The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/author/stephenh/)
Americans awoke Sunday to charred and glass-strewn streets in dozens of cities after a night of unrest fueled by rage over the mistreatment of African Americans at the hands of police. Officers responded to the violence with tear gas and rubber bullets.
“Even what we consider a progressive, forward-looking police chief still has problems in his ranks,” says one expert about Minneapolis’ first black chief, Medaria Arradondo.
Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd, shot one suspect, was involved in the fatal shooting of another, and received at least 17 complaints during his nearly two decades with the department.
“We need consistent guidelines to set thresholds for what constitutes professional and acceptable conduct for police officers,” say Charles Ramsey and Laurie Robinson of President Obama’s policing task force.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a potential vice presidential candidate, regretted that as a prosecutor, she sent many accusations against police officers to grand juries.
A study in Houston’s Harris County finds that judges tend to appoint criminal defense lawyers who have contributed to their campaigns.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz promised that journalists would not be interfered with in reporting on protests over the death of George Floyd.
Two gun safety groups and the father of a mass shooting victim asked the Federal Trade Commission to stop firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson from using “deceptive and unfair” marketing to promote assault-style rifles.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch will drop a manslaughter charge against a white former police officer in the 2015 shooting death of an African-American man, concluding that the officer acted in self-defense.
local leaders said they needed help from National Guardsmen or even military police to contain the unrest. States of emergency were declared in Atlanta and Portland, Or.