INSIDER
'I can't breathe': Eric Garner remembered on the 10th anniversary of his chokehold death
Read full article: 'I can't breathe': Eric Garner remembered on the 10th anniversary of his chokehold deathIt has been 10 years since the chokehold death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York City police officers made โI canโt breatheโ a rallying cry.
Court upholds NYC law banning the types of police restraints that killed George Floyd, Eric Garner
Read full article: Court upholds NYC law banning the types of police restraints that killed George Floyd, Eric GarnerNew Yorkโs highest court has upheld a New York City law that forbids police from using chokeholds or compressing a personโs diaphragm during an arrest.
Anniversary of George Floyd's killing: Changes were made, but short of 'reckoning' on racial justice
Read full article: Anniversary of George Floyd's killing: Changes were made, but short of 'reckoning' on racial justiceThe murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police was three years ago today, and the fervent protests that erupted around the world in response seemed like the catalyst needed for a nationwide reckoning on racism in policing.
What to know about Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorney
Read full article: What to know about Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorneyA New York grand jury investigating hush payments made on Donald Trumpโs behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign has refocused attention on the Manhattan district attorney steering the case.
Mamie Till depiction seen as tribute to Black female leaders
Read full article: Mamie Till depiction seen as tribute to Black female leadersA new biopic about the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year old Black boy whose lynching in Mississippi in 1955 catalyzed the U.S. civil rights movement, is being promoted as a tribute to Black women and Black mothers who are continuing her legacy and fight for justice, equality and equity.
Black Americans living abroad reflect on Juneteenth holiday
Read full article: Black Americans living abroad reflect on Juneteenth holidayAs the United States marks only the second federally recognized Juneteenth, Black Americans living overseas have embraced the holiday as a day of reflection and an opportunity to educate people in their host countries on Black history.
Police stops of Black people often filled with fear, anxiety
Read full article: Police stops of Black people often filled with fear, anxietyVideo shows Patrick Lyoya disobeyed an officer during an April 4 traffic stop, tried to run, then wrestled with the officer over his Taser before the officer fatally shot him in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Trayvon Martin, 10 years later: Teen's death changes nation
Read full article: Trayvon Martin, 10 years later: Teen's death changes nationThe killing of Trayvon Martin at the hands of a stranger still reverberates 10 years later -- in protest, in partisanship, in racial reckoning and reactionary response, in social justice and social media.
A look at de Blasio's NYC mayoral tenure and what's next
Read full article: A look at de Blasio's NYC mayoral tenure and what's nextBill de Blasio swept into the New York City mayorโs office eight years ago promising a liberal remolding of the nationโs largest city that would level deep inequities and reform police practices.
A look at high-profile cases over killings by US police
Read full article: A look at high-profile cases over killings by US policeA suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for a Taser was led away in handcuffs Thursday after a jury found her guilty of manslaughter in the death of Black motorist Daunte Wright.
Adams, Bragg win NYC election amid historic Black leadership
Read full article: Adams, Bragg win NYC election amid historic Black leadershipWhen New York City voters this week chose Eric Adams as the cityโs next mayor and Alvin Bragg as the Manhattan district attorney, they elevated two Black men into two of the cityโs most powerful elected offices.
In 'Homeroom,' an unprecedented school year caught on film
Read full article: In 'Homeroom,' an unprecedented school year caught on filmThe Oakland filmmaker Peter Nicks had already made two well-regarded documentaries capturing the institutions of his city and how they shape local lives in 2012โs โThe Waiting Room,โ about a public hospital, and 2017โs โThe Force,โ about the Oakland Police Department.
Spike Lee, 'Annette' kick off 74th Cannes Film Festival
Read full article: Spike Lee, 'Annette' kick off 74th Cannes Film FestivalThe Cannes Film Festival rolled out the red carpet for the first time in more than two years on Tuesday, launching the French Riviera spectacular with the premiere of Leos Caraxโs โAnnette,โ the introduction of Spike Leeโs jury, and with high hopes for shrugging off a punishing pandemic year for cinema.
Crime leads voter concerns as NYC mayoral primary approaches
Read full article: Crime leads voter concerns as NYC mayoral primary approachesThe Democratic primary race for New York City mayor is nearing the finish line with a surge in shootings pushing public safety to the top of some voters' concerns.
Black fear of Tulsa police lingers 100 years after massacre
Read full article: Black fear of Tulsa police lingers 100 years after massacreThere's been some progress in the relationship between the Tulsa police and the city's Black community in the 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre left as many as 300 Black people dead and thousands of Black residents displaced.
Families urge legal changes to prevent more police killings
Read full article: Families urge legal changes to prevent more police killingsParents and siblings of Black men killed by police urged people during a discussion in the city where George Floyd was killed a year ago to join them in pursuing legal changes they say can make more deaths less likely in the future.
Floyd killing prompts some states to limit or ban chokeholds
Read full article: Floyd killing prompts some states to limit or ban chokeholdsAt least 17 states have prohibited or severely limited the use of chokeholds and neck restraints by police officers in the year since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after being pinned under an officer's knee.
Floyd legislation reveals divide in police-reform movement
Read full article: Floyd legislation reveals divide in police-reform movementAs the anniversary of George Floydโs murder approaches, some people say the best way to honor him is for Congress to pass a bill in his name that overhauls policing.
Families of Black men slain by police are hopeful for reform
Read full article: Families of Black men slain by police are hopeful for reformThe family and representatives of Black men killed by the police have met at the White House with senators and Biden administration officials and say they left feeling optimistic.
Evidence in Chauvin case contradicted first police statement
Read full article: Evidence in Chauvin case contradicted first police statementMoments after former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floydโs death, copies of the original Minneapolis police statement began recirculating on social media.
Police chiefs hail Chauvin verdict as a key step to healing
Read full article: Police chiefs hail Chauvin verdict as a key step to healingLaw enforcement leaders say the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for George Floyd's death is a step toward restoring trust in the criminal justice system and repairing relations with communities.
Activists hope Chauvin convictions are start to real change
Read full article: Activists hope Chauvin convictions are start to real changeActivists, members of George Floydโs family and some public officials say the guilty verdicts against Derek Chauvin are just a start, and they will continue to push for systemic change in policing in Minneapolis and beyond.
Floyd's brother expresses gratitude to Raiders for support
Read full article: Floyd's brother expresses gratitude to Raiders for supportThe brother of George Floyd has thanked the Las Vegas Raiders for their support after owner Mark Davis issued a statement on Twitter that drew backlash following the conviction of a police officer who killed Floyd.
Despite growing chorus, DOJ is limited in police probes
Read full article: Despite growing chorus, DOJ is limited in police probesCalls have grown for federal investigations into police killings across the nation since President Joe Biden took office and said he believes racial disparities in policing must change.
Family asks feds to reopen case on Tamir Rice police killing
Read full article: Family asks feds to reopen case on Tamir Rice police killingThe family of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot by Cleveland police in 2014, is asking the Justice Department to reopen the case into his death after it was closed near the end of the Trump administration.
Snap-decision defense may not work for Minneapolis officer
Read full article: Snap-decision defense may not work for Minneapolis officerBut it's an argument that's almost certainly not available to Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer who goes on trial Monday, March 29, 2021, in George Floyd's death. The fired Minneapolis police officer who goes on trial Monday was captured on video pinning George Floyd to the pavement, his knee on the Black man's neck, for about nine minutes last May. In 2020, six officers were charged in such cases, including at least four after the nationwide outrage over Floydโs death. AdProsecutors in Chauvinโs case hope the pleas from onlookers to check on Floyd will serve the same purpose. โBut each second after that, there was no need for a split-second decision.โ___Find APโs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice Act
Read full article: Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice ActA coalition of 150 organizations nationwide is opposing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The Movement for Black Lives argues the bill is entrenched in strategies that have historically failed to address police violence across the country and fails to meet the moment." The bill, designed by the Movement for Black Livesโ Electoral Justice Project, would also redirect funding toward communities to address the nationโs systemic racial injustices. โItโs not just about after the fact accountability,โ said Gina Clayton-Johnson, the lead BREATHE Act architect and leadership team member of the Movement for Black Livesโ Policy Table. AdBut the movement faces a significant uphill battle in securing needed political support from lawmakers who will be key in pushing forward the BREATHE Act or revamping the Justice in Policing Act.
Daniel Prude case reflects difficulty of prosecuting police
Read full article: Daniel Prude case reflects difficulty of prosecuting policeThe Prude case marks the third time a grand jury has declined to bring charges in a case handled by the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit. The Daniel Prude case marks the third time a grand jury has declined to bring charges in a case handled by the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit, created in 2015 amid an outcry over police skirting punishment in the deaths of unarmed Black people. AdโWeโve just seen this over and over again across the country,โ Philip Stinson, criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University, said after the grand jury's decision in the Prude case was announced Tuesday. And last year, a grand jury declined to indict police for the 2019 shooting of a 41-year-old white man on the shoulder of an interstate in the Hudson Valley. In the Prude case, explicit video showed the 41-year-old naked Black man whimpering as police held him to the pavement on a frigid night last March after handcuffing him and putting a mesh spit hood over his head.
Prudeโs family says videos show crime; Officers say no
Read full article: Prudeโs family says videos show crime; Officers say noFILE - In this Sept. 3, 2020, file photo, Joe Prude, right, brother of Daniel Prude, and Daniel's nephew Armin, stand with a picture of Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y. Prude said Wednesday that videos recorded by Rochester Police officers' body cameras after they caught up with Daniel Prude, naked on a frigid night last March, are irrefutable proof of a crime. The officersโ attorneys said Daniel Prudeโs use of PCP, which caused irrational behavior, was โthe root causeโ of his death. AdThe attorney general also called for communities to minimize or eliminate police responses to mental health calls. Nathaniel McFarland, one of Daniel Prude's five children, said he was not surprised that the officers weren't charged.
Feds decline charges against officers in Tamir Rice case
Read full article: Feds decline charges against officers in Tamir Rice caseTo bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officerโs actions willfully broke the law and are not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. Neither of two witnesses who either saw part of the encounter or reported hearing gunshots said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department. In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann โrepeatedly and consistently statedโ that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said. Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir โmultiple commands to show his hands before shootingโ and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon.
Feds decline charges against officers in Tamir Rice case
Read full article: Feds decline charges against officers in Tamir Rice caseTo bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officerโs actions willfully broke the law and are not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. Neither of two witnesses who either saw part of the encounter or reported hearing gunshots said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department. In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann โrepeatedly and consistently statedโ that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said. Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir โmultiple commands to show his hands before shootingโ and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon.
Lawrence Byrne, NYPD's policy-shaping legal czar, dies at 61
Read full article: Lawrence Byrne, NYPD's policy-shaping legal czar, dies at 61Byrne, whose brother was a rookie NYPD officer when he was shot and killed in 1988, died Sunday at a Manhattan hospital after a heart attack Thursday, the police department said. Byrne defended the department in litigation over its spying on Muslims, which was uncovered in reporting by The Associated Press. He interpreted a state secrecy law in a way that shielded the disciplinary records of officers accused of brutality from public view. Bush carried his badge with him while running for the White House, and a major Justice Department grant program is named in his honor. Over the years, Lawrence Byrne and his family have testified before the state parole board, urging it not to release the men who killed his brother.
Protest arrests show regular Americans, not urban antifa
Read full article: Protest arrests show regular Americans, not urban antifaIt also underscores how the people being brought up on federal charges rarely fit President Donald Trump's portrayal of them as members of left-wing radical groups. In some cases, prosecutors have gone so far as appealing judge's orders to release defendants. Authorities have not claimed that the man accused of firing the shots is a member of antifa. More than 40% of those facing federal charges are white. Attorneys for those facing federal charges either declined to comment or didnโt respond to messages from the AP.
Families seek new investigations into old police killings
Read full article: Families seek new investigations into old police killingsBut the protests against racial injustice since George Floyd was killed during a police encounter in Minnesota have the three men's families urging authorities to reopen the investigations. Because criminal laws and juries often give great deference to police and the split-second decisions they have to make, families sometimes turn to civil courts to seek justice. The footage begins trained on Peters' car. The officer, who is also Black, deployed the stun gun, which appeared to have no effect, then shot Peters with his service weapon. โMarcus needed help, not death,โ Blanding said.
At D.C. march, families decry 'two systems of justice'
Read full article: At D.C. march, families decry 'two systems of justice'Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. Sixty-five years later (after Tills murder), we still struggle for justice demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and declaring as determinately as we can that Black lives matter, King said. As peaceful protests turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for law and order.The Rev. Theres a white system and a black system -- the black system aint doing so well.No justice, no peace! he proclaimed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, right outside of the White House, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June.
Black National Convention puts spotlight on police brutality
Read full article: Black National Convention puts spotlight on police brutalityBlack Lives Matter activists are holding a virtual Black National Convention Friday, Aug. 28, to adopt a political agenda calling for slavery reparations, universal basic income, environmental justice and legislation that entirely re-imagines criminal justice reforms. Anyone who is watching, who is both enraged or looking for action, will find a space" in the Black National Convention, Byrd said. The Black National Convention was originally planned to take place in-person in Detroit, the nations Blackest major city. Fridays convention is expected to be the largest gathering of Black activists and artists, albeit virtual, since the historic 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, which concluded with the introduction of a national Black agenda. The Black National Convention broadcast begins after the D.C. march has concluded.
Floyd's death spurs push to train cops to stop police abuse
Read full article: Floyd's death spurs push to train cops to stop police abusePolice departments nationwide are showing new interest in training officers how they should stop, or try to stop, abuse in their own ranks. Minneapolis adopted a policy in 2016 requiring officers to intervene when colleagues are using inappropriate force. In New Orleans, all officers have to take the peer intervention training, called Ethical Policing Is Courageous, or EPIC. Dallas, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Louisville, Kentucky, are among the cities that have implemented duty to intervene policies in recent months. New York City has had an intervention policy since 2016.
March on Washington reconfigured to comply with virus rules
Read full article: March on Washington reconfigured to comply with virus rulesIn late July, with local infection numbers rising, Bowser ordered that anyone traveling or returning to Washington from a virus hot spot must self-quarantine for 14 days. Bowser, when asked on July 30 about the potential conflict, said government officials had been in contact with march organizers and that Washington would not be relaxing its virus rules for participants. The NAACP, one of several partners in this year's commemoration, last week launched a website for a virtual March on Washington. The site will livestream the Washington march, in addition to other programming leading up to and after the event. The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, will hold its virtual Black National Convention later in the evening.
NBA: Russell Westbrook partners with the NBAPA to create social justice lifestyle shirts
Read full article: NBA: Russell Westbrook partners with the NBAPA to create social justice lifestyle shirtsGiven that the NBA has not grown the options of social justice-based sayings that players can choose from on their jerseys, the NBAs players union has taken it upon themselves, in collaboration with Russell Westbrook, to change that. The NBPA partnered with Westbrooks clothing line, Honor the Gift, to design shirts with messages that were not approved for NBA jerseys. Additionally, the names of police brutality victims will adorn the front of every shirt. Those names include Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Terence Crutcher, Sandra Bland, Pamela Turner, Tamir Rice and Ahmaud Arbery. pic.twitter.com/drf2f7NocD Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) July 20, 2020Its not yet known whether players will be allowed to wear the shirts during waramups or if they will only be permitted to wear them around the NBA bubble.
Medical experts: Floyd's speech didn't mean he could breathe
Read full article: Medical experts: Floyd's speech didn't mean he could breatheMadeline Curry attends a protest with her father outside the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct while wearing a protective mask that reads "I CAN'T BREATHE", Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Medical experts: Floyd's speech didn't mean he could breathe
Read full article: Medical experts: Floyd's speech didn't mean he could breatheMadeline Curry attends a protest with her father outside the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct while wearing a protective mask that reads "I CAN'T BREATHE", Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. One told Floyd it takes a lot of oxygen to talk, while another told angry bystanders that Floyd was talking, so he can breathe.That reaction -- seen in police restraint deaths around the country -- is dangerously wrong, medical experts say. In the moments before he died, Floyd told police he couldnt breathe more than 20 times. The volume of an ordinary breath is about 400 to 600 mL, but normal speech requires about 50 mL of gas per syllable, so saying the words I cant breathe would require 150 mL of gas, the authors wrote. But the misperception that a talking person is able to breathe has also come up in other high-profile in-custody deaths.
Law enforcement struggles with policing in reckoning moment
Read full article: Law enforcement struggles with policing in reckoning momentFILE - In this June 23, 2020, file photo a man gestures to Metropolitan Police Department officers standing guard after police closed the area around Lafayette Park near the White House after protesters tried to topple a statue of Andrew Jackson in the park in Washington. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)
Law enforcement struggles with policing in reckoning moment
Read full article: Law enforcement struggles with policing in reckoning momentFor some, the moment is causing a personal reckoning with past arrests. Others distinguish between the Floyd case and their own work, highlighting their lives saved, personal moments when they cried alongside crime victims. In fact, I believe that my department is on the leading edge of doing it right."Of course, hardly all police support change. The long, often dark history of American policing has meant minority communities are treated one way, and white ones another. Cerelyn Davis, police chief in Durham, North Carolina, and president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, said reform is possible, but there must national accountability standards, and teeth behind them.
NYPD officer charged with using banned chokehold
Read full article: NYPD officer charged with using banned chokeholdFILE - In this Nov. 5, 2014, file photo, New York City police officer David Afanador leaves state court in New York following his arraignment. The confrontation on the boardwalk came after weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Officer David Afanador, 39, was expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon on strangulation and attempted strangulation charges stemming from the confrontation Sunday on a Queens beach boardwalk. The issue has been particularly fraught since the death of Eric Garner after an officer put him in a chokehold in 2014. Afanador is the second NYPD officer to face brutality charges this month.
The Latest: Mpls union leader says members scapegoated
Read full article: The Latest: Mpls union leader says members scapegoatedFILE - In this July 30, 2018 file photo, Minneapolis Police Union President Lt. Bob Kroll speaks during a news conference in Minneapolis. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)TOP OF THE HOUR: Minneapolis union president says members scapegoated. Kroll said Tuesday on CBS This Morning he thinks union members are being scapegoated for incompetent department leadership. Police chief Medaria Arradondo said after Floyds death that hes pausing contract negotiations with the union to consider major changes. Anna Hedberg, another union director, says the union had been having great conversations with city leaders and Arradondo before Floyds death.
NYPD officer in 'chokehold' video had prior brutality case
Read full article: NYPD officer in 'chokehold' video had prior brutality caseIn this photo taken from police body cam video, New York Police officers arrest a man on a boardwalk Sunday, June 21, 2020, in New York. The police department moved quickly to suspend Officer David Afanador without pay after Sunday's confrontation on the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach in Queens. In that case, Afanador was seen on video using his gun to hit a 16-year-old boy during a marijuana bust. I put out the body camera footage yesterday and I think it tells a very different story than the initial video, Shea said. The speed with which the NYPD suspended Afanador stood in sharp contrast to the drawn-out police disciplinary process of years past.
Atlanta mayor vows changes in how police officers use force
Read full article: Atlanta mayor vows changes in how police officers use forceThe family wants the officers involved in Brooks' death arrested and prosecuted. The mayor said she'll also require officers to intervene if they see a colleague using excessive force. Two white officers had responded to calls about a man who was asleep at the wheel in a Wendy's drive-thru lane. Brooks broke free and took off with a stun gun; a white officer shot him as he tried to run away. In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a panel of residents, activists and one police official will review the Police Departments policy on when officers can use force.
A look at Trump's executive order to improve policing
Read full article: A look at Trump's executive order to improve policingThe executive action also makes it harder for those officers with a troubled history from getting hired by other departments. A: The executive order would give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices and encourage programs in which social workers join police when they respond to nonviolent calls involving mental health, addiction and homeless issues. The presidents executive order also requires the attorney general to create a database tracking terminations, criminal convictions and civil judgments against law enforcement officers for excessive use-of-force. Q: Can the administration set conditions on law enforcement funding? An organization called the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies already credentials police departments.
Experts: Police 'woefully undertrained' in use of force
Read full article: Experts: Police 'woefully undertrained' in use of force(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)BURIEN, Wash. Seattle officers hold down a protester, and one repeatedly punches him in the face. Better training cant fix all the issues facing the nations police departments, but experts believe it would have a big impact. A recent Associated Press investigation found that a lack of firearms training has resulted in unintentional shootings by law enforcement. Police officers across the country are woefully undertrained, said Sean Hendrickson, an instructor at Washington states police academy in suburban Seattle. In Washington state, cadets must complete 720 hours of training, but those skills start to degrade immediately, Hendrickson said.
Floyd's death spurs question: What is a black life worth?
Read full article: Floyd's death spurs question: What is a black life worth?In this June 1, 2020, photo, people gather near the Cup Foods grocery store where George Floyd died in Minneapolis. And for George Floyd, it was an accusation he used a fake $20 bill at a grocery store. The Movement for Black Lives is behind a push for local communities to defund police departments nationwide, and reinvest in struggling black communities to address economic inequality and disparities in education and health care. That is a big piece that I think we need to focus on.Last week, Floyds family forwarded their pleas for racial justice to the United Nations. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer and former president of the Minneapolis NAACP, said the demand that black lives are valued like white lives must begin at the community level.
Dave Chappelle speaks on George Floyd in new Netflix special
Read full article: Dave Chappelle speaks on George Floyd in new Netflix specialNEW YORK An angry and emotional Dave Chappelle spoke on the killing of George Floyd in a surprise Netflix special, saying America was being punished for its mistreatment of black men. The special was released Thursday and is streaming free on Netflixs comedy YouTube channel. It was taken from a show at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with about 100 attendees on June 6. Chappelle called his special 8:46 in part after the length of time the officer was on top of the handcuffed Floyd. When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die, said the comedian.
Trump says chokeholds by police should generally 'be ended'
Read full article: Trump says chokeholds by police should generally 'be ended'WASHINGTON President Donald Trump says hed like to see an end to the police use of chokeholds, except in certain circumstances. I dont like chokeholds," Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel that aired Friday. Generally speaking, he said, the practice should be ended. But Trump also talked at length about a scenario in which a police officer is alone and fighting one-on-one and could have to resort to the tactic. With that being said, it would be, I think, a very good thing that, generally speaking, it should be ended," he added. A private autopsy found that Floyd died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure on his neck, but the citys medical examiner found Floyd died from heart failure in part because of the neck compression.
Police disciplinary records are largely kept secret in US
Read full article: Police disciplinary records are largely kept secret in USDaniel Pantaleo, the New York City officer who seized Eric Garner in a deadly chokehold, had eight. Both Democratic and Republican reform bills in Congress would make officers' disciplinary records public and create a national database of allegations a shift in political will that didn't exist just a few years ago. New York legislators this week voted to repeal the law that kept officers' names secret along with specifics about complaints made against them. Chris Dunn, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, rejected the notion, advanced largely by Republicans, that police disciplinary records should be kept private like medical information. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and Mayor Jim Kenney pledged this week to publish a detailed quarterly report on complaints against city officers.
Long seen as radical, Black Lives Matter goes mainstream
Read full article: Long seen as radical, Black Lives Matter goes mainstreamBlack Lives Matter has gone mainstream and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. Its very name enraged its foes, who countered with the slogans Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter." Black Lives Matter has gone mainstream and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. When we started Black Lives Matter, it was really to have a larger conversation around this country about its relationship to black people, said Patrisse Cullors, one of three black women who founded the Black Lives Matter Global Network, with chapters throughout the U.S. and in Britain and Canada. Last week, longtime Sacramento Kings TV broadcaster Grant Napear resigned after tweeting ALL LIVES MATTER when asked his opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement.
AP Exclusive: Police officers' personal info leaked online
Read full article: AP Exclusive: Police officers' personal info leaked onlineThe document warns that the effort, known as doxxing, could lead to attacks by violent opportunists or domestic violent extremists or could prevent law enforcement officials from carrying out their duties. It is not illegal to post the personal information of law enforcement officers online, though many social media companies specifically prohibit its sharing as part of their terms of service. Officers are being encouraged to increase their security settings on their accounts, like using multi-factor email authentication and strong passwords. The report also suggests avoid taking online quizzes or games that elicit personal information, to be wary of suspicious emails and not to post phone numbers online. The report says the Department of Homeland security has medium confidence that cyber actors will possibly continue to target law enforcement officers" with doxxing tactics "to undermine law enforcements response to ongoing lawful protests.
A look at Democrats' sweeping proposals to overhaul policing
Read full article: A look at Democrats' sweeping proposals to overhaul policingThe law would allow an officer to be charged for acting with reckless disregard for someones life, causing that person's death. The bill would amend federal misconduct statutes to make it easier for courts to find officers personally liable for the violation of civil rights. The proposal would give specific subpoena power to federal civil rights prosecutors to conduct those investigations and would aid state attorneys general with conducting similar investigations. As attorney general in the Obama administration, Eric Holder frequently criticized violent police confrontations and opened a series of civil rights investigations into local law enforcement practices. The civil rights investigations often ended with court-approved consent decrees that mandated reforms.
George Floyd, whose death energized a movement, to be buried
Read full article: George Floyd, whose death energized a movement, to be buriedMourners pass by the casket of George Floyd during a public visitation for Floyd at the Fountain of Praise church Monday, June 8, 2020, in Houston. George Floyd, who was 46 when he was killed, will be laid to rest next to his mother. Floyd's death sparked international protests and drew new attention to the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. by police and the criminal justice system. Four Minneapolis officers were charged in connection with Floyd's death, which was captured on video by bystanders, who begged police to stop hurting him. A Minnesota judge on Monday kept bail at $1.25 million for Derek Chauvin, the police officer charged with second-degree murder in Floyds death.
Democrats proposing new police procedures, accountability
Read full article: Democrats proposing new police procedures, accountabilityWASHINGTON A sweeping overhaul of police oversight and procedures is being proposed by Democrats in response to the deaths of black Americans at the hands of law enforcement, according to a draft outline obtained by The Associated Press. It is the most ambitious changes to law enforcement sought by Congress in years. Bass said the package from House and Senate Democrats will be bolder than any law enforcement changes of the past decade. It is unclear if law enforcement and the powerful police unions will back any of the proposed changes or if congressional Republicans will join the effort. Booker and fellow one-time presidential hopeful, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, are co-authors of the package in the Senate.
New York poised to lift veil on police disciplinary files
Read full article: New York poised to lift veil on police disciplinary files(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)ALBANY, N.Y. ALBANY, N.Y.As protesters of police brutality demand accountability, New York lawmakers are poised to overhaul a decades-old law that has kept officers disciplinary records secret. But over the years, the law has draped a veil over most records of police misconduct, including allegations. Formal complaints about excessive force by officers are not public in New York. Only New York and Delaware have state laws that provide law enforcement with special carve outs from records disclosure, according to a statement from advocacy groups including Common Cause New York and the New York Public Interest Research Group. ___Associated Press writers Jim Mustian in New York and Michael R. Sisak on Long Island contributed to this report.
Union Berlin's Anthony Ujah calls on players to fight racism
Read full article: Union Berlin's Anthony Ujah calls on players to fight racismBERLIN Union Berlin striker Anthony Ujah has encouraged his fellow soccer players to be more proactive in the fight against racism. Everybody in the world of soccer knows who Thomas Mller is. I dont know how to explain, but sports has the power to bring people together, Mller said in a video that also showed other Bundesliga players gestures last weekend. Others, including American players Weston McKennie, Zack Steffen and Tyler Adams also expressed solidarity with social media posts and/or on-field statements. If I manage to get just five or 10 people to change their way of thinking about me, then Ive fulfilled my role, Ujah wrote.
The Latest: Australians draw parallels to inequality in U.S.
Read full article: The Latest: Australians draw parallels to inequality in U.S.(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)The Latest on the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck:TOP OF THE HOUR: Australians rally, draw parallels to inequality in U.S. Protesters take to New York City streets after curfew, again. Protesters in South Korea condemn what they described as U.S. police brutality toward demonstrators. ___CANBERRA, Australia -- Thousands gathered in Australias capital on Friday to remind citizens that the racial inequality underscored by George Floyds death was not unique to the United States. ___NEW YORK -- Protesters stayed on the streets of New York City after curfew for another day Thursday, spurred by the death of George Floyd. ___WASHINGTON Protests in the nations capital over George Floyds death broke up before dark Thursday as a heavy rain began to fall.
Players send video message to NFL about racial inequality
Read full article: Players send video message to NFL about racial inequalityNEW YORK NEW YORK (AP) Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley and Michael Thomas are among more than a dozen NFL stars who united to send a passionate video message to the league about racial inequality. The players then name several of the black men and women who have recently been killed, including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Eric Garner. I AM George Floyd, Hopkins says. ... We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. ... We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
US Legislatures slow to pass laws limiting use of force
Read full article: US Legislatures slow to pass laws limiting use of forceFILE - In this March 5, 2019 file photo Ohio House minority leader Emilia Sykes delivers the Democrat's response to the Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's Ohio State of the State address at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. As of August 2018, at least 16 states had passed use-of-force laws, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures. Other laws created task forces to set new standards, boosted training or improved tracking of officers' use of guns and deadly force. Police unions have often resisted attempts to restrict officers' use of deadly force and are politically potent in most states. In 2015, the board adopted statewide standards limiting use of deadly force by police officers to defending themselves or others from serious injury or death.
Pelosi urges Trump to be 'healer in chief' as protests rage
Read full article: Pelosi urges Trump to be 'healer in chief' as protests ragePelosi invoked Biblical scripture to reject Trump's clampdown on peaceful protesters outside the White House and she drew on past presidents including George H.W. Gone are the days when Black Lives Matter protests were met simply with Blue Lives Matter retorts in support of law enforcement. Instead, Congress seems to have heard the protesters outside its doors. One House Democrat probed the Secret Service for any communication about Trump's ordering the clampdown on protesters outside the White House. With the Capitol still partly closed due to the coronavirus, a pandemic that is disproportionately striking black Americans, Congress is now confronting another deepening crisis.
Spike Lee on what's different about these protests
Read full article: Spike Lee on what's different about these protestsFILE - In this June 29, 2009 file photo, Spike Lee attends a special 20th anniversary screening of his film "Do the Right Thing" in New York. Do the Right Thing, about rising racial tensions on a hot summer day in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, took direct inspiration from reality. Many years later, Eric Garner, automatically I thought of Ray Raheem," said Lee. I mean, he was quoting the words of Eric Garner: I cant breathe. He was channeling Eric Garner. I haven't seen this diverse protests since when I was a kid, Lee said, citing the movements of the '60s.
Medical examiner: Floyd's heart stopped while restrained
Read full article: Medical examiner: Floyd's heart stopped while restrained(Hennepin County Sheriff via AP)MINNEAPOLIS A medical examiner on Monday classified George Floyds death as a homicide, saying his heart stopped as police restrained him and compressed his neck, in a widely seen video that has sparked protests across the nation. A Minneapolis police officer was charged last week with third-degree murder in Floyds death, and three other officers were fired. Bystander video showed the officer, Derek Chauvin, holding his knee on Floyds neck despite the man's cries that he can't breathe until he eventually stopped moving. The complaint, citing preliminary findings from the medical examiner, listed the effects of being restrained, along with underlying health issues and potential intoxicants in Floyds system. Tim Walz announced Sunday that Attorney General Keith Ellison would take the lead in any prosecutions in Floyd's death.
Brands weigh in on national protests over police brutality
Read full article: Brands weigh in on national protests over police brutalityBlack lives matter. At the same time, companies must consider whether it makes sense for them to weigh in, especially on an issue as sensitive as race. Media giant ViacomCBS tweeted Black Lives Matter. Expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Movement is the right message, but everyone is jumping in on that bandwagon, said Allen Adamson, co-founder and managing partner of Metaforce a marketing and product consultancy. Each of these black lives matter.
Protesters invoke different names to decry police treatment
Read full article: Protesters invoke different names to decry police treatmentIn Tulsa, Oklahoma, people gathered in a spot where white mobs killed hundreds of blacks a century ago and chanted the name of Terence Crutcher. Terence Crutcher was fatally shot in 2016 by a white police officer, Betty Shelby, who was later acquitted of manslaughter. The shooting remains under investigation, and Ramos' mom, Brenda Ramos, questioned why the officer who shot him hasn't been arrested or at least suspended. Now I am in this terrible heartbreaking club," Ramos' mom, Brenda Ramos, told reporters over the weekend. Andrew Cuomo posted a slide with the names of many black men killed or abused by police in cities around the nation.
Protests over police killings rage in dozens of US cities
Read full article: Protests over police killings rage in dozens of US citiesIn Washington, the National Guard was deployed outside the White House, where chanting crowds taunted law enforcement officers. In Salt Lake City, protesters defied a curfew and National Guard troops were deployed by Utahs governor. Muhammad said she sympathized with peaceful protests over Floyds death but disagreed with the violence: Wrong doesnt answer wrong." Overnight curfews were imposed in more than a dozen major cities nationwide, including Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Seattle. Governors in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Texas also activated the National Guard after protests there turned violent.
Police cars burn, windows shatter as protests roil New York
Read full article: Police cars burn, windows shatter as protests roil New York(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)NEW YORK Street protests spiraled into New York Citys worst day of unrest in decades Saturday, as fires burned, windows got smashed and dangerous confrontations between demonstrators and officers flared amid crowds of thousands decrying police killings. Demonstrators smashed windows, hurled objects at officers, torched and battered police vehicles and blocked roads with garbage and wreckage. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, blamed the destruction on a small number of agitators who he said do not represent this city and were purposely trying to incite violence against police. In Buffalo, numerous storefronts had their windows smashed and a person tried to start a fire in City Hall. The protests in each city were all held in defiance of a statewide ban on gatherings imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Minneapolis overwhelmed again by protests over Floyd death
Read full article: Minneapolis overwhelmed again by protests over Floyd deathProtests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. The rare step came as the violence spread to other cities: A man shot dead in Detroit, police cars battered in Atlanta and skirmishes with police in New York City. Minneapolis police said shots had been fired at law enforcement officers during the protests but no one was injured. Chauvin eventually pulled Floyd out of the car, and the handcuffed Floyd went to the ground face down. The doctor who will do the autopsy is Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City.
Trump walks back his incendiary Minneapolis 'thugs' post
Read full article: Trump walks back his incendiary Minneapolis 'thugs' postPresident Donald Trump leaves after speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, May 29, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has tried to walk back his post-midnight thugs tweet about Minneapolis protesters that added to outrage over the police killing of a black man. Trump, after hours of backlash, said Friday evening that he was unaware of the origins of the phrase. The White House, trying to skirt the blockage, reposted the message on its own official Twitter account Friday morning. Twitter quickly flagged that tweet, too, accusing the White House of promoting violence.
Before Floyd death, activists saw progress on police reforms
Read full article: Before Floyd death, activists saw progress on police reformsLaw enforcement officers amassed along Lake Street near Hiawatha Ave. as fires burned after a night of unrest and protests in the death of George Floyd early Friday, May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. The city appointed its first black chief of police nearly three years ago, after slow progress toward making the department more inclusive. Earlier this year, a statewide task force made up of activists, people representing victims of police brutality, and law enforcement leaders released recommendations for policing reforms. Those included Clark, who was killed during a struggle with two white Minneapolis officers, and Philando Castile, who was fatally shot by a Hispanic suburban police officer during a traffic stop in 2016.
'I can't breathe' a rally cry anew for police protests in US
Read full article: 'I can't breathe' a rally cry anew for police protests in USProtests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody Monday, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)WASHINGTON I cant breathe.Eric Garner uttered those words six years ago, locked in a police chokehold. It became a rallying cry after his death for demonstrators across the country who protested the killings of African Americans by police. Floyd's death came after Ahmaud Arbery was shot to death in Georgia by a former district attorney investigator and his son, who were not arrested until after video emerged months later. Davis has gone to some protests, but came this morning with his two adolescent children to show them what was happening.
Police across US speak out against Minneapolis custody death
Read full article: Police across US speak out against Minneapolis custody deathLaw enforcement officials nationwide have rushed to condemn the actions of Minneapolis officers in the death of a black man in custody, a wave of harsh criticism experts say is unprecedented. Police nationwide, in unequivocal and unprecedented language, have condemned the actions of Minneapolis police in the custody death of a handcuffed black man who cried for help as an officer knelt on his neck, pinning him to the pavement for at least eight minutes. A bystander's disturbing video shows Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd's neck, even as Floyd begs for air and slowly stops talking and moving. Weve got to remember that it was not just Officer Chauvin who was sitting on George Floyds neck, she said. Minneapolis is bracing for more violence after days of civil unrest, with burned buildings, looted stores and angry graffiti demanding justice.
Trump tries a new response after George Floyd's death
Read full article: Trump tries a new response after George Floyd's deathI feel very, very badly," Trump said Thursday of George Floyd's death while handcuffed and in the custody of Minneapolis police. But some activists doubt that Trump has suddenly evolved on the issue of police brutality and instead see election-year political calculations. Trump was very upset when he saw that video," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday. The White House and Department of Justice have long had the power to address these issues. Sharpton credited both the magnitude of outrage in response to Floyd's death as well as the upcoming election for the changed approach.
Police, experts condemn knee restraint used on George Floyd
Read full article: Police, experts condemn knee restraint used on George FloydPolice around the U.S. and law enforcement experts are broadly condemning the way Floyd, who died in police custody, was restrained by a Minneapolis officer who dug his knee into the man's neck. The cellphone video shows Floyd, who is black, face-down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back, as officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, uses the knee restraint on his neck. Toward the end of the video, paramedics arrive, lift a limp Floyd onto a stretcher and place him in an ambulance. Law enforcement officials often ask that people reserve judgment in such cases until all facts what transpired before or after what a video shows are known. But there's no sign from the video that any of the officers at the scene with Chauvin tried to intervene.
Trump tries a new response after George Floyd's death
Read full article: Trump tries a new response after George Floyd's deathI feel very, very badly," Trump said Thursday of George Floyd's death while handcuffed and in the custody of police in Minneapolis. But some activists doubt that Trump has suddenly evolved on the issue of police brutality and instead see election year political calculations. Trump was very upset when he saw that video," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday. The White House and Department of Justice have long had the power to address these issues. Sharpton credited both the magnitude of outrage in response to Floyd's death as well as the election for the changed approach.
Swift firings for Minneapolis officers in death of black man
Read full article: Swift firings for Minneapolis officers in death of black manFour officers were fired a day after George Floyd's death, a stunning and swift move by the Minneapolis chief with the mayor's full backing. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black mans neck. The video starts with the shirtless man on the ground, and does not show what happened in the moments prior. What do you think this is?The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Floyd but said the cause of death was pending. The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was fatally shot Feb. 23 in Georgia after a white father and son pursued the 25-year-old black man they had spotted running in their subdivision.
Four Minneapolis officers fired after death of black man
Read full article: Four Minneapolis officers fired after death of black manPeople gather and pray around a makeshift memorial, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in Minneapolis, near the site where a black man, who was taken into police custody the day before, later died. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black mans neck. One of the officers tells him to relax. The man calls for his mother and says: My stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts ... A grand jury later decided against indicting the officers involved in Garners death, sparking protests around the country. The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was fatally shot Feb. 23 in Georgia after a white father and son pursued the 25-year-old black man they had spotted running in their subdivision.
NYPD commissioner won't resign after union resolutions of no confidence
Read full article: NYPD commissioner won't resign after union resolutions of no confidenceSpencer Platt/Getty Images(CNN) - New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill says he won't resign despite pressure from the Police Benevolent Association union stemming partly from the firing of an officer involved in a 2014 fatal arrest. Earlier this week, the PBA unanimously approved resolutions of no confidence in both O'Neill and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The union's 27-member delegate assembly released the resolutions on Wednesday, calling for O'Neill's resignation and asking Gov. PBA spokesman Albert O'Leary told CNN this is not the first time the union has issued a resolution of no confidence. He said the last one was against former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly in 2004.
NYPD sergeant to lose vacation days over Eric Garner death
Read full article: NYPD sergeant to lose vacation days over Eric Garner deathKizzy Adonis will lose 20 vacation days, according to the source, for her actions related to the 2014 incident in which another officer was found to have placed Garner in a banned chokehold moments before he died. "The Police Commissioner evaluated Sergeant Adonis' supervision of officers under her command that day, and found that it was lacking in certain areas," NYPD Assistant Commissioner Devora Kaye told CNN on Wednesday in a statement. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader who has advocated with the Garner family, called the decision to dock Adonis' vacation time "too little, too late." Garner, a 43-year-old father of six, died while police tried to arrest him for allegedly selling loose cigarettes on Staten Island. In video of the arrest, Garner can be heard telling Pantaleo, "I can't breathe.
Watch Local 4 News at 4 -- Aug. 19, 2019
Read full article: Watch Local 4 News at 4 -- Aug. 19, 2019DETROIT - Here's what is coming up on Local 4 News at 4:Homicide victim searchPolice said they are searching for possible homicide victims in Macomb Township cold cases. Oakland County ExecutiveThe new Oakland County Executive was sworn in Monday in Pontiac. NYPD Garner decisionThe New York Police Department has fired the officer who put Eric Garner in a choke hold. Local ninjaA Plymouth man is taking his talents on NBC's American Ninja Warrior. Bleach warningIf you've been told to drink bleach to cure things like autism or cancer.
Officer accused of choking Eric Garner is fired
Read full article: Officer accused of choking Eric Garner is fired(CNN) - The New York police officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner in 2014 has been fired and will not receive his NYPD pension, Commissioner James O'Neill said Monday. "It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City Police officer," he said. As Pantaleo forces Garner's head into the sidewalk, Garner could be heard saying "I can't breathe. Garner's death, three weeks before the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, started the resurgence of police accountability and brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront, Rev. "For over five years, the Garner family and communities across the country have waited for justice in the death of Eric Garner," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
Watch Local 4 News at 5 -- Aug. 2, 2019
Read full article: Watch Local 4 News at 5 -- Aug. 2, 2019DETROIT - Here's what is coming up on Local 4 News at 5:Dog rescuedFirefighters rescued a dog tied to wires. Boater behavior arrestThe boater accused of causing chaos at a Wyandotte restaurant is a retired Detroit police officer. Eric Garner decisionA major decision in the case of Eric Garner, the man who died after being put in a chokehold by police. Reduce deathsWhen the city of Detroit began the program to demolish abandoned homes many questioned how much it would actually cut crime. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.
NYPD judge recommends officer accused in Eric Garner case be fired
Read full article: NYPD judge recommends officer accused in Eric Garner case be firedCleared in a criminal trial, NYPD Officer Daniel Panaleo now faces an internal trial on tactics he used in the death of Eric Garner. A key question in the case remains whether Pantaleo used a chokehold, which is banned by the NYPD, against Garner. The officer denies he used the maneuver and has been on desk duty since Garner's death. "All of New York City understandably seeks closure to this difficult chapter in our City's history," Walzak said in a statement, declining further comment. Federal investigators began examining the circumstances of Garner's death in 2014, after a grand jury in New York declined to indict the Staten Island officer.
Officer accused in Eric Garner death could learn fate this week
Read full article: Officer accused in Eric Garner death could learn fate this weekCleared in a criminal trial, NYPD Officer Daniel Panaleo now faces an internal trial on tactics he used in the death of Eric Garner. The crux of the case remains whether Pantaleo used a chokehold, which is banned by the NYPD; the officer denies he used the move. Activists and lawyers for the Civilian Complaint Review Board call the maneuver Pantaleo used on Garner an illegal chokehold. Garner's death brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront in New York, with protesters marching in the streets. Five years later, Garner's death remains a fervent topic locally and on the national stage.