Category: News

The Supreme Court on Thursday made it easier to bring unreasonable force claims against police, ruling unanimously that courts should examine the circumstances beyond the split seconds when an officer fears for their safety in deciding whether they can be tried for unreasonable force. Full story: Supreme Court broadens standard for unreasonable force claims against…

It took just seconds for a routine traffic stop on a Texas highway to escalate into a fatal shooting that left 24-year-old Ashtian Barnes bleeding to death in the driver’s seat. What happened during those seconds and the minutes prior during the April 2016 incident is now central to a Supreme Court case being argued…

As U.S. police departments release preliminary or finalized 2024 crime numbers, many are reporting historic declines in homicides and drops in other violent crimes compared to 2023. In many parts of the country, though, those decreases don’t match the public perception. Experts say most cities are seeing a drop in crime levels that spiked during…

The Fort Walton Beach Police Department has welcomed a unique addition to its team: Milo, a 9-week-old labradoodle serving as a community wellness K-9. Unlike traditional police dogs, Milo’s role is to provide support at crime scenes, community events, and within the department itself. “I think Milo is a visual reminder that mental health is…

In many places across the nation, the repeated shocking of Ms. Vivian Burks—a 65-year-old great-grandmother with no criminal record who was not acting aggressively and was largely under the officers’ control—would be considered an improper and dangerous use of a Taser by the police. Not in Mississippi. Here, police agencies set their own rules about…

Within minutes of his inauguration, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move reflects a national trend. After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor in the U.S. Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting anti-crime initiatives as a…

The “Pizzagate” gunman who fired his rifle in a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant in 2016 after acting on a debunked conspiracy theory has died following a fatal traffic stop. Edgar Maddison Welch was shot by police over the weekend and died from his injuries on Monday, authorities in North Carolina said Thursday. Almost 10 years…

The Australian federal police says it had “no choice” but to lean into using artificial intelligence and is increasingly using the technology to search seized phones and other devices, given the vast amount of data examined in investigations. The AFP’s manager for technology strategy and data, Benjamin Lamont, said investigations conducted by the agency involve…

Unclear police policies, inefficient training and too little accountability is resulting in some North Carolina officers misusing tasers and similar devices, civil rights lawsuits and advocates say… Full story: North Carolina Police Turn to Training to Stop Taser Misuse

With Congress failing to pass any meaningful immigration reforms, state legislatures are increasingly taking up the issue. But some police officials say the harshest of those laws will further overstretch police and drive many immigrants further into the shadows… Full story: State immigration laws will harm local law enforcement, police say • Ohio Capital Journal