
• Servin resigned in May 2016, two days before the departmental hearing which was to decide whether he should be fired.

Community Response

• A public protest was held locally after the ruling.
• The Black Lives Matter movement protested the deaths of African girls and women at the hands of police, including Boyd’s
• Rekia Boyd’s family was paid $4.5 million by the city

Incident
Just after midnight, on February 16, 2014, a woman called 911 and told the dispatcher that two men were fighting inside of a house. 

The homeowner, one of the men previously involved in the altercation, was outside in front of the house when the officers arrived. 

At the trial of Deputy Willis, Amy Vela, identified as the woman who had called 911, offered the following details in her testimony:

She dated Chris Thomas, and Yvette Smith dated his father, Willie Thomas. The four of them had returned to the home after a few drinks at a bar.

After some time, Willie Thomas asked his son for the keys to his motorcycle to prevent him from reinjuring himself. The father and son, Willie and Chris Thomas, began to argue. And at the request of the father, Vela initiated a call to 911.

While on the phone with dispatchers, Vela said she saw Yvette Smith and Chris Thomas come inside and later heard Yvette Smith say, “Give me the gun.” She said that she didn't see anything but only heard Yvette telling Chris Thomas to give her the shotgun.

Vela further stated that because she did not want Chris Thomas to see her on the phone with 911, that she was hidden while talking to dispatchers. After a few moments of silence, while she was still on the phone, she said that she looked looked out to see Chris Thomas sitting on the couch, the shotgun laying on the table, and Yvette Smith walking towards the front door.

Meanwhile, unknown by those inside of the home, Willie Thomas was out in front talking to Deputy Daniel Willis.

Vela testified that as Yvette Smith walked towards the door that she did not have anything in her hands. 

As Yvette Smith stood near the front doorway, inside of the home, Deputy Daniel Willis commanded her come out of the home.  And, when the 5’5”, 135 pound, 47 year old woman stepped out, the deputy fired his weapon twice, shooting her in the head and abdomen.

In a statement following the shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said that Smith was armed when she came out of the home, but later retracted that statement. Later, the Sheriff's Office reported that she had disregarded all commands given her, but witnesses disputed that claim.

Investigation

• Texas Rangers handle the investigation into the shooting 
• Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office: several supervisors had modified Willis’ field training records after the shooting in an effort to make sure the records were completed accurately. A lieutenant and a sergeant were demoted to patrol deputy and five additional supervisors also faced disciplinary action because of the record changes.

Officer Status

• paid administrative leave immediately after shooting
• grand jury indicted Willis for murder
• fired from the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office after grand jury indictment
• cleared of murder by visiting district judge Albert McCaig during a retrial

Community
Family of Yvette Smith filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bastrop County and Sheriff Terry Pickering, seeking $5 million in damages.

Incident
On April 30, 2014, in a downtown Milwaukee park, officer Christopher Manney shot Dontre Hamilton 14 times, killing him.

Before the encounter, a pair of officers responding to a call from employees at a nearby Starbucks alleging that Hamilton was disturbing the peace, found him asleep in a nearby park and determined that he wasn’t doing anything wrong or illegal. When Officer Manney arrived, he was not aware that other officers had preceded him.

As Officer Manney began an attempt to pat down Hamilton, Hamilton fought him, and a confrontation ensued, which led to the shooting.


Investigation
No charges or criminal prosecution of the police officer

• Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation: a statewide agency whose lead agents are former Milwaukee police officers
• Milwaukee County D.A. Office:  In December 2014, found the use of force to be in self-defense, declining to prosecute.
• Federal Investigation: In November 2015, determined that there was insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges

Officer's Status

• Applied for "duty disability", for post-traumatic stress disorder, still pending
• Fired from job by Milwaukee police chief
• In March 2015 firing was upheld unanimously by a three-member panel of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, which determined that:
  • He conducted a frisking with a reasonable suspicion
  • He did not follow departmental "Defense and Arrest Tactics"

Community Response

• Black Live Matter movement protested Dontre Hamilton's death
• Dontre's mother, Maria Hamilton, founded "Mothers United Voices" (https://mothersunitedvoices.org/), a support and advocacy group
• Maria Hamilton also organized the "Millon Moms March" that took place in Washington, D.C. on Mother's Day Weekend - May 9-10, 2015
• Maria Hamilton shared her voice by speaking at the 2016 Democratic Nation Convention

Policy Changes

• Hamilton's family members worked with Milwaukee Mayor, the Police Department and other city leaders to have all officers receive "Crisis Intervention Team" training, now considered to be the "gold standard" for working with people in psychiatric crisis, by 2017
• In December 2014, a majority of Milwaukee councilmen called for all city police officers to be equipped with body cameras, on expedited basis
• In October 2015, the Fire and Police Commission approved a new policy requiring "most Milwaukee police officers to wear body cameras at all times while on duty, though they will not be required to have the devices always activated.

About Dontre Hamilton
Dontre Hamilton was a diagnosed schizophrenic and had a prior history of arrests in Milwaukee, directly connected to mental health issues.  His family stated that although he had been treated for schizophrenia but was not violent.

In 2013, he made a suicide attempt by stabbing both sides of his neck and was hospitalized.

Incident
On Mother's Day, May 11, 2014, Tommy Yancy, Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, and father of two,  described as "shy" and an "excellent dad", was pulled over for not having a front license plate.

The details as to what transpired after that are not totally clear, but injuries suffered resulted in his death later that day.  However, a cellphone video captured much of the brutality of the CHP and Tommy Yancy's death while handcuffed.

Witnesses and a video report the following details:
Tommy Yancy was pulled from his car and attacked by a police K-9 unit, hit by a taser, and attacked and beaten by five California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers.

A witness, who filed the incident, can be heard screaming on the recording, "How long before you guys call an ambulance? Call an ambulance!"



Officers claim Yancy swung at an officer and attacked the K-9, however, near the end of the video, posted on YouTube, a witness states, "All of this for one guy who wasn't even resisting arrest".

Incident
George V. King, who went by his middle name, Vonn, arrived at Good Samaritan Hospital on May 6th after suffering at least four seizures at home, due to an allergic reaction to medication taken after a dental procedure.

Suffering from Seizures and Meningitis, George Kings becomes Aggressive and Combative
After suffering another seizure at the hospital, he was moved to intensive care. For some reason, King objected to the move and asked to be released. It is reported that he became "aggressive, combative and disoriented. His behavior has been attributed to the medication he had been given, combined with the fact that doctors had determined that he was suffering from meningitis, which also affects behavior.

George King Removes IV
King removed an IV from his arm, and when a nurse tried to reinsert it, he tried to hit her.

Five Security Officers Attempt to Control George King
Five security officers tried to restrain King, prosecutors said, but he fought them off.

Police Called, George King Tased Twice
Nurses called police nearly an hour after the struggle began, and two officers arrived, James Wynne and Thomas Hodas , arrived and attempted to calm him. The officers warned him to stop resisting, or be shot with a taser, and King said, “Tase me.” Officer Hodas then tased him in the chest, but King continued to move, so Hodas tased him again.

With the second tase, nurses, hospital security and police were able to hold King down long enough to put him on a bed, prosecutors said, but could not put restraints on him.

George King Tased Three More Times, Punched and Choked by Police Officers
Hodas used his Taser a third time, this time in "drive-stun" mode, in which the device was placed against King's skin to shock him, prosecutors said. Seeing no result, they said, Hodas tased King three more times over the course of 10 minutes.

During the course of the tasing by Officer Hodas, when King attempted to bite a nurse trying to attend to him, Officer Wynne struck him several times and choked him, in an attempt to subdue him.

George King Goes into Cardiac Arrest and Falls into Comma
King soon went into cardiac arrest, but was resuscitated. However, he remained unconscious and suffered two more seizures.

George King Declared Brain Dead, Life Support is Disconnected
King remained on life support until May 14, when he was declared brain dead. A ventilator was disconnected.


Investigation

• Internal Police Depart Investigation. Determined that Hodas and Wynne followed internal procedures. Current policies don't limit the number of times a person may be Tased, but officers have been directed not to use the devices excessively or without justification. 
• Baltimore State’s Attorney’s office concluded that King’s death was due to “natural causes”.

Officer Status
No charges were filed against the officer who shocked the 19-year-old teenager or the other officer who punched and choked him during a lengthy struggle at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Policy Change

• None.
• After King's death, police supervisors were directed to evaluate whether to send officers to emergency calls at hospitals. He said it was not clear what Good Samaritan wanted officers to do when they arrived. Hospitals protested, saying such a policy could endanger staff or patients faced with real threats, and Batts reversed course. Now, supervisors are required only to "monitor" emergency calls from hospitals.
• The city's spending panel approved $1.1 million to buy more Tasers and equipment.

Twenty-three year old Dominique Franklin Jr. died two weeks after suffering injury and slipping into a coma, after being tased by Chicago police.

Incident
DETAILS COMING SOON

Incident
NYPD officers approached Eric Garner on suspicion of selling "loosies" (single cigarettes) from packs without tax stamps.  

After Garner told the police that he was tired of being harassed and that he was not selling cigarettes, the officers determined to arrest him.  When officer Daniel Pantaleo tried to take Garner's wrist behind his back, Garner pulled his arms away. Pantaleo then put his arm around Garner's neck and took him down onto the ground.

Four other officers joined in to restrain Eric Garner, who repeated "I can't breathe" eleven times while lying facedown on the sidewalk.  

After Garner lost consciousness, officers turned him onto his side, where he lay for seven minutes while the officers waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Neither the officers or arriving EMTs performed CPR on Garner.

The medical examiner concluded that Garner was killed by "compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest", and ruled his death a homicide.

Choked-Hold Banned in 1993
City officials restricted the use of the dangerous chocke-hold maneuver in 1985, allowing it only when an officer's life was in danger.  It, however, was banned outright in 1993.

Investigation

• Pantaleo testified that he didn't use a chokehold, but used a takedown maneuver he was taught by the police department
• Richmond County Grand Jury: On December 3, 2014, decided not to indict Pantaleo
• United States Department of Justice: On December 3, 2014, announces it will conduct an independent investigation.

Officer's Status
Back to work, business as usual

Community Response

• Protests: By December 28, 2014, at least 50 demonstrations had been held nationwide specifically for Eric Garner
• Financial Settlement: On July 13, 2015, an out-of-court settlement was announced in which the City of New York would pay the Garner family $5.9 million.

Policy Changes
None.

Incident
On August 3, 2014, Emerson Clayton Jr. got into an argument with an employee at the Huddle House restaurant in Alexander City, Alabama.  


When officer responding to a call from the restaurant arrived, Clayton proceeded to get into his car and was followed by the officer, who shot at him several times, killing him instantly.

Investigation
A grand jury investigation was held.

Officer Status
The officer was cleared of any wrongdoing by the grand jury.

Incident
While in a Walmart store in Beavercreek, Ohio, near Dayton, John Crawford picked up an un-packaged BB/pellet air rifle inside the store's sporting goods section and continued shopping in the store.

Another customer, Ronald Ritchie, called 911, claiming that Crawford was pointing the gun at people and children walking by, and "messing" with the gun and "waving it arround".

Two officers of the Beavercreek Police arrived at the Walmart shortly after their dispatcher informed them of a "subject with a gun" in the pet supplies area of the store and Crawford was shot and killed.

A second person, Angela Williams, dies after suffering a heart attack while fleeing from the shooting. Her death was ruled a homicide.


Comments and Video

• Store video captured the shooting, showing Crawford talking on a cell phone while swinging the BB/Pellet air rifle when he was killed
• Crawford's mother stated that the video shows the officers fired immediately without giving an verbal commands and without giving him any time to drop the toy, even if he had heard them
• At a press conference, Special Prosecutor Mark Piepmeir presented the fact that the police officer shot Crawford on sight, as was consistent with their recent training.

Investigation

• Immediately after the shooting, police aggressively questioned Crawford's girlfriend, Tasha Thomas, threatening her with jail time. The investigators suggested that she was drunk or on drugs when she stated that Crawford did not enter the store with a gun.  Tasha died in a car crash months later.
• Grand Jury: decided not to indict any of the officers involved on charges of either murder, reckless homicide, or negligent homicide.
• Justice Department: launched its own investigation

Officer's Status
The officer who shot and killed Crawford was removed from normal duties until the DoJ investigation was complete.

Community Response

• Lawsuit: Crawford's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Walmart and the Beavercreek police department.
• Petition: Crawford's family created a petition on Change.org to call for prosecution of the officer involved in the shooting.
• The Black Lives Matter movement has protested Crawford's death.

Policy Changes

• Ohio State Representative Alicia Reece proposed a "John Crawford's Law", which would change the way toy guns look to prevent similar tragedies

Incident
11:50 AM - On August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, Michael Brown was recorded on a convenience store camera stealing a box containing several Swisher cigars and forcefully shoving the clerk who tried to stop him.

11:53 AM - A police dispatcher reports a "stealing in progress" and describes the suspect as a black male wearing a white T-shirt running toward QuikTrip.  The suspect was reported as having stolen a box of Swisher cigars.

11:54 AM - Michael Brown, and a friend, Dorian Johnson, left the market.

11:57 AM - A police dispatcher described the suspect as wearing a red St. Louis Cardinals hat, a white T-shirt, yellow socks, and khaki shorts, and that he was accompanied by another male.

12:02 PM - Office Darren Wilson encountered Brown and Johnson on Canfield Drive called for backup, requesting another unit."

From this point forward, the actual circumstances of the shooting under dispute, based upon the different accounts.

Officer Wilson reports that Brown and Johnson were walking in the middle of the street and that he ordered them to move off the street. He said that he continued driving past the two men, but then backed up and stopped close to them.

He said that Michael Brown reached through the window of the police SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe. He said that he began to struggle with Brown, while still inside the vehicle, and that he fired twice, with one bullet hitting Brown's right hand.

Brown and Johnson rand, and while Johnson hid behind a car, he got out of his police vehical to chase Brown.

12:04 PM - Officer Wilson fired his gun again, while facing Brown, and hit him with at least 6 shots, killing him.

Incident
On August 11, 2014, Ezell Ford died from gunshot wounds after being shot by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers.  Mr. Ford was known throughout the neighborhood for having “the mind of a child”.

Killed within 13-Seconds
Thirteen seconds elapsed from the time Wampler and Villegas left their vehicle to the first shot. The officers and eyewitness account differ in telling of the events surrounding the shooting and death of Ezell Ford.

Witness Accounts.  Two witnesses say that Ezell Ford raised his hands as the officers left their vehicle. As the officers approached him, they commanded him to get down several times.  Witnesses attempted to inform the officers that he had mental problems.  However, one of the officers tackled Ford to bring him down to the ground instead. While on the ground, pinned down by the officer, Ford began struggling against the officer, resulting in him being shot multiple times in the officers.

Police Accounts.  Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas saw Ford walking on the sidewalk and left their vehicle, to confront him as part of an “investigative stop”.  Villegas drew his gun because he believed Ford may have been armed because he was in a “gang area”.  Villegas said that he put his gun away, while officer Wampler approached Ford.

Wampler and Beck reported that Ford concealed his hands as they attempted to stop him, so they followed him to a driveway where he crouched between a car and some bushes. Wampler and Villegas said they believed Ford was trying to dispose of drugs and that they felt this was sufficient for an arrest.  No drugs were found, however.

Wampler said that he approached Ford from behind, pulled back his shoulder, with the intent of handcuffing him, but that ford tackled one of the offers and tried to remove the officer’s gun from its holster.  They reported that Ford grabbed the Officer Wampler around the waist, threw him to the ground, and was laying on top of Wampler when officer Villegas, fearing for his life and that of his partner, shot Ford twice.  Wampler said Ford continued to resist forcing him to shoot Ford in the back.

After the shooting, Wampler handcuffed Ford.

Investigation

• Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners.  In June 2015 concluded:
  • Villegas did not have a good reason to initially draw his gun
  • Villegas was justified in the shooting
  • Wampler did not have grounds to reasonably suspect Ford had been in possession of drugs
  • Wampler violated Ford’s civil rights by detaining him
  • Rejected Chief Beck’s conclusion that Wampler had adhered to LAPD policy
• Autopsy. Ezell Ford was shot three times, in the back, side and right arm.  The gunshot wound in his back suggested that the shot was fired at very close range. He had multiple abrasions on his hand and arm.
• Chief Charles Beck. Concluded that Wampler and Villegas had been justified in their actions.

Officer

• Both initially placed on paid administrative leave
• After three months on administrative leave, both officers were assigned to administrative duties (office work)
• Chief Beck ingnored Police Commissioner's findings and exonerated his officers, who returned to duty

Community

• August 13. Memorial were established decrying police brutality
• August 14. Rally and march attended by 100 protestors. Protestors marched from Leimert Plaza Park to the LAPD’s 77th division, shouting with their hands raised, “Hands up, don’t shoot”, and chanting Ford’s name.
• August 14. Simultaneous demonstrations took place in 90 other U.S. cities as part of a National Moment of Silence for Michael Brown.
• August 15. A video entitle “F—the Police” was posted online.
• August 17. Several hundred protestors chanting “Hands up, Don’t shoot” marched to LAPD headquarters where several speeches were delivered.
• August 19. Chief Beck spoke to about 300 community members at Paradise Baptist Church in South Los Angeles.
• August 21. About 100 citizens continued in protest.
• December 29. Protestors briefly block traffic on the 110 Freeway following the release of Ford’s autopsy.
• December – January. Protestor camp outside of LAPD headquarters, forced to leave January 5th.
• Protest camp established outside of Mayor Garcetti’s home.
• September. Ford’s family files $75 million wrongful death lawsuit against LAPD

Policy Changes

• Chief Beck released a video message in which he told LAPD officers, “You have my support. You have the support of the mayor. You have the support of the vast majority of people of Los Angeles.”
• Mayor Eric Garcetti commented on the Police Commission’s report, “I think it’s so important for law enforcement officers to know that they are supported”
• The president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League criticized the Police Commission’s ruling
• In addressing the Police Commission, president of the LAPPL labeled Ezell Ford as “a known gang member”.
• In July 2015 officials told KPPC and the LAPD would “re-train all it officers” in de-escalating confrontations with suspects and approaching people with mental illness

_

Incident
In connection with a shooting in July 2014, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to arrest Corey Tanner, on a warrant charging him with attempted 1st degree murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery. In the process of this arrest he was shot and killed by the officers, who claimed that he charged at them.

Incident
On August 22, 2014, police were summoned for a reported domestic assault.

Rondre Hornbeak was arrested and transported to jail.  However, upon arrival at the jail, he was reported to be unresponsive.

Incident
Ricky D. Hinkle was killed five days after being incarcerated for a parole violation for assault.  

According to the Sheriff's Office, Hinkle began threatening other inmates and disrupting the lunch meal service, and was separted from the other inmates.

After being separated, the deputies claim that he began threatening to harm himself, so they placed him in a cell that allowed for 24-hour monitoring.

When escorted to the cell, deputies say that he became combative and a taser was used to bring him under control.  However, they say that he fell to the ground and became unresponsive.

Incident
A woman called 911 to report that Gregoire had kicked in her back door, at an addressed listed on his driver's license, and attacked her with a pole. He reportedly left and returned again and began ransacking his home.

Sheriff Deputy Bradley Hasley arrived on scene and saw Gregoire exiting the home and deployed his Taser, hitting Gregoire who fell to the ground.

It is reported that Gregoire soon ripped off the electrical probes from the taser, got up from the ground and began charging at the deputy, who shot him a second time with the taser, sending him back to the ground.

Gregoire was handcuffed and left on the ground.  Emergency medical crews arrived to treat the woman with minor injuries, when Hasley noticed that Gregoire appeared "unresponsive".

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Investigation
The Texas Rangers were called in to investigate the death.

Office Status

Incident
According to Baltimore police, 38-year-old Tyree Woodson was able to sneak a gun past them at the time of his arrest, get the gun into a holding cell and later shoot himself while handcuffed in the bathroom.

Woodson was allegedly wanted on attempted murder charges.

_

_

_

_

_

Incident
An officer returning home from shift very late at night spotted Steven Isby, a homeless man, near a construction area.

The officer approached Isby, and identified himself as a police officer. At that point, the officer saw something "threatening" in Isby's hand, causing him to fire several shots at Isby. The item in Isby's hand turned out to be a screwdriver.

Incident
Antoine Hunter refused to pull over after possibly driving intoxicated, leading deputies on a slow-speed pursuit instead, until Antoine crashed into another vehicle.  

Antoine was shot multiple times by two deputies and died at the scene, while his passenger was wounded and taken to the hospital in fair condition.

Investigation
Sheriff's Department Statements

• The driver tried to hit deputies with his car
• The driver reached for a loaded handgun
• One of the deputies opened fire when he mistakenly thought that a round fired by his partner had come from Antoine's gun  -- however, the loaded gun found in the car was never fired.

Officer Status
The deputies, 9- and 14-year veterans, were granted paid time off for psychological evaluations.

Criminal charges were never considered, only administrative (workplace) discipline.

Community
The media, as standard protocol, investigated the dead victim's background, and was able to report a criminal past.

Antoine's mother, Martha Willis, said, "He didn't carry a gun and he didn't deserve to die like this".

Incident
Charles Goodridge, an unemployed and homeless computer programmer, returned to the apartment complex where he had lived for nine years, before being evicted.

Off-duty deputy constable Francisco Ruiz was working security for the apartment complex and encountered Goodridge, unarmed and walking on the property.

Ruiz says he attempted to arrest Goodridge for allegedly trespassing. Witness David Hall says that Goodridge pushed Ruiz away.

The deputy says he chased him and there was a scuffle. He then shot Goodridge twice in the stomach.

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Florence White
51 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Leon Haywood
19 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

John T. Wilson
22 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Cedric Stanley
35 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Donovan King
16 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Kameron Jackson
16 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Emanuel Jean-Baptiste
28 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Tyrone Davis
43 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Lashano Gilbert
31 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Ronald Singleton
45 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Ernest Satterwhite
68 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

David Yearby
27 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jacorey Calhoun
23 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Latandra Ellington
36 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Cortez Washington
32 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Arvel Douglas Williams
30 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Balantine Mbegbu
65 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Willie Harden
25 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Christopher Jones
30 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Dustin Keith Glover
27 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Matthew Walker
55 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jeffrey Ragland
50 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Levon Leroy Love
44 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Andre Milton
36 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jerome Dexter Christmas
44 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Leo Blackman, Jr
46 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Mark Anthony Blocker
20 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Michael Ricardo Minor
38 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Dennis Grigsby
35 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

DeAndre Lloyd Starks
27 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jeremy Lake
19 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Samuel Shields
49 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Iretha Lilly
37 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Adam Ardett Madison
28 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Amir Brooks
17 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Briatay McDuffie
19 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Montez Dewayne Hambric
26 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Anthony Bartley
21 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jerry Brown
41 Years Old

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Matthew Ajibade

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Leslie Sapp

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Brian Pickett

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Adre Larone Murphy Sr.

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Tiano Meton

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Alvin Haynes

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jeremy Lett

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Natasha McKenna

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Terry Price

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Calvon Reid

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Darrell Gatewood

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Thomas Allen

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Deontre Dorsey

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Bernard Moore

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Naeschylus Vinzant

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Charly Leundeu "Africa" Keunang

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Anthony Hill

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Terrance Moxley

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Askari Roberts

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Brandon Jones

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Denzel Brown

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Nicholas Thomas

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jason Moland

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Dominick Wise

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Donald "Dontay" Ivy

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Eric Harris

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Frank Shephard III

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Darrell Brown

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Brian Acton

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Normal Cooper

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Samuel Harrell

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

William Chapman

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Terry Lee Chatman

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Lashonda Ruth Belk

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Gregory Daquan Harris

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

David Felix

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Terrance Kellom

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Bryan Overstreet

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Reginald Moore

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Brandon Glenn

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Nuwnah Laroche

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jason Champion

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

De'Angelo Stallworth

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Dajuan Graham

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Lorenzo Hayes

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Markus Clark

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Richard Gregory Davis

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Ross Anthony

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Alan Craig Williams

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Kris Jackson

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jermaine Benjamin

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Kevin Bajoie

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Spencer McCain

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Kevin Judson

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Victo Larosa III

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Jonathan Sanders

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

George Mann

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Salvado Ellswood

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Sandra Bland

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Darrius Stewart

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Albert Davis

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Samuel Dubose

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Billy Ray Davis

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Michael Sabbie

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Brian Day

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Troy Robinson

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Christian Taylor

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Asshams Manley

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Wendell Hall

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Felix Kumi

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

James Carne III

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Tyree Crawford

DETAILS COMING SOON

Incident
As India Kager, Navy veteran and mother of two, and friend Angelo Perry sat in their car, with her 4-month-old son, Roman, in a car seat in the back, SWAT team officers fired 30 rounds into the vehicle, both India and Perry, but sparing her infant son, who was not hurt.





The entire encounter --- from the time officers approached the couple’s car to the end of the shooting – lasted less than 15 seconds.

Investigation
Press Conference: Virginia Beach Police Chief Jim Cervera

• Swat officers fired into the vehicle after Angelo Perry fired at them, and who fired a total of four rounds

• The officers involved were in a special operations unit (SWAT) and had Angelo Perry under surveillance (for 30 minutes), as a person of interest in a homicide. And through police intelligence, police were certain that Perry was planning to commit a violent crime.  In addition, they were also certain that he was heavily armed.

• A group of officers following Perry in unmarked vehicles observed him in a car with India Krager, who was driving the car erratically.  And, when India parked at a 7-Eleven, the officers also parked and approached the car, because they believe that Perry was “about to commit a violent crime”.  The officers were all wearing ballistic vests marked “police”, and say that Perry shot at them first, almost immediately, using a 9mm pistol.  Cervera said that Perry also had a semiautomatic weapon in a bag at his feet.
• Officers, admitted that they knew Kager was in the car, but did not know there was baby was in the back seat, until after the shooting and paramedics attempted to save India and Angelo Perry.

Officer Status

• Four officers placed on administrative leave while investigation took place.
• No charges

Community

With the hashtags “#NavyVeteran” and “#BlackLivesMatter”, India Kager’s mother posted photographs of her daughter in military uniform, writing, “SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO DIE”, “WE… NEED… ANSWERS… NOW!!!”, Our hearts are BORKEN!! “, My daughter was “my radiant flower”., “She posed NO THREAT to the officers that killed her. THIS HURTS BEYOND WORDS.”


Her mother also said that her daughter’s death at the hands of law enforcement is especially tragic because her family counts among itself two retired D.C. police officers: Kager’s father and grandfather.

“It was very clear to me that India was not part of the police investigation based on the responses I got from police. She had nothing to do with it. She was totally innocent,” Best told the Washington Post. “Did they find any weapons on India? Did she pose a threat? Why did [police] shoot into a car with a baby and woman who had nothing to do with their investigation?”

Best continued: “My greatest fear is it will be doctored … to make India seem like she’s part of dark behavior. India was not of that element.

She said her daughter, a former Navy service member, worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, who was a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the District, and played multiple instruments.

“India was very loving and introspective and calm in her demeanor,” Best said. “She was very poised. She was definitely not something that would you would characterize as ‘unsavory.’ ”


“We’re talking about a very beautiful soul that should still be here. She was unarmed, she was completely innocent. They shot indiscriminately.”

“I won’t stop fighting for my baby,” Best said in the video. “I won’t stop fighting for India. I won’t stop fighting for Roman. I won’t stop fighting for Evan. And I won’t stop fighting for Mr. Perry because he did not have due process of law.”

Example of typical, and unfortunate, response of racists following any incident of injustice between Africans (blacks, African Americans) and law enforcement.

Unarmed

Wayne Wheeler

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Keith McLeod

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Junior Prosper

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Christopher Kimble

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Rayshaun Cole

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Paterson Brown

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Lamontez Jones

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Anthony Ashford

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Yvens Seide

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Alonzo Smith

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Michael Lee Marshall

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Stephen Tooson

DETAILS COMING SOON

Incident
Sometime around midnight, on November 15, 2015, Jamar Clark and his girlfriend were in attendance at a birthday party for Nekelia Sharp, held at her home. Nekelia and her husband began arguing, and Jamar’s girlfriend stepped in to grab Nekelia.  Nekelia and Jamar’s girlfriend then began fighting, and when Jamar stepped in to pull his girlfriend away, she hit him instead. Jamar and his girlfriend left the apartment immediately after.

After a short time frame, paramedics were called, and upon their arrival, they were greeted by Nekelia Sharp.  Within minutes of having entered her apartment, the paramedics escorted Jamar’s girlfriend to the waiting ambulance, with Jamar following closely behind as they placed her inside.

About ten minutes after his girlfriend was placed in the ambulance, Jamar Clark was dead, shot in the face by a police officer.


Investigation

• Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducted an investigation

• U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services office announced that they would be conducting a review of the way the city handled the November protests.

• Hennepin County Attorney announced that his office would cease the use of grand juries in shootings involving police officers. 

Witness #01 

• An onlooker reported that both the paramedics and police who had arrived at the scene asked Clark to step away from the ambulance 
• Police then stepped from their car, arrested Clark on the ground
• The EMS supervisor placed a knee on Clark's chest, after which point he was shot

County Attorney Statement

• Jamar Clark got into a confrontation with paramedics
• Police officers responded and a struggle ensued, with Jamar resisting arrest
• Jamar Clark, who was not handcuffed, obtained the officer’s gun
• A second officer shot Jamar Clark

Police Chief’s Statement (the following day)

• Jamar Clark was not restrained with handcuffs when shot

President of Minneapolis Police Union

• Jamar Clark was actively resisting arrest and tried to take the weapon of one of the officers, and he was not handcuffed at the moment of the shooting.

Nekelia Sharp

• Jamar Clark was handcuffed and not resisting

Teto Wilson, Passing Bystander

• Jamar Clark was “perfectly still, laying on the ground” when he was shot

Kesha Steel, Nearby Resident

• Jamar Clark’s hands were behind his back

Neighbors

• Jama Clark put his hands up when police approached him.  Officers handcuffed Jama and “choke-slammed” him, then shot him in the face. After he was shot, one handcuff was removed from Jamar, while the other handcuff remained on his wrist

Everett Spicer, Onlooker

• After arriving on the scene after the shooting, saw a motionless Jamar handcuffed on the ground. Police then removed the handcuffs from Jamar as the EMS arrived to tend to him.

Officer Status

• Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, who both had been with the department for 13 months, were placed on paid administrative leave during the course of the investigation.
• On March 30, Mike Freeman, Hennepin County Attorney, announced that no charges against the officers would be filed.

Community Response

• NAACP issued statement condemning the shooting and demanding an independent investigation
• Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis defended the officers' actions during the shooting, adding that they had no previous disciplinary issues and pointing out a preceding incident in which an Aitkin County sheriff's deputy was disarmed and killed with his own gun.
• Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges stated that she contacted the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the US Attorney for Minnesota in order to request an outside investigation in the "interest of transparency and community confidence
• Black Lives Matter activists and supporters protested for days outside the police precinct protesting against information hiding, demanding for release of police dashcam and bodycam videos containing material evidence that can settle the truth of police accounts of the incident.
• White Supremacists shoot 5 Black Lives Matter protestors. Days before the shooting, they released a video of them using racial slurs while preparing to bring their weapons to a protest that night.  Later during the protests, the shooters, whom BLM members said regularly appeared at the rallies held for Jamar Clark, were chased by protesters away from the demonstration before the shooters turned and opened fire, screaming out the N-word.
• Protest Camp Removed. Protesters had camped outside of the 4th precinct for 18 days. At 4:00 a.m. on December 3, police arrived and handed out fliers stating protesters had ten minutes to leave. Later police began removing the encampments and most of the protesters left. Eight protesters who refused to leave were placed under arrest.
• Black Lives Matter activists staged a December 23 protest at the Mall of American in Bloomington, resulting in three protest organizers being legally barred from entering the space
• Black Lives Matter activist targeted the Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport.  They were blocked by police. Other protestors blocked incoming airport traffic on Minnesota State Highway 5.  A total of 13 demonstrators were arrested.
• Black Lives Matter activists held another protest in January 2016, demonstrating against the deaths of Jamar Clark and Marcus Golden (killed by police 1 year earlier) blocking the Lake Street-Marshall Bridge for a short time. They demanded that a special prosecutor should hear Jamar’s case, instead of a grand jury “deciding whether Jamar’s shooting was justified”.
• Police Chief of Minneapolis releases a video warning against “violence or disruption” prior to the Country Attorney’s announcement that no charges would be filed against officers
• Media and Police Department. As has become custom, the victim’s past came under examination, and Jamar Clark’s criminal past was immediately publicized and rationalization for his murder

Unarmed

Richard Perkins

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Chandra Weaver

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Cornelius Brown

DETAILS COMING SOON

Unarmed

Tiara Thomas

DETAILS COMING SOON

 Nathaniel, 29, allegedly jumped a fence and "became uncooperative" when a deputy stopped to question him, police said. When the deputy tried to handcuff Pickett, they claim a fight broke out ending when the deputy shot Nathaniel.

Miguel Espinal, 36, was shot and killed by NYPD officers in an incident that started with a traffic stop in the Bronx. Espinal fled the stop, prompting a police chase that ended in a wrong-way crash. After the crash, Espinal left the vehicle and ran to the surrounding Tibbetts Brook Park, where police killed him. Espinal's family said he ran from officers because he doesn't have a license. “Whether he ran from the cops or not, it doesn’t justify that he got shot. It doesn’t justify that,” Justin Juble, Espinal’s brother, said.

Hayward police responded to a report of a man needing an emergency mental health evaluation. After arriving, officers determined Roy needed an involuntary psychiatric hold and put him in the back of a police car. On the way to the hospital, police say Roy tried to kick out the car's rear window. The police forced Roy into a leg restraint, after which Roy died.

Deputies say Browning, 30, fled when they were attempting to arrest him for a DUI. They claim he put deputies in a "bear hug" and reached for a firearm before being shot by deputies.

An officer pursued Matthews, who was reportedly wanted on a misdemeanor warrant, authorities said. The officer attempted to subdue Matthews with pepper spray and shot him during a struggle when Matthews reached for his gun, police said. Family members identified Matthews after the shooting and said he was being treated for schizophrenia.

Chicago police shot Bettie Jones in the neck "accidentally" while trying to help a neighbor deal with a domestic disturbance involving his son, Quintonio Legrier. The neighbor said he called police when his son tried to break his door down early in the morning, and that Jones was shot when she opened the door to direct officers when they arrived.

he U.S. Marshals were conducting surveillance on the man and requested help from Metro when he fled. When police caught up with him, they claimed he had an "unknown object" in his hand. Assuming it was a gun, they shot him dead. The object turned out to be a cellphone.

Incident
Details are unconfirmed.  The police department is reporting that 18-year-old Carnell Snell was a passenger in a suspected stolen vehicle that they were chasing, and that Snell exited that vehicle.

An officer reportedly chased him, on foot, into the back of a home and Carnell Snell was shot and killed.

The police are also reporting that Carnell Snell was in possesion of a gun found at the scene.

Incident

Hospitalized for two weeks with broken ribs and other injuries.

Police chief apologizes after the release of video.