Last week Paul O’Neal was fleeing from police in a stolen car. He crashed past one police car, and cops shot at him. He then veered head-on into another cop car, bailed, jumped over a fence (being more agile than any of the chasing cops), and was then shot at again. One (or more?) of these shots hit O’Neal in…
Tag: use of force
Reducing police-involved shooting & “The List”
This past week John McWhorter and I were both (separately) on Bloggingheads.tv with Glenn Loury to talk about race and all the recent shootings. McWhorter emphasized race as a factor of those shot by police and: challenged those who disagree to present a list of white people killed within the past few years under circumstances similar to those that so…
Chicago Police Report
It’s kind of hilarious that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying to present his cover-up-and-dictate style of management as concern for police misconduct. But leaving that aside, a task-force he appointed has released its report. Some of what it says needs to be said: “From 2011-2015, 40% of complaints filed were not investigated by IPRA.” And: “These events and others…
Problems with Tasers
I had no idea TASER was an acronym standing for anything, much less “Thomas A. Swift’s electric rifle“! The LA Times reports: LAPD officers fired Tasers just over 1,100 times last year…. The devices had the desired outcome — causing someone to submit to arrest — only 53% of the time. Is half the time better than nothing or not…
Taser Use
Great story in the Baltimore Sun about taser use: • Nearly 60 percent of those hit by Tasers in Maryland were described by police as “non-compliant and non-threatening,” according to data from 2012 when the state began collecting data through 2014. • In one out of every 10 incidents, police discharged the weapon for longer than 15 seconds — a…
“Justice 4 Whom”?!
Generally I couldn’t care less what Beyonce’s dancers think. But “Justice 4 Mario Woods” and a black power salute? Are you effing kidding me? Mario Woods was shot and killed by San Francisco police back in December. It was a good shooting. Christ almighty there are plenty of bad police shootings. Not this one. Woods doesn’t need justice. “Justice 4…
Useful lessons from Scotland on less-lethal policing
In the New York Times.
The truth will set you free
Another case where body cams help police officers avoid false accusations of brutality from a viral video.
Cops on Comey
I love thoughtful cops. Especially those who can write. He emailed me this and agreed to let me repost it, anonymously. I wish him well and am happy to see people like this still becoming police officers. I’m a police recruit with a B.A. in the social sciences, and I read your blog a lot. Granted I am just a…
“We can’t walk away.”
Baltimore’s Acting Commissioner Kevin Davis speaks about this video where officers fight with a suspect: The community doesn’t expect police officers to walk by that type of thing. … I’ve watched the video 5 or 6 times and think the officers showed remarkable restraint. … This is where the art form of policing is really best spoken about. What does…