The Blue Line

Responding to a domestic violence call about about a teenage man threatening to hurt his father with a baseball bat, Chicago police arrived and shot a middle-aged woman dead after she opened the door to let them inside.
Then they shot the teenager dead.
Neither one of them was armed with a gun.
Chicago police offered scarce details other than telling the media they arrived at the building and “were confronted by a combative individual, resulting in an officer firing shots, fatally wounding two individiuals.”

After it was revealed that Colorado has some of the weakest laws in the nation in weeding out bad cops, the state’s police certification board implemented new standards that would make it mandatory for all potential police officers to receive psychological and physical evaluations before they get hired.
The Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training also implemented new rules that would prevent rogue cops from simply transferring to a new department after losing their job over misconduct.

Chicago prosecutors are taking the mother of Ronald Johnson to court, accusing her of communicating threats against the officer that killed her son.
Chicago police officer George Hernandez killed Johnson during a foot pursuit in October 2014 by shooting him in the back.

A New York City police officer who walked up to a woman and began pawing her in a suggestive manner, only to arrest her male friend who pulled out a phone to record, was indicted today on several charges, including two felony counts.

 
A New Orleans police officer was sentenced last week to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Michael Thomassie, 41, who in August was convicted of raping a 7-year-old girl more than 10 years ago, was sentenced by the New Orleans Parish criminal courts Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier. He was found guilty of aggravated rape earlier this year on Aug. 20.
During jury selection of his trial, Thomassie sent a selfie and raunchy texts to his girlfriend in Florida.
Now, another inmate wants to make Thomassie his boyfriend.

An Austin police lieutenant was fired for failure to report a colleague’s misconduct and for trying to sabotage an internal investigation.
Austin police Chief Art Acevedo fired Lt. Johnny McMiller last Monday. A memo of the incident was made public on Tuesday, which you can read here.

The Albuquerque Police Department is being sued again for refusing to release body camera footage showing police shooting a man to death.
The ACLU of New Mexico is representing Burque Media and other plaintiffs in a suit against the police department for denying public records requests.
The Albuquerque Police Department has encountered several other similar lawsuits in the past.

A Los Angeles police officer was found not guilty for repeatedly bashing a man over the head with his baton while trying to arrest him.
Jonathan Lai was acquitted Monday of one felony count of assault by a police officer and another felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“The jurors had to agree that my client was objectively reasonable,” said defense attorney Ira Salzman.

A disturbing video emerged Friday showing two Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies killing a man after they had chased him for riding a bicycle while wearing headphones.
The incident took place more than a year ago with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department initially telling the media that they shot and killed 23-year-old Noel Aguilar, a “known gang member,” after he pulled out a gun and shot a deputy.

An attempted coverup lasting more than a year came to a surprising end today after criminal charges were filed against a Missouri Highway Patrol officer in the death of Brandon Ellingson, the 20-year-old man who drowned while handcuffed in police custody.
State trooper Anthony Piercy was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the first degree, which can land him in prison for seven years.
He is expected to turn himself in today, according to the Kansas City Star.