Lethal Force: The True Toll of Police Shootings in America

by The Washington Post

In 2015, The Washington Post launched an unprecedented effort to account for every fatal shooting by an officer of the law. Their study has motivated the FBI to action, and changed the way we think of those who serve and protect. After a police officer shot and killed a black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, the media began to pay greater attention to deadly interactions between black men and the law. But when reporters tried to get to the bottom of some basic questions - how often do police shoot people? Who are the victims? Are officers ever charged with crimes? - they came up blank. Police departments were not required to report these statistics to the FBI. The Washington Post set out to track every fatal shooting by an on-duty officer in 2015. Its database chronicled the shootings in real time, using news reports and other public sources. It compiled a trove of data, from the race of the person killed, whether the person was armed when killed, to whether the person was purported to have threatened the officer prior to being killed. The results found by the Post are shocking and haunting, from the sheer breadth of shootings by police in the US to the stories of those killed. And its call to reform is being heeded. This groundbreaking book will radically alter how you view confrontation and accountability within the ranks, and offer a new perspective going forward.

175 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 19, 2016

About the author

The Washington Post provides authoritative local, national and international news — with reporting on politics, technology, business and culture — offering readers and users entertainment and information they need to know, plus expert original commentary, insight and analysis, 365 days a year.

Reviews

[Will Stevenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a collection or News Paper articles on police shootings in America. It is a little repetitive as it recounts the basis for the series of articles. The articles identify the major factors that come to play in the examination and management of police shootings. The information presented could have been delivered in a much more concise manner. The material contains short accounts of various shootings, with brief descriptions of the parties and events. The book is a good introduction to the issues and difficulties involved.