Police Violence in America
Two US prosecutors who covered up police killings lose primary elections
By David Brown, 18 March 2016
Popular anger over efforts to cover up police violence has resulted in county prosecutors for Chicago and Cleveland being defeated in Democratic primaries.
Baltimore school police officers face felony charges for assaulting student
By Nick Barrickman, 10 March 2016
The student, whose name has been withheld from the public, endured injuries to his face and ribs.
Review board: New York police routinely conduct aggressive and illegal home searches
By Philip Guelpa, 8 March 2016
A civilian review board reports that the NYPD systematically violates protections against warrantless home invasions.
Albuquerque, New Mexico residents protest fatal shooting by US Marshals
By D. Lencho, 4 March 2016
Wide discrepancies exist between the US Marshals’ version of the shooting death of Edgar Camacho-Alvarado and witness accounts.
Fatal police shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina provokes protests
By Kate Randall, 2 March 2016
Witnesses say Akiel Denkins, 24, was unarmed when he was shot in the back seven times as he ran from police.
Police refuse to release video showing shooting of Salt Lake City teenager
By David Brown, 29 February 2016
Protests have erupted in Salt Lake City, Utah after Saturday night’s police shooting of 17-year-old Abdi Mohamed, who was reportedly holding a broomstick when he was critically injured.
Police call for boycott after Beyoncé endorses opposition to police brutality
By Nick Barrickman, 26 February 2016
Police have denounced pop star Beyoncé Knowles following the release of a music video in which the singer apparently endorses the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
New York police used military-grade cellphone surveillance equipment over 1,000 times
By Isaac Finn, 25 February 2016
The NYPD has disclosed documents on its extensive use of a mobile cellphone surveillance device known as “StingRay.”
California State University faculty headed into confrontation with Democrats
By Guillaume Garnier, 24 February 2016
After years of declining real wages accepted by the faculty union, 23,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches are demanding improved living standards.
Illinois inmates terrorized by prison guard unit
By George Gallanis, 22 February 2016
A class action lawsuit has been filed by hundreds of prisoners from four Southern Illinois state prisons over sexual humiliation and other forms of sadistic punishment by guards.
Chicago officer sues estate of teenager he fatally shot
By George Marlowe, 18 February 2016
In an attempt to intimidate any opposition to police brutality, a Chicago police officer is suing the estate of Quintonio LeGrier, whom he fatally shot, for $10 million in damages.
New York police officer convicted of killing Akai Gurley
By Philip Guelpa, 13 February 2016
After two days of deliberations, New York police officer Peter Liang was convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct in the shooting death of Akai Gurley.
New Mexico: Relatives sue sheriff for the fatal pepper ball shooting of 88-year-old
By D. Lencho, 9 February 2016
Last September, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies fired over 50 rounds of pepper balls at 88-year-old great-grandfather Fidencio Duran.
Albuquerque, New Mexico police murder case moves towards trial
By D. Lencho, 5 February 2016
It has been nearly two years since the March 16, 2014 fatal shooting of homeless camper James Boyd by Albuquerque police officers.
Father of girl killed by Pennsylvania cop charged with murder
By Tom Eley, 2 February 2016
The father of Ciara Meyer is being charged with the murder of his own daughter, who was killed by a constable who arrived to evict the family from their rental apartment.
Pennsylvania police shoot dead 12-year-old girl during home eviction
By Tom Eley, 1 February 2016
The constable had arrived to remove the family from their rental apartment.
Toronto cop found guilty on lesser charge in killing of Sammy Yatim
By Dylan Lubao, 30 January 2016
The media is hailing the conviction of the killer cop James Forcillo on the lesser charge of attempted murder as an “end to police impunity.” It is nothing of the sort.
Manslaughter trial in police killing of Akai Gurley begins in Brooklyn
By Fred Mazelis, 28 January 2016
The incident, in November 2014, followed soon after the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York.
Video shows another unarmed youth killed by Chicago police
By George Gallanis, 16 January 2016
The video, which has been concealed by the Chicago Police Department for three years, contradicts the official findings of the police.
Former city employee sues Albuquerque Police Department officials for obstructing public records requests
By D. Lencho, 15 January 2016
The lawsuit alleges that APD officials instructed public records custodian Reynaldo Chavez to delay, deny, withhold and destroy requested public records.
Pennsylvania constable shoots dead 12-year-old girl during home eviction
By Tom Eley, 14 January 2016
The law enforcement officer was seeking to remove the girl’s family for being less than three months behind in payment for their rental apartment.
FBI arrests mentally ill Rochester man in fabricated ISIS plot
By Josh Varlin, 9 January 2016
The FBI arrested Emanuel Lutchman, a 25-year-old man with a history of mental illness, based on a supposed plot to attack a bar in Rochester, New York, on New Year’s Eve.
Chicago police accused of threatening witnesses of Laquan Mcdonald shooting and falsifying accounts
By George Gallanis, 9 January 2016
Attorneys uncovered further evidence of a cover-up by the CPD while reading through recently released witness statements from the night of the shooting.
Notes on police violence in America
Arresting officer in Sandra Bland death charged with perjury
By Josh Varlin, 8 January 2016
This decision to charge Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia comes about two weeks after the same grand jury refused to indict the Waller County jailers involved in her death.
Chicago attorney resigns after judge rules he concealed evidence in police shooting case
By Alexander Fangmann, 7 January 2016
A Senior Corporation Counsel for the city resigned after a judge sanctioned him and overturned a jury verdict that found in favor of two police officers in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Chicago Mayor Emanuel’s police “reform”: Increased repression and cover-up
By Kristina Betinis, 4 January 2016
In the name of “reform” and in the midst of a deepening political crisis, Emanuel is planning to double the number of tasers employed by the police.
Police officer escapes indictment for shooting unarmed man in Colorado
By Nick Barrickman, 31 December 2015
The exoneration comes two days after an Ohio grand jury decided not to issue an indictment of Cleveland police officers for the 2014 shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Massive police buildup planned in cities throughout the US for New Year’s Eve
By our reporter, 31 December 2015
In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France in November and the shooting deaths of 14 people in San Bernardino, California earlier this month, US officials have announced massive security buildups in preparation for celebrations set to occur for New Year’s celebrations.
After grand jury whitewash in Tamir Rice killing
More police murders across the US
By Tom Eley, 30 December 2015
Police have taken repeated exonerations, often in the face of overwhelming evidence, as in the murder of Tamir Rice, as a green light for more violence.
Cleveland cop who killed twelve-year-old exonerated
By Tom Hall, 29 December 2015
The decision not to charge Officer Timothy Loehmann for killing Tamir Rice is the outcome of a well-orchestrated campaign by the county prosecutor’s office.
Three shot, two killed by Chicago police in one day
By Kristina Betinis, 28 December 2015
The shootings occur amid a crisis in the city following the exposure of a cover-up by the Emanuel administration of the police murder of 19-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Police suppress protest at Mall of America over recent police killing in Minneapolis
By Matt Rigel and Anthony Bertolt, 28 December 2015
On Wednesday, December 23, riot-clad police cracked down on a demonstration of hundreds of protesters at the Mall of America (MOA) called in response to the recent police killing of 24-year-old Jamar Clark.
Notes on police violence in America
Texas grand jury refuses to indict police officers involved in the death of Sandra Bland
By Nick Barrickman and Tom Hall, 24 December 2015
Bland was found dead in a Waller County jail cell in July where she was being held after a traffic stop.
US cops killed more people this year than in 2014
By Tom Hall, 22 December 2015
Despite mass protests against police violence by tens of thousands of people over the past year, the wave of police terror gripping the US has only intensified.
Notes on police violence in America
Four recent police shootings spark outrage
By John Andrews, 21 December 2015
Newly released video recordings that captured two brutal law enforcement shootings starkly demonstrate that police violence and official cover ups continue unabated.
Hung jury in first trial for police killing of Freddie Gray
By Tom Hall, 17 December 2015
Wednesday’s ruling places the prosecutors’ strategy for the other five cases in the Baltimore, Maryland police killing in serious jeopardy.
The International Socialist Organization, police violence and the Democratic Party
By Marcus Day, 16 December 2015
The ISO has sought to obscure the class issues surrounding police murder in Chicago, promote racial politics and prevent a break with the Democratic Party.
Notes on police violence in America
Chicago police officer accused of jamming gun down throat of suspect acquitted
By Gabriel Black, 15 December 2015
A notorious Chicago judge acquitted a veteran police officer Monday of official misconduct and aggravated battery, despite DNA evidence on his gun.
Killing Them Safely: The big business of police tasers
By Kevin Martinez, 15 December 2015
The documentary is a disturbing look at TASER International, the company that has cornered the market for police electro-shock weapons.
Notes on police violence: Los Angeles police fatally shoot man 33 times
By Gabriel Black, 14 December 2015
Nicholas Robertson was shot multiple times, first in the back and then as he lay on the ground trying to crawl away from the police officers.
Defense rests in trial of first police officer charged in killing of Freddie Gray
By Nick Barrickman, 12 December 2015
Typifying the callous approach of the defense was the testimony of Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a forensic pathologist, who coldly asserted that Gray’s death was “just an accident … and accidents happen.”
Two police officers indicted for murder of six-year-old
By Gabriel Black, 12 December 2015
Evidence released after the indictment shows that the six-year-old and his father posed no threat to the police officers.
New video released in 2012 Chicago police killing of Philip Coleman
By David Brown, 10 December 2015
Democratic Party Mayor Rahm Emanuel is leading efforts to diffuse public anger even as new revelations of police brutality continue to emerge.
Illinois state attorney not pressing charges in Ronald Johnson killing
By Gabriel Black, 9 December 2015
A video released Monday shows 25-year-old Ronald Johnson fleeing as he is gunned down by police.
Public meeting in Chicago
The way forward in the fight against police violence
9 December 2015
On December 13, the Socialist Equality Party will hold a public meeting in Chicago on the political lessons of the brutal police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and its cover-up.
US border agents cleared of charges in murder of immigrant Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas
By Toby Reese and Jake Dean, 7 December 2015
Five years after the death of Hernandez-Rojas at the hands of US border agents, the Department of Justice has decided to close the investigation.
Video shows murder by San Francisco police firing squad
By a reporter, 4 December 2015
Widely viewed on the Internet, the video shows a group of police officers opening fire simultaneously on a cornered 26-year-old man.
Chicago police brutality and the Democratic Party
By Jerry White, 3 December 2015
The brutal police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and the subsequent orchestrated cover-up lift the veil on the reality of class relations and class rule in the United States.
Jury seated in first Freddie Gray police murder trial
By Tom Hall and Nick Barrickman, 3 December 2015
The media and political establishment are preparing for a crackdown on mass protests if the six Baltimore cops charged in the killing of Freddie Gray are acquitted.
Chicago police chief fired as anger mounts over cover-up of police killings
By Patrick Martin, 2 December 2015
Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy in an effort to prevent further damage to his own position.
Trial begins for police officer in Freddie Gray murder
By Andre Damon, 1 December 2015
The trial of officer William Porter in Baltimore, Maryland began as demonstrations continued against the police murder of Laquan McDonald in Chicago.
The conspiracy to cover up the police murder of Laquan McDonald
By Christopher Davion and Kristina Betinis, 30 November 2015
The statements of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other officials are aimed at obscuring their own role in covering up for the criminal actions of police officer Jason Van Dyke.
A police killing and a criminal conspiracy in Chicago, Illinois
By Patrick Martin, 26 November 2015
The brutal police murder of Laquan McDonald was followed by a line-up of the police, the political authorities, the media and the “civil rights” establishment to cover up the crime under a barrage of lies.
“This is a whitewash, that is exactly what this is”
One year since the murder of Tamir Rice, police who killed him are still free
By Samuel Davidson, 26 November 2015
Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice was shot dead by Cleveland, Ohio, police on November 22, 2014, as the boy was playing with a toy gun in a park near his home.
Protests erupt in Chicago after release of video showing police murder of 17-year-old
By Nick Barrickman and Joseph Kishore, 25 November 2015
The video release comes more than one year after the brutal killing of Laquan McDonald and in the face of a systematic cover-up by the Chicago Police Department and the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
City of Chicago prepares crackdown on protests in advance of release of police murder video
By Kristina Betinis, 23 November 2015
On November 19, Cook County Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled in favor of the release of dash camera video depicting an officer shooting an African-American youth 16 times.
Notes on police violence
Minneapolis police break up protest over killing of 24-year-old Jamar Clark
By Niles Williamson and Stuart Winter, 19 November 2015
Police dressed in military fatigues and armed with riot gear on Wednesday broke up a tent encampment protesting the killing of Jamar, who died Monday night.
Protests erupt after Minneapolis police shoot unarmed man, “execution style”
By Anthony Bertolt, 17 November 2015
According to dozens of witnesses, Jamar Clark was handcuffed and laying on the ground when police officers pinned him down and fired a round into his head early Sunday morning.
Michigan policeman who severely beat motorist Floyd Dent on trial for assault
By Lawrence Porter, 16 November 2015
Melendez’s actions only came to light after the release through Freedom of Information requests of videos that had been hidden by the police with the help of local officials.
Los Angeles Police Department shootings doubled in a single year, report shows
By Dan Conway and Marc Wells, 13 November 2015
LAPD officers are killing nearly two people each month, despite a slowing rate of homicides in the city overall.
US Supreme Court expands immunity for killer cops
By Tom Carter, 12 November 2015
The Supreme Court’s decision reflects the fact that, in the face of rising popular anger over police killings, all of the branches of government are closing ranks behind the police.
Notes on police violence in America
Louisiana cops who killed 6-year-old charged with murder
By Evan Blake, 9 November 2015
Police officers are known to routinely violate civil rights in the impoverished rural community where Jeremy Mardis was killed.
Illinois cop, supposed victim of the “war on police,” exposed as thief and would-be killer
By David Walsh, 9 November 2015
The supposed murder of Joseph Gliniewicz of the Fox Lake, Illinois Police Department, the massive manhunt it generated and the exposure of his death as a suicide is a telling episode.
Number of people killed by police this year in US surpasses 1,000
By Andre Damon, 5 November 2015
Police murders have continued unabated, as has the defense of killer cops by the political establishment, from local prosecutors to the Obama administration.
No details from New York police on X-ray surveillance vans
By Sandy English, 4 November 2015
The NYPD is refusing to release information about the deployment of X-ray vans, which it claims will be used for “counterterrorism” efforts.
Report documents pervasive use of excessive force by US Border Patrol agents
By Marc Wells, 2 November 2015
A recent report exposed hundreds of instances where Taser guns were used by US border agents to terrorize, injure and kill immigrants.
Notes on police violence in America
Judge dismisses manslaughter charges against Texas officer citing position as a federal agent
By Evan Blake, 2 November 2015
Employing the rarely used Supremacy Clause to whitewash a brutal police killing, federal judge Lee Yeakel demonstrated the lengths to which the state will go to shield killer cops.
FBI Director James Comey’s apology for police murder
By Andre Damon, 31 October 2015
The implication of Comey’s argument is that those who expose police brutality serve to promote violent crime and should be suppressed.
Thousands “disappeared” at Chicago Police Homan Square black site
By George Marlowe, 29 October 2015
More than 7,000 people have been detained in the last decade at the Chicago Police Department’s secretive interrogation center.
FBI director says “viral videos” intimidating police in US
By Kate Randall, 28 October 2015
FBI chief Comey attempted to sidestep the inconvenient truth that the cell phone videos he finds so disruptive are catching murderous activity by police across the country.
Notes on police violence
No charges for South Carolina police officer who killed Zachary Hammond
By George Gallanis, 28 October 2015
The exoneration of the cop who killed 19-year-old Hammond, who was unarmed, came one day after video showed another South Carolina officer brutally assaulting a high school student.
FBI director admits use of spy planes over Ferguson and Baltimore
By Tom Hall, 26 October 2015
After admitting the use of surveillance flyovers during police brutality protests, FBI Director James Comey sought to blame public scrutiny of police for a supposed spike in crime.
Florida musician Corey Jones killed by plainclothes officer
By Evan Blake, 22 October 2015
While the police have released limited details of what led to the shooting, they immediately sought to justify the killing by asserting that Jones was armed.
Notes on police violence in America
Federal lawsuit alleges beating and torture of 20 inmates in Sonoma County jail
“They went in like the Gestapo,” attorney charges
By Evan Blake, 16 October 2015
The horrific incident in the California jail detailed in the court filing highlights the increasingly brutal and sadistic actions of US police.
Prosecutor in Cleveland police killing hired “independent” investigators who favor law enforcement
By Samuel Davidson, 15 October 2015
New details further indicate that Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty is seeking to whitewash last year’s police killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Federal court arraigns Arizona Border Patrol agent for murder of Mexican teenager
By D. Lencho, 13 October 2015
Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was shot at least 10 times by Border Patrol agents while walking along the Mexican side of the border.
Murder conviction, coerced by New York City police, overturned after 25 years
By Philip Guelpa, 13 October 2015
A conviction that led to New York’s “broken windows” and “stop-and-frisk” policies has been overturned.
The whitewash of Tamir Rice’s killing and the fight against police violence
By Niles Williamson, 13 October 2015
In the face of widespread outrage over the police murder of the 12-year-old Cleveland boy last year, the police and the media have been working tirelessly to justify his shooting.
Notes on police violence in the US
Delaware police shoot wheelchair-bound man a dozen times
By Ed Hightower, 26 September 2015
Officers said the 28-year-old paraplegic man had a gun, a claim unsubstantiated by a bystander video and denied by his family.
Notes on police violence
Family sues over death of inmate in Fishkill, New York prison
By Sandy English and John Marion, 22 September 2015
Prison authorities claimed that Harrell died of an overdose of synthetic marijuana, but an autopsy has shown that he had no chemical substances in his body.
Notes on police violence
Fresno, California police shoot three people in five days
By George Gallanis, 12 September 2015
In less than a week, Fresno police officers have shot three people, killing one.
No charges for police officers who killed unarmed immigrant in Pasco, Washington
By Bryan Dyne, 11 September 2015
Prosecutor Shawn Sant maintained that the three police officers felt threatened because Antonio Zambrano-Montes may have been “armed with a rock.”
Maryland court rules volunteered DNA can be used in other cases
By Trent Novak, 11 September 2015
The ruling established that once DNA has been legally obtained, it can be indefinitely stored for use in unsolved crimes without violating the Fourth Amendment.
Baltimore to pay family of Freddie Gray $6.4 million to avoid civil lawsuit
By Evan Blake, 9 September 2015
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, keenly aware that the city would lose a civil trial brought by the Gray family, is seeking to mitigate further exposures of the corrupt Baltimore Police Department.
Northern Illinois town on lockdown as police manhunt continues
By Kristina Betinis, 3 September 2015
Police have responded to the shooting of an officer with a massive paramilitary manhunt, putting the town of Fox Lake, Illinois on lockdown.
Notes on police violence in America
Man shot to death by police in San Antonio, Texas while trying to surrender
By Nick Barrickman, 3 September 2015
A bystander video shows that Gilbert Flores was shot twice by San Antonio police officers despite raising his hands to surrender.
Notes on police violence in America
Black youth dies in Virginia jail cell after being held four months for alleged $5 theft
By Evan Blake, 31 August 2015
Jamycheal Mitchell’s family asserts that the youth, who suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, died from starvation after police failed to transfer him to a mental health facility.
North Dakota authorizes police to use weaponized drones
By John Andrews, 31 August 2015
North Dakota has become the first state to authorize the use of armed drones by local police agencies, part of a growing trend to use unmanned aircraft against the population.
New York cops spied on activists against police violence
By Sandy English, 29 August 2015
Newly released documents show undercover cops took photographs of organizers of protests against police violence last winter and recorded their activities.
State agents to face no penalties for assault on Virginia student
By Joe Williams, 28 August 2015
University of Virginia student Martese Johnson was violently assaulted in March after being falsely accused of having a fake ID.
Autopsy reveals St. Louis police shot teenager Mansur Ball-Bey in the back
By Evan Blake, 22 August 2015
The autopsy results, along with witness testimony, strongly indicate that St. Louis police lied to cover up a brutal murder committed by two of their officers.
New York City lawyers suggest health care provider committed a crime in death of Rikers Island inmate
By Isaac Finn, 22 August 2015
Court documents indicate that New York City will opt out of a contractual obligation to defend the health care provider at Rikers Island.
Hillary Clinton and Black Lives Matter: A revealing confrontation
By Patrick Martin, 22 August 2015
The much-publicized encounter sheds light on the essentially right-wing character of both the Democratic frontrunner and the proponents of identity politics.
Brutal crackdown on protest against police violence in St. Louis, Missouri
By Evan Blake, 21 August 2015
As a crowd of roughly 100 people gathered after police murdered Mansur Ball-Bey, 18, authorities responded by sending a SWAT team in an armored vehicle.
Notes on Police Violence in America
St. Louis police kill 18-year-old, send SWAT teams against demonstrators
By Evan Blake, 20 August 2015
As a crowd began to gather immediately after the shooting, numerous backup police arrived in full SWAT gear and with an armored vehicle, denying protesters the right to assemble.
Albuquerque police officers who killed homeless man to stand trial for murder
By D. Lencho, 19 August 2015
A judge ruled Tuesday in favor of trying two Albuquerque Police Department officers for the shooting death of James Boyd in March 2014.
Ferguson protests continue in defiance of state of emergency
By Evan Blake, 12 August 2015
Protesters demonstrated once again Monday night, and were met by riot police who used pepper spray and arrested at least 22 protesters.
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