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Boston Globe
25-05-2025
- Boston Globe
Since George Floyd's murder, police killings keep rising, not falling
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Advertisement Among them was Frank Tyson, an unarmed Black man in Canton, Ohio, who uttered Floyd's famous words last year before dying when he was wrestled to the ground in a bar by police officers. This happened even though police departments nationwide, especially after Floyd's murder, have known about the dangers of asphyxiation when keeping a suspect in the prone position. (Two officers were charged with homicide in Tyson's death.) Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as he gasped for air, was convicted and sentenced to prison, along with three other officers who were on the scene. But even as the number of police killings has risen in the years since, it has remained exceedingly rare for officers to be charged with crimes for those deaths. Advertisement Last year, for example, 16 officers were charged with either murder or manslaughter in a fatal shooting, the same number as in 2020, according to data tracked by Philip Stinson, a professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Stinson said that given 'all of the promise of five years ago, in terms of the promises of police reform, from where I sit, the reality is that policing hasn't changed.' A mural depicting George Floyd at the spot he was killed five years ago by a police officer's knee on his neck, in Minneapolis on April 19. JOSHUA RASHAAD MCFADDEN/NYT Experts say it is difficult to draw definitive answers from the data about why police killings continue to rise without an analysis of the circumstances of each case. But they have plenty of theories about what may have contributed to the problem. An increasing number of guns in circulation heightens the chances of deadly encounters. A backlash against the police reform movement in conservative states may have empowered police in those places. And the decline in public trust in the police after Floyd's murder may have led to more deadly encounters. 'Public perception of policing can matter here,' said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer who is a law professor at the University of South Carolina and frequently testifies about use-of-force policies in criminal trials of officers. 'When police are viewed as more legitimate, folks are more likely to comply. When police are viewed as less legitimate, people are less likely to comply and more likely to resist, and that can increase the rates of violence.' Advertisement While answers may be elusive, here are some of the underlying trends that might explain the shifting nature of police violence in the United States. A growing divide in where people are getting killed by police After Floyd's killing, many Democratic-run states and cities made more robust changes to policing. And culturally, in more-liberal states, there were much louder calls for police to be reined in. This might help explain why there is a growing divide in where people are being killed by police. In more-liberal states, the rate has stabilized, but in more-conservative ones, the numbers have risen. If measured over the past 10 years, since the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 sparked wide-scale protests, fatal police shootings in more-Democratic states have declined 15% on a population-adjusted basis, with the rate holding relatively steady since Floyd's death. Related : But in Republican-leaning states, they have risen 23%. And within those redder states, exurbs and rural areas, which tend to be more conservative than cities, have the highest rates of police killings. Fewer people who are killed by police are unarmed Even as police killings have risen in the years since the killing of Floyd, killings of unarmed people have become less frequent. The numbers have fluctuated over the years, but have dropped significantly since 2015, when 152 people killed by police were unarmed. In 2020, that number was 95, and last year, it dropped to 53. The number of people killed while wielding replica weapons, fake guns that look like the real thing, has also dropped. Still, experts were split on why the drop may have occurred and how much weight to give the data. They said it was one of several statistics that would benefit from a more comprehensive national database of police use of force. Advertisement Some suggested the decrease in the number of unarmed people being killed could be a natural outcome in a country where a large percentage of people own guns. It is difficult to evaluate gun ownership in the United States, but polls have shown that more than 40% of adults report having a gun in their household. 'In a world in which we are awash in guns, and getting more awash, that's what's going to happen,' said Barry Friedman, a professor at New York University's law school who specializes in policing. Others were more skeptical. Protesters and residents watched as police in riot gear walk down a residential street in St. Paul, Minn., in May 2020. John Minchillo/Associated Press Justin Nix, an associate professor at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, said he hoped that the data was a reflection of improvements in policing and training, but that he was hesitant to draw any conclusions. That's in part because of how rare police killings of unarmed people are and the fluctuating number of cases where it is unclear whether the person who was killed had a weapon. Related : Nix, whose focus is on criminology and criminal justice, said the difficulty in interpreting the data was indicative of a larger problem, which is that data on police force and killings remains sparse. For example, he noted, there is little data on police shootings in which a person is not killed. One study estimated that there were roughly 800 such nonfatal shootings each year. The outlook for policing oversight Despite the rising overall number of police killings, legislators across the country have rolled back several attempts to reduce police violence. In Washington state, lawmakers passed an initiative last year that rolled back a law, passed in 2021, that had imposed limits on when the police could chase suspects in their cars. This year, Alabama enacted a new law seeking to make it harder to prosecute or sue police officers. Oregon in 2022 loosened the standard for when police could use tear gas after tightening regulations just a year earlier. Advertisement The federal government, under the Trump administration, has also pulled back from holding law enforcement agencies accountable. This past week, the Justice Department said it would no longer investigate or oversee nearly two dozen police departments that were accused of civil rights violations, including in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky. And in April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at 'unleashing' law enforcement, including by directing the U.S. attorney general to 'provide legal resources' to defend police officers accused of wrongdoing. This article originally appeared in .
National Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Kelowna Rockets trade for rights to Vancouver Giants' star as part of build for next year's Memorial Cup
Mazden Leslie's hockey future added a new option Wednesday. Article content Article content Leslie, who was Vancouver Giants' captain and the WHL's second-leading scoring defenceman this past season, saw his junior rights traded to the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 WHL Draft and a conditional third rounder in 2026. Article content The Rockets are loading up for next season, since they'll be hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup national championship tournament. Article content The trade is for his rights and includes conditions because Leslie, 20, has said that his main aim is to sign with an NHL team and play somewhere in the professional ranks next year, giving up his final season of junior eligibility in the process. He also said back in February that if he didn't play pro next season, he'd instead suit up for Ohio's Bowling Green State University rather come back to the WHL. The conditions portions are attached to him reporting to the Rockets. Article content The Rockets will obviously make a pitch to supplant Bowling Green as his destination of choice if he doesn't get a pro deal, dangling all the attention that comes with a guaranteed Memorial Cup appearance as a carrot. At the very least, they'll stay in contact throughout the year, whether he's playing in the minors or at Bowling Green, and see if he's willing to change course midway through the campaign. Article content There's always the chance that he signs a deal with an NHL team and they assign him back to junior and the Rockets. Signing a pro deal would nix his NCAA eligibility. Article content Leslie has been passed over in the past two NHL Drafts. He is ranked No. 133 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting for this year's upcoming draft. It's rare that a player of his age would be selected. If he winds up being passed over again, he'll undoubtedly get a free-agent invite to an NHL camp. He's gone to camps that route the past two years with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights, respectively. Article content Article content Leslie, who's a 6-foot-1 and 202-pound right-handed shot, totalled 21 goals and 72 points in 66 regular season games with Vancouver this past season. The only rearguard to produce more points in the WHL than Leslie was Tyson Jugnauth, the Portland Winterhawk who recorded 89 points, including 13 goals, in 65 games.
NBC News
21-05-2025
- NBC News
Judge finds police acted reasonably in shooting New Mexico man while at wrong address
SANTA FE, N.M. — A federal judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit that accused police of violating constitutional protections when they fatally shot a man after showing up at the wrong address in response to a domestic violence call. The shooting of Robert Dotson, 52, in the northwestern New Mexico city of Farmington prompted a civil lawsuit by his family members, though public prosecutors found there was no basis to pursue criminal charges against officers after a review of events. The suit alleged that the family was deprived of its civil rights and officers acted unreasonably. Hearing a knock at the door late on April 5, 2023, Dotson put on a robe, went downstairs and grabbed a handgun before answering. Police outside shined a flashlight as Dotson appeared and raised the firearm before three police officers opened fire, killing him. Dotson did not shoot. 'Ultimately, given the significant threat Dotson posed when he pointed his firearm at officers ... the immediacy of that threat, the proximity between Dotson and the defendant officers, and considering that the events unfolded in only a few seconds, the court finds that the defendant officers reasonably applied deadly force,' U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia said in a written court opinion. The judge also said the officers were entitled under the circumstances to qualified immunity — special legal protections that prevent people from suing over claims that police or government workers violated their constitutional rights. The opinion was published May 15 — the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in a separate case that courts should weigh the totality of circumstances and not just a 'moment of threat' when judging challenges to police shootings under the Fourth Amendment. Tom Clark, one of the Dotson family's attorneys, said the lawsuit against Farmington police will move forward on other claims under tort law and provisions of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, which limits immunity for police and other government agencies. Defense attorneys said in court filings that the officers acted reasonably under 'the totality of circumstances,' noting that they repeatedly knocked and announced that police had arrived and saying Dotson 'posed an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to police.' Philip Stinson, a professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, said Tuesday that court evaluations of police immunity in shootings 'sometimes lead to results that end up leaving you scratching your head.' 'Here the court is saying the police made a mistake — but in that moment they were confronted with a decision to use deadly force,' he said. 'I don't think this is the last word in this case.' Lawyers for Dotson's family emphasized that police were at the wrong address and that he was likely blinded by the flashlight with little inkling that police were there. They said officers did not give him sufficient time to comply with commands as an officer shouted, 'Hey, hands up.' According to the lawsuit, Dotson's wife, wearing only a robe, came downstairs after hearing the shots and found her husband lying in the doorway. She fired outside, not knowing who was out there. Police fired 19 rounds but missed her.
21-05-2025
Judge finds police acted reasonably in shooting New Mexico man while at wrong address
SANTA FE, N.M. -- A federal judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit that accused police of violating constitutional protections when they fatally shot a man after showing up at the wrong address in response to a domestic violence call. The shooting of Robert Dotson, 52, in the northwestern New Mexico city of Farmington prompted a civil lawsuit by his family members, though public prosecutors found there was no basis to pursue criminal charges against officers after a review of events. The suit alleged that the family was deprived of its civil rights and officers acted unreasonably. Hearing a knock at the door late on April 5, 2023, Dotson put on a robe, went downstairs and grabbed a handgun before answering. Police outside shined a flashlight as Dotson appeared and raised the firearm before three police officers opened fire, killing him. Dotson did not shoot. 'Ultimately, given the significant threat Dotson posed when he pointed his firearm at officers ... the immediacy of that threat, the proximity between Dotson and the defendant officers, and considering that the events unfolded in only a few seconds, the court finds that the defendant officers reasonably applied deadly force,' U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia said in a written court opinion. The judge also said the officers were entitled under the circumstances to qualified immunity — special legal protections that prevent people from suing over claims that police or government workers violated their constitutional rights. The opinion was published May 15 — the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in a separate case that courts should weigh the totality of circumstances and not just a 'moment of threat' when judging challenges to police shootings under the Fourth Amendment. Tom Clark, one of the Dotson family's attorneys, said the lawsuit against Farmington police will move forward on other claims under tort law and provisions of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, which limits immunity for police and other government agencies. Defense attorneys said in court filings that the officers acted reasonably under 'the totality of circumstances,' noting that they repeatedly knocked and announced that police had arrived and saying Dotson 'posed an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to police.' Philip Stinson, a professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, said Tuesday that court evaluations of police immunity in shootings 'sometimes lead to results that end up leaving you scratching your head.' 'Here the court is saying the police made a mistake — but in that moment they were confronted with a decision to use deadly force,' he said. 'I don't think this is the last word in this case.' Lawyers for Dotson's family emphasized that police were at the wrong address and that he was likely blinded by the flashlight with little inkling that police were there. They said officers did not give him sufficient time to comply with commands as an officer shouted, 'Hey, hands up.' According to the lawsuit, Dotson's wife, wearing only a robe, came downstairs after hearing the shots and found her husband lying in the doorway. She fired outside, not knowing who was out there. Police fired 19 rounds but missed her.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bowling Green State University poll shows Trump approval underwater in Ohio
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a 'Make America Wealthy Again' trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) One hundred days into his second presidential term, Donald Trump's support in Ohio is softening. Just two months ago, the president's approval rating was six points higher than disapproval. Now he's under water. Although job approval is a different question than who to back in an election, it's a notable deficit for someone who won the state by 11 points last November. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Consistent with many national polls, we find that Trump has lost considerable support over his first 100 days, suggesting his honeymoon was short-lived,' Bowling Green State University political scientist Robert Alexander said. 'Having a net negative favorability rating in a state he won by 11 points should be of concern for Trump nationwide.' Alexander also said if the numbers continue to slide, 'we can expect the hopes of Democrats in Ohio to increase as they look to the 2026 election.' The data comes from a poll conducted by BGSU's Democracy and Public Policy Network. Pollsters contacted 800 registered voters from April 18-24 and the poll has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points. The bulk of their contacts were people they previously polled in February; 235 respondents had not been contacted before. The April survey shows Trump's base of supporters remains intact, while independents and Democrats are disenchanted with his performance. On a handful of broad qualitative question regarding respect for the country abroad, anxiety levels of respondent and whether Trump's performance has compared to expectations, the negative responses led, but fell short of a majority. BGSU political scientist Melissa Miller said, despite Republicans' 2024 double-digit victory in Ohio, 'Trump administration policies appear to be a mixed bag in the Buckeye State.' A majority of respondents supported federal recognition of only two sexes, and declaring an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. But most respondents opposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico, withdrawing from the World Health Organization and pardoning Jan. 6 defendants. Tariff policy, however, was a glaring exception. A majority opposed Trump's 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, but offered support for a 10% tariff on China. As of April 9, the import duties on most Chinese goods sit at 145%. According to the White House some goods will face a 245% tariff. By a 2-to-1 margin, the poll's respondents said tariffs will hurt them personally, and 49% said the policy will hurt the United States. Just 38% said tariffs will be beneficial for the country. Respondents were also dubious about who stands to gain from the policy. Sixty percent said the benefits will flow to the wealthy and large corporations. Meanwhile, majorities agreed that tariffs will harm small businesses, labor unions, the middle class, the working class, and the car industry. 'No matter how you look at it,' Alexander said, 'Ohio voters do not like what they are seeing with Trump's tariff policies.' Pollsters asked about the upcoming governor's race, as well. Among Republican candidates, entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy leads the field by a vast margin. Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and Attorney General Dave Yost garnered 14% and 13% support respectively, while Ramaswamy has the backing of 64% of GOP voters. All three Republican candidates have an edge over the only declared Democratic candidate, former Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton. The poll suggests Acton, a first-time candidate, has work to do consolidating Democratic support. Given the choice, 59% of respondents said they'd prefer former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown as the nominee to Acton's 20%. Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan got 16% of the total. Miller argued there are warning signs in their figures about distrust in the federal government. Among Republicans, that figure ticked upwards slightly, but within the margin of error. For Democrats and independents the increase was larger. 'While rising distrust in the federal government among Ohio Democrats is not particularly surprising,' Miller argued, 'the 8-point increase in distrust among independents between February and April could have real consequences. Independents tend to be the holy grail in U.S. elections.' Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
