Latest Law Enforcement Headlines

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

Hold the Phone: Massachusetts’ Hands-Free Driving Law Takes Effect

Mar 9 2020 // Massachusetts’ new hands-free driving law went into effect February 23rd.The law, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in November, is intended to reduce the number of distracted driving injuries and deaths in the state....

Georgia Officers Accused of Selling Accident Reports Resign

Mar 6 2020 // Two police officers in Georgia chose to resign last month instead of being terminated following their arrests last month for allegedly selling accident reports to third parties for profit. Nikko McClinton and Ronald...

Florida Police Sergeant Arrested for Filing Fraudulent Claim Over Sunken Boat

Mar 2 2020 // A sergeant with the Tampa Police Department has been arrested on a charge of filing a false and fraudulent insurance claim to defraud his insurance company after his 23-foot boat sank, a statement from the Florida...

New Florida Law Ensures Police Officers Can Park Marked Vehicles at Home

Feb 28 2020 // Some Florida law enforcement officers have been told they aren’t allowed to park their marked cars at home, but that’s about to change.One of the first bills in the 2020 legislative session signed into law will...

Missouri Woman Wins Jury Award in Police Stun Gun Lawsuit

Feb 24 2020 // Jurors have awarded $3,500 to a woman who was shocked three times with a stun gun after a St. Louis, Mo., march protesting police misconduct. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that jurors found in favor of University...

Second Person in Days Killed by Mardi Gras Float in New Orleans

Feb 24 2020 // A man was struck and killed by a Mardi Gras float during a raucous Saturday night street parade in New Orleans, becoming the second person in days killed along a parade route during this year’s Carnival season,...

Hold the Phone: Massachusetts’ Hands-Free Driving Law to Take Effect

Feb 21 2020 // Massachusetts’ new hands-free driving law takes effect this Sunday, February 23rd.The law, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in November, is intended to reduce the number of distracted driving injuries and deaths in...

Gun-Selling Website Sued by Widow of Slain Chicago Police Commander

Feb 18 2020 // The widow of a slain Chicago Police Department commander has filed a lawsuit against the website used to sell the gun tied to her husband’s death.The Chicago Sun-Times reports Erin Bauer and the nonprofit gun control...

Missouri Officer Told to ‘Tone Down’ Gayness Settles Lawsuit for $10.25M

Feb 12 2020 // Missouri’s St. Louis County has agreed to a $10.25 million settlement with a gay police lieutenant who says he was passed over for promotion 23 times and was told to “tone down” his...

EU Prepares for Coming of Facial Recognition– On Its Privacy Terms

Feb 3 2020 // The European Union has accepted there is no escape from facial recognition, but is seeking to ensure any roll-out that includes U.S. and Chinese players will abide by European values like strict personal privacy.Facial...

Father Sues Police in Oregon for Using Stun Gun on 14-Year-Old

Jan 24 2020 // A father is suing Redmond, Ore. police because he says they used excessive force when they used a Taser stun gun on his 14-year-old son nearly two years ago.Michael Francisco filed the civil rights lawsuit last week in...

Alabama Police Say ‘Batman’ Bandit Stealing from Churches

Jan 16 2020 // Police in Alabama are looking for a man who disguised himself as Batman while stealing musical instruments from churches.A burglary happened on Dec. 11 at King’s Way Church in Irondale, AL.Com reported. The caped...

Southern California Uber Driver Accused of Raping Passenger

Jan 15 2020 // An Uber driver was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman who said she fell asleep in his car after a night of drinking and woke up to him assaulting her, authorities said.The suspect, Alonso Calle, had contacted police...

Lawsuit Accuses Police in New Mexico of Wrongful Death

Jan 13 2020 // A lawsuit accuses Albuquerque police of wrongfully killing a pipe-wielding man during a 2018 encounter in a home after officers found him hiding in a closet.The lawsuit filed last week by 24-year-old Daniel...

UMass Student Newspaper Editor Cannot Be Held Liable in Defamation Suit

Jan 13 2020 // The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has ruled that a University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass) student newspaper editor cannot be held liable for defamation after republishing police blotter entries describing...

Police Report Multiple Injuries in 30-Car Maine Highway Pileup

Jan 9 2020 // Multiple people were injured in a major pileup involving about 30 vehicles during the Tuesday morning commute on a highway in Maine, state troopers said.There were no fatalities, but several ambulances and a medical...

Atlanta Police Chief Halts Police Chases after Deaths, Injuries

Jan 9 2020 // Atlanta’s police chief has ordered a halt to all police car chases after crashes that killed or injured people.“I don’t want to see us cost someone their life in pursuit of an auto theft person or burglar...

Feds to Investigate Deadly Tesla Crash in California

Jan 3 2020 // The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the crash of a speeding Tesla that killed two people in a Los Angeles suburb, the agency announced Tuesday.Agency spokesman Sean Rushton wouldn’t...

California Man Choked Unconscious Can Sue Police, Court Rules

Dec 27 2019 // A California man can proceed to trial with a lawsuit against a police officer who choked him unconscious at a Las Vegas nightclub, a federal appeals court ruled this week.“It has long been clear that a police officer...

Former Oregon Officer Sues Officials Claiming Retaliation

Dec 27 2019 // A former Oregon police officer filed a lawsuit saying he faced retaliation within the department for reporting a former police chief struck him with his arm while holding a metal sign, court records said.Joseph Patnode is...