When police shoot an “unarmed” individual, the implication or outright accusation by media and activists is often that the deadly force was unjustified because the subject, without a weapon, was “defenseless” and thus could not have posed a threat. Now a newly published study by two criminal justice researchers paints a far different picture. Their...Read More
Two recent federal appellate decisions are good reminders of how US judges may assess claims of excessive force where unarmed suspects are involved. Atty. Michael Brave, always a popular legal updater at ILEETA conferences and other venues, tells Force Science News that these cases “have many learning points” for trainers, police attorneys, and street officers...Read More
A national online database compiled by the Washington Post is widely considered to be the go-to place for statistics on fatal shootings by police. But how reliable is it? Kevin Davis, a prominent use-of-force trainer from Ohio, recently took a probing look at one frequently cited category in the Post s aggregation: officers deadly shootings...Read More
Probably no single force event raises more questions, inflames more protests, and generates more misperceptions than the police killing of an unarmed suspect. Now, thanks to a new 437-page study published in book form, we know more about the circumstances that drive these fateful encounters and the lessons for training and street performance to be...Read More
A new study of unarmed individuals who have died this year in confrontations with police reveals illuminating details typically surrounding these events and tends to refute the activist narrative that trigger-happy officers with deadly intent are rampantly targeting black males. After analyzing 125 cases that could be found in which unarmed civilians in the US...Read More