Police Brutality

Feature July 24

This City Stopped Sending Police to Every 911 Call

Riding along with the civilian “crisis responders” of Olympia, Washington.

By Christie Thompson

Life Inside July 23

Since the killing of George Floyd, protesters have started to change the way we think about law enforcement. Will it trickle into prisons?

By Michael J. Moore

Feature July 22

One Roadblock to Police Reform: Veteran Officers Who Train Recruits

Field trainers "are part of the old guard of the department. They teach the old way of doing things."

By Simone Weichselbaum

News June 26

What Are Cops Really Thinking When Routine Arrests Turn Violent?

“You have to use a lot of force, or you are going to die.”

By Simone Weichselbaum and Jamiles Lartey

Analysis June 10

A Major Obstacle to Police Reform: The Whiteness of Their Union Bosses

Even in the 15 largest departments where the majority of officers are people of color, only one union leader is black, our analysis shows.

By Eli Hager and Weihua Li

News June 8

The Short, Fraught History of the ‘Thin Blue Line’ American Flag

The controversial version of the U.S. flag has been hailed as a sign of police solidarity and criticized as a symbol of white supremacy.

By Maurice Chammah and Cary Aspinwall

News June 4

As George Floyd Died, Officer Wondered About “Excited Delirium”

Now experts say the controversial diagnosis may become part of the police defense.

By Alysia Santo

The Frame June 3

Masks On, Fists Up: Scenes from New York City’s Protests Against Police Violence

Some of the city’s most famous streets, emptied by the pandemic, fill with demonstrators and police in riot gear.

Photographs and text by Emily Kassie

News June 1

Why So Many Police Are Handling the Protests Wrong

Disproportionate use of force can turn a peaceful protest violent, research shows.

By Maggie Koerth and Jamiles Lartey

Commentary April 11, 2018

Police Brutality Drove a Wedge Between Me and My Church

“I still believe that the congregation has some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, there were limits to that warmth that I could not abide.”

Anthony Fowler Jr.