Tag: Policing
Trump Wanted to Shoot Protesters, Says Mark Esper
Former Trump Pentagon General claims in a new book that the former president asked: “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams Tuesday, May 3, 2022…
The Invisible Hand of Steve Twist
How an Arizona man who’s never held elected office has shaped one of America’s most punitive criminal justice systems. by Nicole Santa Cruz April 5,2022 ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Co-published with The Arizona…
Phoenix police oversight office’s first director begins work
by Olivia McCann, Cronkite News December 8, 2021 PHOENIX – The first director of a new city office overseeing complaints filed against the Phoenix Police Department is on the job. Roger Smith runs the Office of Accountability…
‘Saddening, infuriating, and unsurprising’: Rittenhouse acquitted
The verdict, said the Huber family, sends the “unacceptable message” that armed vigilantes can “use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.” by Brett Wilkins Friday, November 19, 2021 Racial justice…
“The Liberty Way”: How Liberty University discourages and dismisses students’ reports of sexual assaults
The school founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell ignored reports of rape and threatened to punish accusers for breaking its moral code, say former students. An official who says he was fired for raising concerns calls it…
A secretive counterterrorism team interrogated dozens of citizens at the border
Government Report A report by a federal watchdog shows how the Trump administration flagged at least 51 citizens for interrogation at the border based on evidence as flimsy as once having ridden in a car with…
Police killings of civilians in the US have been undercounted by more than half in official statistics
The names of the dead. (Photo:Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) by Moshen Naghavi, University of Washington; Eve Wool, University of Washington, and Fablina Sharara, University of Washington October 5, 2021 The big…
Feds targeted BLM activists to foil racial justice protests
“The federalization of protest-related charges was a deliberate and cynical effort to target and discourage those who protested in defense of Black lives.” by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams August 19, 2021 As Black Lives Matter protests…
Court stops police from blockading Line 3 protester camp
‘Huge Legal Win’ One attorney described the blockade as “an outrageous abuse of law enforcement authority serving the interests of the Enbridge corporation against its environmental opponents.” by Kenny Stancil, Staff Writer July 23, 2021 In…
Water Protectors against Line 3 sue over police blockade of Indigenous camp
“The Hubbard County Sheriff has attempted to illegally construct a de facto open-air prison to trap Indigenous environmental protectors and allies on their own property.” by Jessica Corbett, Staff writer July 16, 2021 Water protectors…
In exclusive jailhouse letter, Capitol Riot defendant explains motives, remains boastful
The material obtained by ProPublica sheds light on the radicalization of a Jan. 6 defendant whom prosecutors have characterized as a “serious danger … not only to his family and Congress, but to the entire system…
What the United States can learn from Canada’s cannabis clarity
by Michael J. Armstrong, Brock University and Paul Seaborn, University of Virginia Sunday, May 2 The inherent contradictions of American cannabis laws seem to appear in the news almost every week. At the state level, for…
FTC warns the AI industry: Don’t discriminate, or else
The Federal Trade Commission is rattling its saber at the technology industry over growing public concern about biased AI algorithms. Can the agency back up its threats? by Ryan Calo, University of Washington Saturday, May 1,…
Hundreds say menstrual cycles impacted after exposure to police tear gas at Oregon protests
“This isn’t a coincidence. Something’s going on,” said one person who was exposed. by Julia Conley, staff writer Thursday, April 29, 2021 Hundreds of people reported in a new study that they experienced abnormal menstrual…
Chauvin guilty on all counts, including murder of George Floyd
One racial justice advocate said that there are “no victories today,” for “justice would mean George Floyd is still with us.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Tuesday, April 20, 2021 After deliberating for…
‘Entire system is to blame’: Outrage builds after police union leader says officer killing of unarmed teen was ‘heroic’
“Ending this isn’t just about consequences for who pulls the trigger. It’s about admitting to and confronting an entire system that exists to protect, defend, and cover up state violence.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Friday,…
Footage of Chicago Police shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo fuels outrage
“If you’re shooting an unarmed child with his hands in the air, it is an assassination,” said an attorney for the boy’s family. by Jessica Corbett, staff writer April 15, 2021 Editor’s note: The video…
Rights defenders decry advancement of Oklahoma anti-protest bills
‘The OK Legislature Wants Us Dead’ The head of the state’s ACLU accused Oklahoma lawmakers of “attempting to silence the voices of their constituents and criminalize vital calls for accountability and racial justice.” by Brett Wilkins,…
Biden’s embrace of Trump-era fentanyl ban ‘threatens to repeat past missteps,’ critics warn
One expert urged policymakers to “rethink these efforts to double down on fear-based, enforcement-first approaches, and instead invest in public health alternatives.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer April 14, 2021 After the Biden administration this…
“I felt hate more than anything”: how an active duty airman tried to start a Civil War
The Effort to Overturn the Election Steven Carrillo’s path to the Boogaloo Bois shows the hate group is far more organized and dangerous than previously known. by Gisela Pérez de Acha, Kathryn Hurd and Ellie Lightfoot,…
New Mexico legalizes recreational marijuana
‘Major Step Forward’ “By ensuring equity and social justice in our cannabis legalization, we are saying ‘enough’ to the devastating ‘war on drugs’ that over-incarcerated and over-penalized thousands of New Mexicans.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer…
Shifting Sands on Police Tactics
by Wade Rathke March 8, 2021 New Orleans In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, we heard from a former mayor and activist in the area. He wanted to do…
Citing anti-KKK law, NAACP and Rep. Bennie Thompson sue Trump and far-right allies over Capitol attack
“Donald Trump needs to be held accountable for deliberately inciting and colluding with white supremacists to stage a coup, in his continuing efforts to disenfranchise African-American voters.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Tuesday, February 16, 2021…
Why a shootout between Black Panthers and law enforcement 50 years ago matters today
by Paul Ringel, High Point University Members of the Black Panther Party outside the High Point property raided by police. Sonny Hedgecock/High Point Enterprise, CC BY-SA In the early hours of Feb. 10, 1971, police surrounded…
