Police Misconduct Blog

A man arrested for not changing his address with his probation officer died in jail three days later. Lee Michael Creely, 34, was on probation for a drug possession offense. He had moved into a new home with his girlfriend, Jessica Hodges, and their sons, ages 7 and 12, just three weeks...

Over the last few years, the male population of U.S. jails has declined, and the female population has risen. A Reuters investigation has brought to light several stories that illustrate how ill-prepared the system is to receive a rising number of female inmates. One of the most shocking cases...

A Black computer engineer, mistaken by cops for a robber, is beaten so severely by law enforcement on his front lawn that hospitalization is necessary. He suffered head and shoulder injuries. A Black woman is dragged out of a restaurant restroom, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by police after...

A 47-year old Black man was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer as he emerged from the garage of a home where he was staying as a guest. Andre Maurice Hill was holding a cellphone as he exited the garage, and within seconds was shot by a police officer responding to a complaint about a...

Fernando Macias died nine months after a psychotic episode that ended in the death of his mother and his own serious wounding. Macias had been diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder.
His is just one of several deaths raising questions at Texas’ Bexar County Adult Detention Center....

On February 28, 2019, Lamar Catchings, 20, was discovered dead in his cell at the St. Louis County Jail. The young man had begged staff to allow him to see a doctor, but they refused. Instead, a nurse accused Catchings of faking his illness just a few days prior to his death.
He had...

In December 2017, the New Hampshire Department of Corrections issued a news release stating that Phillip Borcuk, an inmate at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men (NHSPM), died after engaging in “self-injurious” behavior. Three years later, Borcuk’s estate is suing the DOC and...

The star of a Netflix reality show based in a Sacramento jail has filed a lawsuit against Sacramento County and a sheriff’s deputy, claiming she was beaten while on a routine medical escort. Yasmin Sundermeyer, featured in the Netflix series “Jailbirds,” alleges while en route to...

The system designed to serve as an early warning system for prisoners reporting abuse, dangerous conditions and inadequate medical care is failing. A report by ProPublica and WBEZ shows that the 15 largest prisons in Illinois lacked data over the number of grievances filed by inmates and their...

A Silicon Valley engineer who will never walk again after being shot by a Placer County deputy sheriff has accepted a nearly $10 million settlement from the Northern California county. Now a paraplegic, the shooting victim is in constant pain.
The county, which agreed to the $9.9 million...