Police Misconduct Blog

In 2012, Darren Rainey, an inmate at the Dade Correctional Institution, died a truly excruciating death. He was allegedly scalded to death in a scalding shower, where guards placed him under the hot water for two hours before he succumbed.
The following year, an inmate who was transferred...

There are currently over 2.2 million adults incarcerated in U.S. prisons, immigration detention centers and county jails. For about half those prisoners, their healthcare needs have been outsourced to private medical contractors.
One of the largest prison healthcare companies is Corizon...

Here’s a riddle: How many excessive force settlements does a police officer have against him before he’s removed? The answer: In Austin, Texas, apparently, three such settlements aren’t enough to force a cop to leave the job.
Officer Eric Copeland was sued three times for...

US jails are required by law to provide adequate medical care to prisoners. But a combination of negligence and the wish to cut costs often conspire against the quality of care provided to inmates.
For profit medical contractors and prison administrations alike have paid millions of dollars...

The horrifying video of the death of Daniel Shaver, 26, shows a man crying and begging for his life before being shot and killed by Mesa police officer Philip Brailsford, 27.
The January, 2016 shooting occurred at a Mesa La Quinta Inn & Suites Hotel where officers were responding to...

Terrill Thomas, 38, died a particularly terrible death in the Milwaukee County Jail on April 24, 2016. Thomas, who was bipolar, was suffering a mental health incident when corrections officers placed him in an isolation cell. They then allegedly shut off the water to the cell, and Thomas died a...

If we measure police brutality in terms of where police kill the largest number of unarmed individuals, without the officers being held accountable, the top five cities are:
New York (New York) Phoenix (Arizona) Los Angeles (California) Jacksonville (Florida) Chicago (Illinois) Data...

There’s no real definition of excessive force for police officers, but it basically means a law enforcement official uses more force than needed – or prudent - when arresting or subduing a suspect.
Police officers should use the minimum amount of force necessary to obtain a safe...

Many remember the shocking video footage from Charleston of a white police officer shooting an unarmed black man in the back. The victim, Walter Scott, died after being shot five times while running away from the officer.
On December 7th, the officer, Michael Slager, was sentenced to 20 years...

Four Alameda County deputy sheriffs stand accused of felony assault against prisoners at the Santa Rita jail.
The facility is utilized by the city of Oakland and other San Francisco Bay Area municipalities.
Among the allegations: Deputies encouraged prisoners to throw feces and urine at...