This chart and article are from Think Progress:
In the first half of 2016, police have killed 532 people — many of whom were unarmed, mentally ill, and people of color.
This number comes from The Guardian’s police killings database, but the Killed by Police database counts 580 people who have died at the hands of police so far this year. The Washington Post also reports that 488 people have been shot and killed by cops.
Going by the Guardian’s count, 261 white people were killed by police — the highest total out of any racial group. But data also shows that black people and Native Americans are being killed at higher rates than any other group.
February and March were the deadliest months this year, with 99 people killed by police in each month. In June, the police killed 86 people, all of whom were fatally shot.
The slight discrepancies in numbers between Killed by Police and The Guardian reflect differences in how each outlet collects data about police killings. Killed by Police is mainly open-sourced and also relies on corporate news reports for its data on people killed by police. For its database, The Guardian relies on traditional reporting on police reports and witness statements, while also culling data from verified crowdsourced information using regional news outlets, research groups, and reporting projects that include Killed by Police.
There has always been a high volume of police killings, although damning videos, photos, and news reports highlight officer violence — especially against people of color — now more than ever. But what’s become an even more alarming trend is the number of officers involved in these killings who receive minor to no punishment.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 2015 saw the highest number of police officers being charged for deadly, on-duty shootings in a decade: 12 as of September 2015. Still, in a year when approximately 1,200 people were killed by police, zero officers were convicted of murder or manslaughter, painting the picture that officers involved in killing another person will not be held accountable for their actions.
In 2016, several officers have gone to trial but none of them received jail time.
"In 2016, several officers have gone to trial but none of them received jail time" and this is why it keeps happening. Nobody is held accountable so it must be OK. Makes me sad.
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