Fatal Police Shootings Of Unarmed Black People Reveal Troubling Patterns

[DonViejo]

January 25, 20215:00 AM ET

Heard on Morning Edition

CHERYL W. THOMPSON

-snip-

The deadly shooting of unarmed Black men and women by police officers in the U.S. has increasingly garnered worldwide attention over the last few years. The 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., sparked a week of protests that catapulted the Black Lives Matter movement into the national spotlight. Since then, tens of thousands of people across the country have taken to the streets to protest police brutality of Blacks by mostly white officers.

Since 2015, police officers have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed Black men and women nationwide, an NPR investigation has found. NPR reviewed police, court and other records to examine the details of the cases. At least 75% of the officers were white. The latest one happened earlier this month in Killeen, Texas, when Patrick Warren, Sr., 52, was fatally shot by an officer responding to a mental health call.

For at least 15 of the officers, like McMahon, the shootings were not their first — or their last, NPR found. They have been involved in two — sometimes three or more — shootings, often deadly and without consequences.

Those who study deadly force by police say it's unusual for officers to be involved in any shootings.

-snip-

more
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/25/956177021/fatal-police-shootings-of-unarmed-black-people-reveal-troubling-patterns

[marble falls]

1. Cops don't face consequences because the law says fear is a defense for cops in a shooting ...

Last edited Mon Jan 25, 2021, 01:09 PM - Edit history (1)

... as long as they repeat over and over they saw a gun, felt fear for their lives; even in cases where they barrel unannounced through doors at the wrong address and kill unarmed innocent civilians in bed.

[2naSalit]

2. +1

[marble falls]

4. How about requiring cops to at least live in the city, at least require a less military look ...

... and attitude. Maybe not look so much as occupying military police - which is to a great sense what they are.

[2naSalit]

5. That and...

abolish fraternal orders and such, they are like a protection industry meant to absolve all wrongdoings of the cops. That's why killers get paid vacations when they kill someone and never get charged for anything... fraternal orders making threats to the community if accountability applies to them.

[marble falls]

6. Yes! At least make them call themselves a union.

[2naSalit]

7. Wouldn't matter, it's their practice and intent that need to go.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. K&R. FTP.

[live love laugh]

8. I REALLY hope the administration can change this.

Retract immunity and establish a national police incident tracking database mandating recording every murder.