Category: Police
Community Demands Exoneration for Philip Vance on 22nd Anniversary of Murder
South Saint Paul, MN — “I just want the world to know that I am innocent,” said Philip Vance from a prison phone. Volunteers with the Free Philip Vance team braved frigid temperatures to hold a press conference on the 22nd anniversary of the robbery-turned-murder…
π¦ Police
Bystanders Record Turtle Mountain Tribal Citizen Fatally Shot by BIA Police During Apprehension, FBI Investigating
Belcourt, ND β On Sunday, December 29, 2024 a traο¬c stop at approximately 10:30 a.m. led to a fatal oο¬cer-involved-shooting (OIS) on the Turtle Mountain Reservation that left a tribal citizen dead. The deceased is 32-year-old Jordan Parisien, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band…
Parents of Forest Defender Killed by Police File Civil Rights Lawsuit
DeKalb County, GA β The parents of slain forest defender Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Paez TerΓ‘n filed a civil rights lawsuit Tuesday against three Georgia law enforcement officers they say are most responsible for the death of their child in January 2023.
Nearly two years after police…
π¦ Police
Officers Found Not Guilty in Death of Herman Whitfield III
Indianapolis, IN — After a five-day criminal trial and just two hours of deliberation on Dec. 6, a jury found police officers Adam Ahmad and Steven Sanchez not guilty of reckless homicide, battery and manslaughter in the April 2022 death of Herman Whitfield III. Indianapolis…
π¦ Police
Indianapolis Police on Trial for Tasing, Suffocating Musical Prodigy to Death
Indianapolis, IN — Responding to a call for medical help, police in Indianapolis tased, tackled, handcuffed and suffocated musical prodigy Herman Whitfield III to death on April 25, 2022. After being rescheduled numerous times, a five-day criminal trial started on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 for…
ICE is Training Civilians to Conduct Violent Raids on Immigrants
New details about a program from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are getting attention after the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) published a trove of internal documents about ICEβs ‘Citizens Academy’ programs. The academy trains civilians to operate multiple firearms,…
π¦ Eco, Police, Protest & Direct Action
Georgia Drops Money Laundering Charges in Cop City RICO Prosecution
Atlanta, GA — Money laundering charges against three Atlanta Solidarity Fund defendants, who are among the 61 people indicted in a sprawling conspiracy lawsuit against Cop City protesters, have been dropped as of Tuesday.
Last year Marlon Kautz, Adele Maclean and Savannah Patterson were indicted…
π¦ Land & Housing, Police
Salt Lake City Police Broke A Woman’s Leg During An Arrest. Weeks Later, It Had To Be Amputated.
Salt Lake City, UT – Last September, Agnes Martinez was looking for a place she and her dog could sleep for the night. Houseless at the time, she parked her car in a commercial area south of downtown Salt Lake City. Soon after, she was…
Nights of DNC Noise Demos for Palestine Near Salt Shed, Harris Hotel in Streeterville, T-Pain Show
Chicago, IL — The second, third and fourth nights of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) got punctuated with loud noise demonstrations near key locations. While noise demonstrations were not usually huge groups, they caught the massive convention police force somewhat by surprise and moved…
π¦ Land & Housing, Police
Pro-Palestine Encampment Turned Home for the Displaced Swept in Duluth, Journalist Arrested
Duluth, MN — Pro-Palestine activists and residents of the Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp were swept on August 7, 2024. They assembled a tent encampment on May 1, 2024, in response to the Duluth City Council voting against a cease-fire resolution 5-4. Organizers are calling for…
π¦ Land & Housing, Police
Nearly 100 Migrant Families Evicted from Aurora, CO ‘Slumlord’ Apartments
Aurora, CO β Residents at the Fitzsimons Place Apartments, who are predominantly Venezuelan migrants, were told six days ago that they needed to vacate their homes by 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, or they face arrest.
According to the city’s Deputy Director of Communications, Ryan Luby,…
Dozens of Migrant Families Face Eviction in Aurora, CO with Less Than One Week’s Notice
Aurora, CO β On the morning of August 7, 2024, over 85 migrant families who live at the Fitzsimons Place Apartments owned by Nome Partners LLC were told they have six days to vacate their homes. The migrant families are predominantly from Venezuela, which some…
π¦ Police, Social Control, Tech
Predictive Policing and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Security vs. Freedom
As Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games from July 26 to August 11, 2024, the French government is implementing unprecedented surveillance measures to ensure safety. However, these measures have sparked fierce debate over the potential erosion of civil liberties, with opposition…
Utica Streets Shut Down by 1,000 During Justice for Nyah Mway March
Utica, NY β Nearly 1,000 people shut down the streets of Utica on July 13 in response to the police killing of 13-year-old Nyah Mway. The protest occurred during the busiest weekend of the year, when the city hosts the Boilermaker Road Race, one of…
‘Mobile Field Force’ Policing Model Funded for Milwaukee Republican National Convention
The 2024 Republican National Convention starts on Monday, July 15, and will run for four days. This report covers the latest Milwaukee developments and a quick historical rundown about the huge security setups at previous conventions and special events.
Protests Erupt in Utica After Brutal Police Killing of 13-Year-Old Refugee
Utica, NY β Nyah Mway, a 13-year-old refugee from the Karen ethnic group in Myanmar (formerly Burma), had just graduated middle school in the small city of Utica, New York. His family was immensely proud of him, and a picture of him holding his graduation…
π¦ Investigative, Police, Tech
Cobwebs Spy Software Locks Onto Protesters: Israeli Social Media Mining Contract with Homeland Security Revealed
An Israeli spy software tech firm licenses web surveillance tools to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The software contract shows new details about this sensitive technology DHS has used to spy on activists during the last several years.
π¦ Police
Man Reportedly in Crisis Killed by Minneapolis Police
Minneapolis, MN — Minneapolis Police killed a man who they say was “acting irrationally” and not obeying direct orders to drop a weapon he was holding around 9:30 p.m. on June 12. The victim was publicly identified on June 14 as 39-year-old Michael Ristow. He…