Police

Critics say American officers should be trained in defensive tactics, especially empty-hand techniques, so that they depend less on tasers and guns.

National

American Cops Are Under Pressure To Rely Less On Guns And Take More Personal Risk

4:45pm May 19, 2021

by Martin Kaste

Some blame the U.S.'s high rate of police shootings on racism or militarism. But another theory says there's a simpler problem: American police aren't taught how to grapple with armed suspects.

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Oakland City Vice Mayor and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan says sending police to mental health and behavioral calls they aren't trained for is a mistake cities keep repeating.

National

Oakland Becomes Latest City Looking To Take Police Out Of Some Nonviolent 911 Calls

4:24pm May 18, 2021

by Eric Westervelt

The city's fire department will oversee the pilot project that aims to pair an EMT with someone with lived experience in the mental health, addiction, criminal justice or homeless services systems.

After the murder conviction of Derek Chauvin, Black police officers in America are considering what's changed and what hasn't in the year since George Floyd's death.

National

After Chauvin Verdict, Black Police Officers Consider What Has Changed

12:24pm May 15, 2021

by Brianna Scott

After the murder conviction of Derek Chauvin, Black police officers in America are considering what's changed and what hasn't in the year since George Floyd's death.

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Crime

Attorneys: DA Should Step Aside From Deputy Shooting Probe

5:41pm May 10, 2021

by Associated Press

Attorneys for the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by sheriff's deputies in North Carolina have asked the local prosecutor to recuse himself from the investigation because they say he's t

This image from video shows Minneapolis police officers Thomas Lane, left, and J. Alexander Kueng, right, escorting George Floyd, center, to a police vehicle outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis, on May 25, 2020. The image was shown as prosecutor Steve Schlei

National

How Using Videos At Chauvin Trial And Others Impacts Criminal Justice

10:28am May 07, 2021

by Cheryl Corley

The video of George Floyd's death was critical evidence in the murder trial of convicted ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. That video and others are changing trials and police training.

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Julia Sherwin, lawyer for the family of Mario Gonzalez, speaks about his death in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday. Members of the Gonzalez family believe police used excessive force when they attempted to arrest him.

National

Lawyer Says Police Didn't Need To Arrest Man Who Died After Being Pinned To Ground

12:43pm April 29, 2021

Mario Gonzalez, 26, died in police custody on April 19. Body camera footage showed police pinning him to the ground for several minutes.

A screenshot of the Alameda Police Department body camera footage shows officers detaining Mario Gonzalez, 26, on April 19. Gonzalez died soon after.

National

Man Dies After Alameda, Calif., Police Pin Him To Ground For Several Minutes

8:58am April 28, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

The city released body camera footage showing the police encounter with Mario Gonzalez. He died after being pinned to the ground.

When You Add More Police To A City, What Happens?

6:30am April 20, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

A new study looks at the effects of growing police forces on racial inequality.

Georgetown Law School professor Paul Butler testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on policing practices and law enforcement accountability in June 2020. In an NPR interview, Butler says police in Brooklyn Center, Minn., didn't need to pursu

National

Law Professor: Police Hold 'Extraordinary' Power Over Black People In Traffic Stops

1:52pm April 16, 2021

Those who don't immediately stop for police are committing "contempt of cop. And bad officers will make you pay for that," law professor Paul Butler argues.

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Officer Joe Gutierrez aims his weapon at Lt. Caron Navario during a traffic stop. Navario is suing Gutierrez and the other officer, Daniel Crocker, for violation of his constitutional rights.

National

Officer Who Handcuffed And Pepper-Sprayed Black Army Lieutenant Is Fired

8:25am April 12, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Lt. Caron Nazario was knocked to the ground and handcuffed by two Windsor, Va., officers after a traffic stop, multiple videos show. The officer who pepper-sprayed Nazario was terminated.