2015 police killings by threat level

Despite the media hype this year, surprisingly few people are shot by police who are unarmed and not resisting. The Washington Post estimated that less than 5% of police killings are in any way suspicious.

Source: Investigation: Police shootings – Washington Post.

When I previously posted data such as this on the Data is Beautiful sub-Reddit, some of the comments accused me of racism. Apparently, to post data from a highly reputable source on police shootings by threat level is a racist act.

How should the world deal with drugs?

Law and order in Baltimore

Crime way down in NYC

https://twitter.com/hunterwalk/status/681288055395778560

Were Almost Half of the 184 People Killed by Georgia Cops Since 2010 Unarmed and/or Shot in the Back? The 2015 data by threat level

Source: OVER THE LINE: Police shootings in Georgia.

Every Georgia police shooting this year was in response to threats to the life of officers.

Source: Investigation: Police shootings – Washington Post.

Education and the risk of criminality

Corruption vs. Human Development

Crime has been trending downwards for 20 years in New Zealand

https://www.facebook.com/FigureNZ/photos/pb.374053709279073.-2207520000.1449201572./1084317054919398/?type=3&theater

A hidden cost of terrorism

Marijuana regulation: there are many options

Source: Marijuana regulation: there are many options

Psychic fails to foresee court case

@jeremycorbyn wants to abolish the army @johnmcdonnellMP disarm the police

That these claims about abolishing the military and disarming the police are far from absolute lies shows how far British Labour is out there. Corbyn did say what he said in an interview in 2013.

The Shadow Chancellor did sign that letter despite his best protestations that that he never seen it, much less was photographed holding it up to the camera smiling for later tweeting.

It is clear that these men spent their lives shooting from the hip because they never expected to hold public office and have responsibility for safeguarding others. They expected to live their life in political obscurity despite their dreams to the contrary. Now that they do have responsibility, they are just out of their depth. Corbyn and McDonnell spend a considerable part of their time lying about their previous record.

27 unarmed whites killed by police since 1 January 2015 by threat level

I did some recoding again because the Washington Post categorises people as not attacking when they are reaching inside their jacket or a car when challenged not to do so or charging armed police. The Washington Post counted 13 whites as no attack in progress. I count six. The three killed in crossfire were a six-year-old, a woman shot when police were aiming at her dog, and a passenger in a fleeing car.

Source: Investigation: Police shootings – Washington Post.

30 unarmed Blacks killed by police by threat level since 1 January 2015

Before I go to the coding errors by the Washington Post, two were killed by a police stray bullets so there is no intention to kill that person no matter what their race might be. One of the 30 was killed by a 74-year-old sheriff’s reserve deputy who fumbled his weapons while trying to subdue the deceased who was on the ground fighting with other officers. That was a tragic accident. There was no police intention to kill despite the negligence. Perhaps the correct number is 27.

Source: Investigation: Police shootings – Washington Post.

12 of the 30 deceased were attacking police according to the coding of the Washington Post. When you read the details of the 13 classified as no attack in progress, seven must be reclassified. A threat level makes no sense if you’re accidentally killed by police stray bullet as just mentioned.

One of the deceased got out of his car then reached inside despite police commands not to do so, but was still classified as no attack in progress. He was shot because the police thought he was going for a gun.

Three of the deceased were mentally ill, of which two are charging the police with the weapon of some sort and another look like he had a weapon. They were attacking police which is contrary to the coding of the Washington Post that they weren’t.

Another of the deceased was shot struggling with the policeman who got into the car which he then drove off in at speed. The car later crashed after the shooting.

Then we’re back to the 74-year-old sheriff’s reserve deputy who fired his gun instead of the Taser as mentioned before. That shooting too was classified as no attack in progress despite the fact the deceased was struggling with officers. The sheriff’s deputy was trying to use his Taser to subdue the man resisting arrest violently. Not sure how a policeman can confuse a gun with the Taser but it was a high stress situation of a suspect who was struggling with police.

All in all, at most 10 of the unarmed blacks deliberately shot in America this year by police were not attacking at the time.

The Guardian argues that 1013 were killed by police this year in the USA. The Washington Post puts this number at 871 as of today. Either way, about 1% of these deaths were of an unarmed black who was not attacking police. Of that 10 who were shot, a number will turn out to be justifiable shootings. A few of these police shootings will not be justified and will result in criminal prosecutions.

Police officers who shoot an unarmed suspect at a safe distance are highly likely to be charged as I have previously arguedThe Washington Post confirmed that with its investigator journalism finding that only 5% of the police shootings it reviewed for 2015 were suspicious in terms of police misconduct.

@amyadamsMP Justice Michael Kirby on the battered woman’s defence

Source: Osland v R [1998] HCA 75; 197 CLR 316; 159 ALR 170; 73 ALJR 173 (10 December 1998).

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