Police Abuse
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.
40 Percent of Police Officers Convicted of Child Sex Abuse Don't Get Prison Time, Investigation Finds
An analysis by The Washington Post found that nearly 1,800 police officers were arrested for child sex abuse-related crimes between 2005 and 2022.
Vermont Cops Terrorize High School Students With 'Mock Shooting'
"I'm shaking and crying because I'm like, 'Oh my god, I'm gonna get shot,'" one student told a Vermont newspaper. "It felt so real."
Louisiana's New 25-Foot Legal Forcefield for Police Threatens Accountability and Civil Liberties
A new law will make it much harder to film law enforcement officers in their public duties. Does that violate the First Amendment?
Woman Struck by Train While Locked in Police Car To Get $8.5 Million Settlement
Yareni Rios was severely injured after a train struck a police car she had been placed in after being arrested in 2022.
SWAT Goes to College
Even in an era of police militarization, there’s something shocking about seeing cops in riot gear on college campuses.
These Strange Bedfellows Want SCOTUS To Remind the 5th Circuit That Journalism Is Not a Crime
An ideologically diverse mix of individuals and organizations supports a Texas journalist who was arrested for asking questions.
A Missouri Police Officer Shot a Blind and Deaf Dog. Now He's Being Sued.
The town of Sturgeon initially defended the officer, saying he was afraid of being bitten by the 13-pound blind and deaf Shih Tzu.
This Journalist Was Arrested, Strip-Searched, and Jailed for Filming Police. Will He Get Justice?
Justin Pulliam's arrest and lawsuit once again demand we ask if "real" journalists are entitled to a different set of rights.
California Man Gets $900,000 Settlement for 'Psychological Torture' During 17-Hour Police Interrogation
Detectives in Fontana, California, told Thomas Perez Jr. that his father was dead and that he killed him. Neither was true.
The NYPD Took 7 Years To Fire This Cop. Then the Union Hired Him.
In practice, police unions' primary responsibility seems to be shielding officers from accountability and defending their conduct no matter what.
Is Minneapolis a 'Secret Bellwether' for Understanding Policing and Race in America?
The Minneapolis Reckoning shows why calls to defund the police gained momentum after George Floyd's death and why voters with no love for the cops still rejected an abolitionist ballot measure.
Trump's Anti-Crime Agenda Contradicts His Criticism of Biden's Legislative Record
Since he favors aggressive drug law enforcement, severe penalties, and impunity for abusive police officers, he may have trouble persuading black voters that he is on their side.
The Criminal Charges Against Scottie Scheffler Look Highly Questionable
Detective Bryan Gillis alleges the star golfer assaulted him. Footage released today does not help his story.
3 People Died of Thirst in a Texas County Jail in Under 2 Years
All three inmates were mentally ill and became dehydrated despite ready access to water.
A Cop's Corruption Allegedly Cost an Innocent Man 2 Years of His Life. Should She Get Qualified Immunity?
Judge Carlton Reeves ripped apart the legal doctrine in his latest decision on the matter.
Cop Who Dodged Sentence for Killing Sex Worker Gets 11 Years for Abducting More Sex Workers
The victims received no restitution payment.
Black People Overwhelmingly Want To Maintain—or Increase—Police Presence. They Also Want Better Police.
The dominant media narrative has obscured much of the nuance here.
Alabama Man Faces Jail Time for Refusing To Apologize to a Cop for Cursing During Traffic Stop
Reginald Burks says he told a police officer, "Get your ass out of the way so I can take my kids to school." First Amendment lawyers say he can't be forced to apologize.
A SWAT Team Blew Up This Innocent Couple's Home and Left Them With the Bill. Was That Constitutional?
Mollie and Michael Slaybaugh are reportedly out over $70,000. The government says it is immune.
Reason Is a Finalist for 14 Southern California Journalism Awards
Nominated stories include journalism on messy nutrition research, pickleball, government theft, homelessness, and more.
An Atlanta Cop Killed This Man For Refusing To Sign a Ticket
Now his victim's family has been awarded a $3.8 million settlement.
Trump Promises To Give Police 'Immunity From Prosecution'
The pledge, while mostly legally illiterate, offers a reminder of the former president's outlook on government accountability.
A Year Before Albuquerque's Police Corruption Scandal Made Headlines, an Internal Probe Found Nothing
In 2022, police received a tip that officers were getting paid to make DWI cases disappear—the same allegation that prompted FBI raids in January.
Florida Police Departments Spent Thousands on Training Seminars Banned in 9 States
A New Jersey government watchdog said Street Cop Training instructors glorified violence, made discriminatory remarks, and offered unprofessional and unconstitutional advice to officers.
California Cops Locked an Innocent Man in a Sex Offender Unit for 3 Days
Victor Manuel Martinez Wario was jailed for a total of five days, spending three of those in special housing for sex offenders.
Journalism Is Not a Crime, Even When It Offends the Government
Julian Assange and Priscilla Villarreal were both arrested for publishing information that government officials wanted to conceal.
Alabama Woman Arrested for Refusing To Give a Cop Her I.D.
Alabama law doesn't let police demand individuals' government identification. But they keep arresting people anyway.
Los Angeles Undermines Freedom of Information In Suit Over Police Photos
City gives journalist photos. Journalist publishes photos. City…sues journalist?
A Texas Reporter Busted for Asking Questions Asks SCOTUS To Reject the Criminalization of Journalism
Priscilla Villarreal is appealing a 5th Circuit decision that dismissed her First Amendment lawsuit against Laredo police and prosecutors.
After Iowa Police Ignored Her Pleas for Help, Her Estranged Husband Killed Her
Angela Prichard was murdered after Bellevue police officers repeatedly refused to enforce a restraining order against her abusive husband.
The Kansas Legislature Unanimously Passed a Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill
Kansas had among the most lax civil asset forfeiture laws in the country, but a bill sent to the governor's desk would strengthen protections for property owners.
A Cop Shot Her 11-Year-Old Son. Now She Might Lose Custody of Her Kids.
The local prosecuting attorney in Sunflower, Mississippi, is seeking to take away Nakala Murry's three children.
Kansas Police Seized Her Truck. It Took Her 8 Months To Get it Back, Despite Never Being Charged With a Crime.
Dewonna Goodridge quickly discovered that Kansas civil asset forfeiture laws were stacked against her when sheriff's deputies seized her truck.
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.
Albuquerque's Police Chief Ran a Red Light and Broadsided a Car. A Review Board Says It Was Unavoidable.
Harold Medina, who severely injured a driver while fleeing a gunman, ordered a thorough investigation of his own conduct.
Kansas Police Facing Lawsuit After Conducting 'Illegal' Raid Against Small-Town Paper
Last year, the offices of the Marion County Record were raided by police. A new lawsuit claims the search was illegal retaliation against the paper.
Judge Quashes Felony Murder Charges Against Former Houston Cop Whose Lies Led to a Deadly 2019 Drug Raid
Gerald Goines' lawyers argued that the indictment did not adequately specify the underlying felony of tampering with a government document.
FBI Agent Says He Hassles People 'Every Day, All Day Long' Over Facebook Posts
"It's just an effort to keep everybody safe and make sure nobody has any ill will," he claimed.
