The Minneapolis Shootings Underline the Advantages of Body Cameras, Which DHS Has Been Slow To Adopt
A pending appropriations bill could increase transparency and accountability by requiring DHS personnel to record encounters with the public.
Excessive Force
DHS Retreats From the Claim That the Agents Who Killed Alex Pretti Faced a 'Violent Riot'
The department now describes the threat as "several civilians" who were "yelling and blowing whistles."
Gregory Bovino's Legacy: Lies, Violence, and Unchecked Federal Power
Although Bovino is gone, immigration officials will continue to disregard rights and the rule of law under President Donald Trump.
Alex Pretti's Death Widens a Split Between Trump and Gun Rights Groups
Federal officials suggested that carrying a firearm is inherently threatening and an invitation to police violence.
Border Patrol Agents Started the Scuffle That Led to Alex Pretti's Death
As with Renee Good, a calmer response could have avoided the lethal outcome.
Trump Backpedals From Portraying Alex Pretti As a 'Domestic Terrorist' and 'Would-Be Assassin'
Although the president initially reinforced that plainly inaccurate narrative, his subsequent comments cast doubt on the initial justification for shooting the Minneapolis protester.
DHS Again Promises a Thorough Investigation of a Fatal Shooting After Prejudging the Outcome
"The victims are the Border Patrol agents" who killed Alex Pretti, says one DHS official, who previously claimed Pretti wanted to "massacre law enforcement."
'We Are Not Investigating' the Shooting of Renee Good, the Deputy Attorney General Says
Todd Blanche joins other top administration officials in declaring that ICE agent Jonathan Ross was justified in killing Good. Most Americans disagree.
ICE Agents Flouted DHS Policies That Could Have Prevented Renee Good's Death
DHS tells officers to use "de-escalation tactics," employ "a verbal warning" instead of force when feasible, and avoid "placing themselves in positions" that trigger the use of deadly force.
Video Shows Feds Shooting ICE Protester With Nonlethal Round at Point-Blank Range, Blinding Him in One Eye
The incident raises more questions about federal agents' use-of-force policies and training.
The FBI Thinks Renee Good's Anti-ICE Activism Is Relevant in Deciding Whether Killing Her Was Justified
It is hard to see how, since that question hinges on what happened the morning that an ICE agent shot her.
The ICE Agent Who Killed Renee Good Disregarded Traffic Stop Guidelines
Jonathan Ross positioned himself in front of Good's car and continued firing even after he was no longer in its path.
Video of the Minneapolis ICE Shooting Does Not Resolve the Issue of Whether It Was Legally Justified
The crucial question is whether the agent reasonably believed the driver he killed posed a threat, even if she was not actually trying to run him over.
If You Give a Bear a Badge, Will It Respect Your Rights?
Despite their general ignorance of constitutional law, bears pose a much less grave threat to your civil liberties than humans do.
How Politicians and Cops Tried To Dodge Responsibility in 2025
Presidents, legislators, and police officers were desperate to blame anyone but themselves.
The Feds' 'Worst of the Worst' Database Is Stuffed With Nonviolent Offenders. Who Exactly Is ICE Arresting?
Most ICE arrestees are nonviolent or have no criminal convictions at all.
'Operation Midway Blitz' Agents Pepper-Sprayed a Chicago Family on a Grocery Run
"She was struggling to breathe," said the father of a 1-year-old exposed to the chemical.
Homeland Security Won't Stop Lying About Who Immigration Enforcers Are Arresting
In case after case, Homeland Security's Public Affairs Office releases incorrect information about arrests carried out by federal immigration officers.
Louisiana Cops Beat a Naked Inmate During a Strip Search. Long Withheld Video Shows He Was Compliant.
Although the officers were eventually criminally convicted, Jarius Brown is still pursuing damages to cover the medical expenses for serious injuries to his face, nose, and chest.
'Botched' Drug Raids Show How Prohibition Invites Senseless Violence
The war on drugs authorizes police conduct that otherwise would be readily recognized as criminal.
5 Years After Breonna Taylor Was Killed, 1 Officer Gets 33 Months
Brett Hankison was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s Fourth Amendment rights during a fatal no-knock police raid.
A Federal Inmate Had a Limb Partially Amputated After Being Kept in Restraints for 2 Days
An inspector general report found there were no limits on how long federal inmates could be kept in restraint chairs or strapped to beds.
Las Vegas Police Arrest TikTok Livestreamers and Tell Them 'You Should've Shut Your Mouth'
"You need to learn the rules," an officer says. "You run your mouth at me. Now you're on your face."
A Federal Judge Says New Mexico Cops Reasonably Killed an Innocent Man at the Wrong House
U.S. District Judge Matthew Garcia rejected the argument that the officers "recklessly created the need to apply deadly force by going to the wrong address."
The Supreme Court Unanimously Rejects a 'Very Narrow Approach' to Deadly Force by Police
The decision revives a lawsuit against a Texas officer who shot a driver after endangering himself by jumping onto a moving car.
Alabama Cops Cooked Up Bogus Charges After Arresting Man They Tased While Handcuffed, Lawsuit Says
Video of the incident shows Micah Washington screaming as a Reform, Alabama, police officer deploys a Taser directly into his back.
Maryland Cop Who Recklessly Shot a 5-Year-Old Boy Got Qualified Immunity
The Cato Institute is urging the Supreme Court to take up the case and reaffirm that the liability shield does not apply to "obvious rights violations."
Shooting the Messenger and Blaming the Victim
How cops, politicians, and bureaucrats tried to dodge responsibility in 2024
Federal Judge Tells New York City To Brace for Takeover of Rikers After Contempt Finding
A federal judge ruled that New York City was in violation of 18 different provisions of a court-enforced plan to clean up the infamous Rikers Island jail complex.
Nearly Five Years After Breonna Taylor's Death, Justice Remains Elusive
A long-delayed conviction illustrates the difficulty of holding cops accountable for abusing their powers.
Cop Who Fired Blindly Into Breonna Taylor's Home Is Convicted of Violating Her Constitutional Rights
Former Louisville detective Brett Hankison is one of four officers who faced federal charges after a deadly 2020 drug raid.
Phoenix Police Pummel a Deaf Man, Months After the Justice Department Found Widespread Civil Rights Violations
Tyron McAlpin's lawyers say he couldn't hear the commands of the officers when they jumped out of a police cruiser and immediately attacked him.
A Texas Cop Endangered Himself by Jumping Onto a Moving Car. Then He Shot the Driver.
The Supreme Court will review a 5th Circuit decision that let the officer off the hook without considering the recklessness that turned a routine traffic stop into a deadly encounter.
A Florida Judge Blocked a Newspaper from Publishing Video of a Jail Death
The Ocala Gazette says the footage contradicts the Marion County sheriff's claims about Scott Whitley's death. A judge won't let the paper publish the video.
Florida Police Officer Arrested and Charged in Fatal Shooting of 23-Year-Old Airman Roger Fortson
Fortson answered the door holding a legally owned handgun at his side. Within three seconds, a police officer shot him six times.
'María Knew She Was Being Targeted': The Arrest of a Venezuelan Activist Exposes Maduro's Brutal Crackdown
María Oropeza's arrest during a livestream highlights the dangers faced by opposition leaders in Venezuela and the regime's relentless efforts to silence dissent.
5 Years of Chicago Police Misconduct Cost Taxpayers Almost $400 Million
Repeat offenders accounted for over 40 percent of the hefty cost.
Oklahoma Cops Under Investigation for Slamming Innocent Dad to the Ground for 'Suspicious' Walk With Son
A father says his 6-year-old autistic son is traumatized after two police officers tackled the father for refusing to give his ID during an early morning walk in Watonga.
Justice Department Says Phoenix Police Violated Rights of Children, Minorities, Protesters, Homeless People
Phoenix police are trained that "deescalation" means overwhelming and immediate force, whether or not it's necessary.
California Cops Tased a Man Having a Seizure, Then Booked Him on Bogus Charges To Cover Their Mistake
Bruce Frankel was tased by a police officer in 2022 after his fiancee called 911 seeking medical help. Now he's suing.
A Florida Cop Gets Into a Shootout With an Acorn, Emptying His Gun Into His Own Patrol Car
Deputy Jesse Hernandez, whose bullets miraculously missed the handcuffed suspect in the car, resigned during an investigation that found he "violated policy."
Qualified Immunity Is Not Limited to Police Brutality. It Protects a Wide Variety of Abusive Officials.
An analysis of appeals involving the doctrine finds that less than a quarter "fit the popular conception of police accused of excessive force."
Wisconsin Police Held a Man and 3 Kids at Gunpoint During Routine Traffic Stop
Luke Weiland has filed a lawsuit alleging that police used "excessive" force.
Cops Arrested Him for a Fictitious Traffic Violation Because He Flipped Them Off
A federal judge allowed a lawsuit against the officers to proceed, finding evidence of several constitutional violations.
Who Killed Elijah McClain? Mixed Verdicts Reflect a Cascade of Ultimately Fatal Mistakes.
Juries convicted two paramedics and one police officer of criminally negligent homicide but acquitted two other cops.
'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
Trump's Promise to 'Indemnify' Cops 'Against Any and All Liability' Is Absurd for 2 Reasons
Police officers already are routinely indemnified, and suing them for abuse is much harder than Trump claims.
