DOJ Finds Excessive Force in Shootings by Miami Police

Seven men fatally shot over eight-month period

The U.S. Justice Department has found for the second time in a decade that the Miami Police Department engaged in a pattern of excessive use of force in shootings of suspects, including seven black men fatally shot by officers over an eight-month period ending in 2011.

The department's Civil Rights Division released the findings of an 18-month investigation Tuesday and said it will seek a federal court order to ensure necessary department changes are made permanent and overseen by a judge. That did not happen following a 2002 civil rights probe that also found Miami officers used excessive force.

"We are disappointed to find that the problem is back," said Roy Austin, deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights.