The Daily News studied on-duty police officer killings over the last 15 years and found that of 179 recorded deaths, only 3 officers were actually indicted or charged. That’s less than 2%.
The data found that when race was known, an overwhelming majority of individuals killed-86%-were black or Hispanic. 27% were unarmed. 20% were mentally disturbed (one woman was escorted by cops for not taking her medication, but died after they suffocated her while they were supposed to be transporting her to an ambulance).
Only one officer was convicted of “criminal negligence” when he shot and killed an innocent man. He was sentenced to just 500 hours of community service and 5 years of probation and never went to prison.
Executive Director of the Prison Reform Project, Robert Gangi, pointed out that
“There’s an inherent conflict of interest. . . . The police and DA work very closely together, and so they need each other to carry out their jobs.”
Because of this relationship, many have suggested the creation of a special prosecutor to tackle police-involved crime, a view that has enjoyed some mainstream support.
However, there is little appetite for change within the law enforcement establishment.
The police union, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, (predictably) defended police actions. Its chairman, Patrick Lynch, argued that
“[Their] work has saved tens of thousands of lives by assuming the risk and standing between New Yorkers and life-threatening danger.”
While this may be true, it does not excuse the fact that innocent (and even ‘guilty’) people who do not deserve to die are murdered due to the rash and aggressive behavior of cops trained to kill.
In spite of extra programs and racial sensitivity training, the number of police homicides has stayed consistent over the 15 year period. So has the lack of indictments.
Norman Siegel, an attorney who has represented victims of police brutality said of one of his clients-who fell into a coma and died after being placed in a chokehold (and whose killer walked free) “A video might have been helpful in [his] case, but the real problem is still the secret grand jury process and the lack of a special prosecutor.”
While prosecutors have promised to present all police-related deaths to grand juries, district attorneys make it difficult. Though local DA’s are supposed to file charges, many cases have never been presented. The Daily News reported that “instead, those cases withered on the vine, preventing police from proceeding with departmental investigations and the victims’ families from proceeding with civil cases.”
In one case of a cop shooting an unarmed black man when he reached for his wallet, a grand jury surprisingly chose to indict. However, a judge threw out the indictment and ordered a new grand jury, which failed to press charges and let the cop walk free.
While police brutality is a grotesque example of corrupt government, it is a symptom of deeper cracks in the system. When police know there will be no punishment for their violence, they are emboldened to commit to it more often and more brazenly. The tendency of the government to protect its own enables crime that extends beyond police abuse, from the indefinite detention of American citizens to the prosecution of whistleblowers.
Though some claim it is rare for grand juries not to indict, the Daily News data suggests otherwise when it comes to cops. It suggests that law enforcement, the justice system, and the citizens invited to participate have no interest in justice. Rather, they are concerned with protecting the establishment and maintaining the stranglehold of authority.
Unsurprisingly, the NYPD declined to comment on the Daily News’ findings.
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