Latest Law Enforcement Headlines

All the headlines from our Law Enforcement Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Heirs of Black Man Killed by Baton Rouge Police Accept $4.5M Settlement

Jun 14 2021 // The children of a Black man killed by police in Louisiana’s capital city five years ago have accepted a $4.5 million settlement from the local government, the man’s family and the city’s mayor said.Alton...

Georgia City Offers $350K to Settle Claim Over Police Takedown of Wrong Man

Jun 14 2021 // Officials of a Georgia city have offered a $350,000 legal settlement to a Black man injured last year when a police officer violently slammed him in the ground, later saying he mistakenly believed the man had an...

Wrongful Death Suit Against 3 Georgia Police Officers to Proceed

Jun 14 2021 // COLUMBUS, Ga. — A federal judge says he isn’t halting a wrongful death lawsuit against three Columbus police officers, despite their concerns that the district attorney is seeking to indict them on criminal...

Alabama City, Police Officer Seek Delay in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Jun 11 2021 // The city of Huntsville is again siding with a police officer convicted of murder and asking a federal court to delay action on a wrongful death lawsuit filed by relatives of the victim.The city and officer William Darby,...

Making the Case for Professional Liability in Law Enforcement

Jun 7 2021 // Almost a year ago, I wrote an article, asking the question, Do Police Officers Need to Buy Professional Liability? It’s still a good question and I’d like to explore it again from another direction. What might...

$6.5M Award for Man Badly Hurt by Missouri Police Taser Upheld

Jun 3 2021 // A former Independence, Missouri, police officer was not protected by qualified immunity after he seriously injured a teenager with a Taser and by dropping him face down on the pavement, a federal appeals court has...

Supreme Court Rejects Government’s Reading of Computer Fraud Law in Police Case

Jun 3 2021 // A Georgia police officer did not violate federal computer fraud law when he used his patrol car computer to access information on a license plate in exchange for money, even though his action violated his...

GOP Opposes Weakening Liability Shield for Police Officers

Jun 3 2021 // The Senate’s top Republican on Tuesday linked Democrats’ efforts to make it easier to sue police officers to problems many law enforcement agencies are having recruiting and retaining personnel, drawing a hard...

Louisiana Senate Rejects Limits on Police Officer Immunity

Jun 2 2021 // A proposal to place new limits on police officers’ broad immunity from civil lawsuits has rejected by Louisiana state senators, stalling a key recommendation from a task force created to suggest policy changes...

State Police: Traffic Crash Fatalities in Michigan Up in 2020

May 27 2021 // Nearly 100 more people died in traffic crashes in Michigan last year than in 2019, according to preliminary data released by the state police.The state police Criminal Justice Information Center said on May 26 that 1,083...

Italian Police Arrest 3 People After Funicular Disaster Kills 14

May 27 2021 // ROME (AP) – Police arrested three people Wednesday in the cable car disaster that killed 14 people in northern Italy, saying workers placed a clamp on the emergency brake to deactivate it as a patchwork repair –...

Family Sues After Police in Hawaii over Fatal Shooting of 16-Year-Old

May 24 2021 // The family of a 16-year-old boy fatally shot by Honolulu police last month sued the city and unidentified police officers on Friday, alleging negligence, assault and battery.The lawsuit filed by Akiwine Sykap, grandmother...

Dubuque, Iowa, to Pay $1.8M to Settle Police Discrimination Suit

May 19 2021 // The city of Dubuque, Iowa, will pay more than $1.8 million to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by a former police captain who accused the city and police chief of fostering a culture of sexism in the...

Amazon Continues Moratorium on Police Use of Its Facial Recognition Software

May 19 2021 // Amazon.com Inc. said on Tuesday it is extending until further notice a moratorium it imposed last year on police use of its facial recognition software.The company had halted the practice for one year starting in June...

Louisiana ‘Justice Lab’ Aims to Expose, Litigate Claims of Police Bias

May 17 2021 // A woman forced to the ground by two sheriff’s deputies in an arrest recorded by her son. Demonstrators tear-gassed and hit by rubber projectiles while protesting the death of George Floyd. A man stunned with a Taser...

Nevada Police Officer Suspended for Tweets Seeks $1M

May 13 2021 // A Sparks, Nev. police officer who is accusing the city of violating his free speech rights is seeking $1 million in damages after he was suspended for four days for making comments on his private social media account that...

Black Ex-Officer Sues Kentucky Police Department Over Firing

May 12 2021 // A former Kentucky officer who was fired from the Lexington Police department is alleging in a lawsuit that a culture of racial discrimination plagues the department and contributed to his dismissal.Jervis Middleton, who is...

W. Virginia Supreme Court Sides with State Police in Civil Suit Alleging Excessive Force

Apr 28 2021 // A circuit judge should have dismissed civil claims against West Virginia State Police by a teenager who alleged excessive force when he was beaten during a traffic stop while handcuffed, the state Supreme Court ruled last...

Alabama Database to Track Police Officer Complaints, Disciplinary Action

Apr 27 2021 // Alabama will create a database to track disciplinary actions and excessive force complaints against law enforcement officers, a measure aimed at weeding out “bad apples” in the profession.Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey...

Civilian Board Formed to Review Birmingham Police Actions

Apr 21 2021 // A five-member board of civilians is being established to review complaints of police misconduct in Alabama’s largest city, Mayor Randall Woodfin said Monday.The Civilian Review Board, which was recommended by a task...