All articles tagged with #police use of force
A viral video from a Zeist asylum centre shows Dutch police forcing a visibly pregnant woman to the ground during the arrest of her husband. The incident, tied to reports of vandalism and knife threats, has sparked online outrage and prompted an official investigation into the officers’ use of force.
Several January 6 attendees filed a federal class-action in Florida against the U.S. Capitol Police and DC Police, seeking about $18.405 million in damages for alleged physical injuries and emotional distress caused by police responses (tear gas and other irritants) on the Capitol grounds. Named plaintiffs Patrick Sullivan, Marie Sullivan and Alan Fischer seek to certify a class of all Capitol grounds attendees harmed that day and a jury trial to determine damages. Fischer, who was prosecuted in 2022, was pardoned by Trump. In total, 46 protesters are pursuing similar claims (43 others), with the case highlighting ongoing political divisions five years after the riot.
Minnesota prosecutors filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department to obtain evidence and the identities of federal agents involved in the shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge, after the Trump administration refused to cooperate. The move, centered on Touhy letters, tests whether federal immunity under the Supremacy Clause can shield agents from state prosecutions and faces extradition and logistical hurdles, signaling a lengthy, high-stakes battle with broad implications for accountability in immigration enforcement. Moriarty’s office is also investigating 14 additional cases of possible federal-agent misconduct, highlighting nationwide scrutiny of use-of-force and transparency in federal operations.
More than 1,000 people have died after being subdued by police using force not intended to be lethal, with a disproportionate impact on Black Americans. An investigation found that officers often failed to follow best safety practices, leading to deaths in various settings and involving individuals from diverse backgrounds. The lack of national rules for applying force, incomplete federal data, and systemic issues in the justice system make it difficult to hold police accountable and implement meaningful reforms.
Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of two paramedics charged in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist who died after being injected with ketamine by paramedics following a police stop in 2019. The paramedics face charges of manslaughter, negligent homicide, and assault. The case has drawn attention to the use of sedatives during police encounters and the rare prosecution of paramedics in such cases. Legal experts believe a conviction is unlikely, and some argue that the prosecution is an example of prosecutorial overreach. The trial comes as the medical community is reevaluating the use of ketamine and the diagnosis of "excited delirium."
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina is conducting an internal affairs investigation after a video surfaced showing an officer repeatedly striking a woman during an arrest. The incident occurred as officers responded to a service call for a suspicious person. According to the police report, the woman punched an officer in the face, leading to a struggle. The department defended the officer's actions, stating that strikes were intentionally aimed at large muscle groups to gain compliance. The woman was arrested and charged with assault on a government official, resist/delay/obstruct, and possession of marijuana. The police chief has viewed the body-worn camera footage and plans to petition the court for its release to the public.
California has become the first state to ban the controversial diagnosis of "excited delirium," which has been used to justify deaths in police custody. The new law prohibits medical professionals from attributing deaths to excited delirium on death certificates or autopsy reports, and law enforcement is barred from using the term in incident reports or civil court testimony. The diagnosis has been criticized for disproportionately being applied to Black men and lacking scientific validity. Several national medical associations have already discredited excited delirium, and California's move is seen as a significant step towards holding police accountable for excessive force.