Police
Filmmaker Tiller Russell Humanizes What Happened at Waco
A new Netflix documentary shows how the seeds of political polarization that roil our culture today were planted at Waco.
Joanna Schwartz's "Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable"
An important and compelling new book on qualified immunity and other obstacles to holding law enforcement officers accountable for rights violations.
Police Officers Charged With Murder in 'Smothering' of Virginia Man
"What I saw today was heartbreaking," said the victim's mother. "It was disturbing, it was traumatic. My son was tortured."
Police Found a Blunt in Their Car. So They Seized Their Kids.
"Then my baby started crying so I reached for my son, and as I'm reaching, a man held me and told me, 'Don't touch him. He's getting taken away from you,'" said the children's mother.
Bill Bratton: Fighting Crime Without Shredding Civil Liberties
The former head of the NYPD and the LAPD talks about how bad leadership creates police brutality and why he's still against pot legalization.
The Drug Exception to the Second Amendment
Conservatives have been slow to recognize the threat that drug prohibition poses to gun rights and other civil liberties.
A Police Officer Shot and Killed a 17-Year-Old Boy as He Fled. Now, His Mother Is Suing.
"I hurt every day," said the victim's mother. "I cry all day, every day."
California's K9 Reform Bill Is Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Police dogs seriously injured 186 people within the last two years—more than batons or tasers did, according to the ACLU.
Let Massholes Be Massholes, Says Bay State's High Court
Criticism of public officials doesn't have to be polite, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court confirmed.
Cops Harass Parents Who Let 6-Year-Old Daughter Take a Walk Outside, Arrest Dad
He did "what any dad would—he went to hug his crying kid," says former town councilman Keith Kaplan.
These New Laws Stop Cops From Lying to Kids
Yes, even children should have access to an attorney.
Justice Department Probe Finds Illegal, Violent, and Discriminatory Policing in Louisville, Kentucky
The two-year investigation, launched after the police killing of Breonna Taylor, concluded that Louisville police routinely used invalid search warrants and failed to knock and announce their presence.
Beating Crime Without Sacrificing Civil Liberties: Live With ex-NYC Police Commissioner Bill Bratton
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion with former New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton about the new documentary "Gotham."
Lie Detectors Are Junk Science, but We Keep Using Them
Amit Katwala’s Tremors in the Blood explores how unreliable technologies have been used in our criminal justice system.
Don't Just Hire 'Better Cops.' Punish the Bad Ones.
Convincing law enforcement officers that those who do wrong will suffer consequences is by far the most powerful tool for changing police behavior in the long run.
Federal Appeals Court Upholds First Amendment Right To Warn Drivers of Police Ahead
Michael Friend was arrested in 2018 for holding a sign that read "Cops Ahead" near a police checkpoint. That arrest violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, a federal appeals court has ruled.
Ohio Woman Says Cops Broke Her Wrist for Recording During Traffic Stop
"The Officers' actions were unreasonable, deliberately indifferent, reckless, willful, wanton, and shocking to the conscience," a new legal complaint states.
Is Investigating a School Sexting Incident the Same as Possessing Child Porn? A Judge Says No.
Bradley Bass' case in Colorado says a lot about just how powerful prosecutors are.
Virginia Police Shoot and Kill a Man Suspected of Shoplifting Sunglasses
Police have not yet determined whether the suspect was armed at the time of the shooting.
Colorado Cop Kills a Man Who Accidentally Got Into the Wrong Car
Richard Ward's family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Pueblo County and five sheriff's office officials over a shooting incident that left him dead.
An Alabama Man Was Taken to Jail. Two Weeks Later, He Was Dead From Hypothermia.
Tony Mitchell's death was a "direct and proximate result" of jail officers' "deliberate indifference or malice, and of their ongoing denial of Tony's constitutional rights under a scheme that continued to operate after his death," his family's suit states.
After Tyre Nichols Killing, It's Once Again Time To Build a Bipartisan Movement for Police Reform
Let's start by doing away with the idea that officers are engaged in a war for our streets rather than involved in a civilian operation that requires community support and trust.
Yes, You Have a First Amendment Right To Livestream Cops
Plus: Some State of the Union fact checking, a livestream discussion about gun rights and violence, and more...
Alabama Dodges Police Transparency, Hiding Violent Body Camera Footage from Public
Montgomery doesn’t want people to see a police dog maul a man to death out of fear of the response.
Detroit Woman Sues City After Police Officers Shot Her Dog and Left It in a Trash Can
Tiffany Lindsay says officers never contacted her to let her know they shot her dog. Instead, a neighbor found it in their trash can.
The Cops Who Killed Tyre Nichols Could Be Convicted of Murder and Still Get Qualified Immunity
In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Joe Biden said that he wants to hold police "accountable." But he neglected to mention the elephant in the room.
Police Officer Who Kneeled on a 12-Year-Old Girl's Neck Faces a Federal Lawsuit
According to the suit, the officer "acted with malice or in reckless disregard of Jane Doe's federally protected rights."
An Iowa Town Charged a Man With Disorderly Conduct Because He Called a Cop a 'Domestic Abuser'
Now a judge has cleared him of wrongdoing and struck down the rule used to justify the arrest.
A Galveston SWAT Team Wrecked an Innocent Family's Home. Then They Kept It From the City.
Police went silent on city officials following the botched raid that caused $5,000 in damages.
Cop Orders Reporter To Leave a Park for Daring To Interview a Child
Normal human interaction should not automatically be considered creepy or criminal.
Police Harassed a Man Holding a 'God Bless the Homeless Vets' Sign. He's Suing.
"My intention is to ensure that all Americans from the wealthiest millionaire to the poorest homeless person can exercise these rights without fear of consequence from our government," said Jeff Gray.
What Tyre Nichols' Killing Tells Us About Policing: Live With Walter Katz, Nick Gillespie, and Zach Weissmueller
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion of Tyre Nichols, police reform, and violent crime in America, featuring Walter Katz.
Atlanta Charges Nonviolent Protesters as Domestic Terrorists
Out of 19 suspects arrested on terrorism charges, at least nine are accused of nothing more serious than trespassing.
Tyre Nichols' Killing Brings Police Reform Back into Public Debate
There are ways to reduce abusive behavior while still protecting public safety.
Are We Making Any Progress on Police Brutality?
Plus: The editors consider the ongoing debt ceiling drama and answer a listener question about ending the war on drugs.
Why Did Other Cops Fail To Stop the Lethal Assault on Tyre Nichols?
"Active bystandership" training aims to overcome the pressures that discourage police officers from intervening when their colleagues use excessive force.
Louisiana Sheriffs' Offices Have Been Destroying Public Records Without Permission
"Comprehensive and accurate records are critical if patterns and causes of harm are going to be identified and corrected," said an attorney representing Louisiana inmates.
The Most Popular Police Reforms Can't Stop the Next Tyre Nichols From Being Killed. Here's What Might.
Plus: Minnesota moves to protect reproductive freedom, how government thwarts a relatively inexpensive housing option, and more…
Connecticut Parents Arrested for Letting Kids, Ages 7 and 9, Walk to Dunkin' Donuts
"I have never felt threatened by a single person in this town until meeting those officers and the social worker."
