A Chilean court on Thursday convicted a former special forces police captain of assault after a woman was left blinded by a tear gas canister in late 2019, when the country was rocked by massive protests. The court found that former Captain Patricio Maturana had committed “unlawful coercion resulting in serious and very serious injuries” to Fabiola Campillai, whose eyes were permanently damaged after being hit in the face by a police-issue canister while waiting for the bus. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10, the prosecutor’s office has requested a 12-year prison sentence. The case became one of the … Continue reading Former Chilean police officer found guilty for assault that left woman blind

Four US police officers have been arrested and charged over the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Ms Taylor was killed in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, on 13 March 2020 by plainclothes police who were executing a “no-knock” search warrant. The hospital worker, 26, was shot as officers stormed the apartment just after midnight while she was with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Her death sparked racial injustice protests around the country. Federal investigators say that three of the four officers conspired to falsify the arrest warrant that led to Ms Taylor’s death. Only one officer involved in the raid, former … Continue reading US police charged over the death of Breonna Taylor

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin, 46, pleaded guilty to the separate federal civil rights charges in December. He is already serving a 22-year state prison sentence for the on-duty murder of Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old black man. The two sentences will run concurrently and Chauvin will now be moved to a federal prison. But he will almost certainly spend more time behind bars following the sentencing. His sentence is due to be followed by five years of supervised release. “George’s life matters,” … Continue reading Derek Chauvin sentenced to 20 years for violating George Floyd’s rights

US police have released video of a chase in Akron, Ohio, which ended in a black man being shot dead, hit more than 60 times by pursuing officers. Police believe Jayland Walker, 25, opened fire first and officers feared for their lives during the night-time traffic stop on 27 June. Mr Walker was not armed when he ran away from his car but police say a pistol was later found inside it. Akron’s mayor urged local people to show patience as protests began. “The video is heart-breaking, it’s hard to take in,” Daniel Horrigan said after the footage was released … Continue reading Ohio police release video of deadly suspect chase of Jayland Walker

Stephen Ramos, the San Antonio police officer who fatally shot a 13-year-old boy earlier this month, also fatally shot a man last year. Officer Ramos of the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) allegedly shot into a vehicle driven by Andre Hernandez Jr because he feared the teenager was preparing to strike officers with it after he had crashed it into a police vehicle. Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Mr Hernandez’s family who has reviewed body and dashcam videos of the incident, has said that the police account of the shooting is incongruous with the footage and that police were in no immediate danger when … Continue reading Police officer who killed 13-year-old in San Antonio also shot a man last year

A man has died after he was Tasered by police and fell from Chelsea Bridge into the River Thames. Officers were called to reports a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting at the location just after 9am on Saturday. The IOPC, the police watchdog, said on Sunday the man, aged in his early 40s, had died in hospital, and that an independent inquiry was under way. Footage posted to social media reportedly of the incident shows a man in a confrontation with police. An officer fires a Taser at him and he falls to the floor before attempting to get … Continue reading Man who fell into River Thames after being Tasered by police dies

The death of a black man who was forced into a police car boot where a gas grenade was set off has sparked outrage in Brazil. Police stopped Genivaldo de Jesus Santos, 38, in the street in the north-eastern city of Umbaúba, Sergipe state, on Wednesday. Video footage showed two officers holding down the boot the man was in as thick smoke billowed from the car. Brazil’s federal highway police said a disciplinary proceeding has been opened to investigate the officers’ conduct. An investigation has also been opened by the federal police into the circumstances of Mr Santos’ death. There … Continue reading Brazilian man allegedly gassed to death in police car boot

A former Minneapolis police officer has pleaded guilty to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.Late George Floyd Thomas Lane was one of three ex-policemen who watched fellow officer Derek Chauvin kill Floyd by kneeling on his neck. By entering the plea, Lane avoided an upcoming trial in June on the more serious charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill has agreed to a three-year jail sentence for him. The two other ex-officers involved in Floyd’s arrest, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng, are scheduled to go on … Continue reading Ex-police officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in killing of George Floyd

A policeman in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is on the run after allegations that he raped a 13-year-old girl who went to police to report she had been gang raped. A criminal case has been registered against him and he has been suspended, a senior police official said. The girl alleged that she had been gang raped by four men last month. The report has led to outrage in India with many people expressing anger on social media. In his complaint to the police, the girl’s father alleged that four men had taken his daughter to the … Continue reading Barbaric: Indian police allegedly raped girl who reported gang rape

Five police officers could face the sack over the stop and search of two athletes who were driving through London with their baby. Watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Wednesday that an acting police sergeant and four police constables will all face a gross misconduct disciplinary hearing over the incident involving British sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo Dos Santos. Footage of the search on July 4 2020, during which the couple were handcuffed, was widely shared on social media, and later Ms Williams accused the police of having racially profiled the pair. After the search, details of … Continue reading Disgusting: Five police officers could face the sack over Bianca Williams stop and search

A man who spent more than three decades in prison for a murder he didn’t commit has been exonerated after a witness admitted that he was pressured into falsely testifying by police. Joaquin Ciria was arrested for shooting and killing his friend, Felix Bastarrica, in San Francisco back in 1990. However, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin had Mr Ciria released on Monday after ruling that his conviction was based on false witness testimony and police misconduct. Mr Boudin said his office was “proud and grateful” for the work of the Innocence Commission in rectifying the gross miscarriage of justice against Mr Ciria in … Continue reading Man locked up for 32 years over murder he didn’t commit freed as police exposed

Police video has been released of a white officer fatally shooting a black man in the back of the head after a scuffle over a stun gun. Footage of the 4 April incident in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shows Patrick Lyoya, 26, running from the officer following a traffic stop. The officer, who has not been named, is then heard telling Mr Lyoya to “let go” of his Taser, before the man is shot as he lies face-down on the ground. The shooting has led to protests. Dozens of demonstrators gathered on Wednesday outside the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) demanding … Continue reading Video shows fatal shooting of black man by US police