On Saturday night, an officer of the Special Forces of the Greek Police killed a young 15-year old school student, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, in Exarchia in the centre of Athens. This is the modern “democratic” manner in which a police officer answered the usual anti-police slogans that a small group of ordinary and completely unarmed school students were raising against him. The police officer shot at the group of school students in an area where there are many coffeehouses full of people and at an hour (9pm) when there are many youth gathered together enjoying an evening out.

This fascist, brutal and unprovoked attack on the part of the Greek police has led to a widespread and deep feeling of disgust throughout Greek society. It reminds everyone of the criminal actions of the Greek police forces in the past, of the black years of the Greek colonels’ dictatorship (1967-1974), but it has also served to highlight in the minds of the people the many brutal actions of the Greek police over these past four years of right-wing government. Two years ago in Thessalonica six police officers brutally and mercilessly beat up a Cypriot student, causing serious injuries, both physical and psychological. In the same period one police officer seriously injured a young teacher by using knuckledusters. Many immigrants are also regularly brutalised by the Greek police, especially in the police stations of Athens, as many videos that have been broadcast on Greek TV channels have revealed.

More here

Numerous civil rights organizations across the United States agree that abuse of power by law enforcement and judicial departments has seriously violated the freedom and rights of its citizens.

Cases where law enforcement authorities allegedly violated victims’ civil rights increased by 25% from 2001 to 2007 according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice (“Police Brutality Cases up 25%,” USA Today, Dec. 18, 2007).

The national average among large police departments for excessive-force complaints was 9.5% per 100 full-time officers (The New York Times, Nov. 15, 2007).  But shockingly, the majority of law enforcement officers were not prosecuted when accused of physical brutality, abuse of power or even homicide.

And based on figures released by the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2007, 47 states and the District of Columbia reported 2,002 arrest-related deaths between 2003 and 2005.

With these facts, it is obvious why justice of the U.S. judicial system is increasingly put in question.  With these facts, it is obvious that law enforcement officers need strict accountability for their behavior.  And with these facts, it is obvious why a small group of moms have decided it’s time for change.

In Chattanooga, Tenn., on Dec. 29, four mothers whose unarmed sons were killed by law enforcement while in custody will hold a gathering to commemorate the lives of their sons and start a movement for change.  They urge people who share their concern nationwide to join them.

From their painful experience, they are determined to share and educate other mothers as well as grandmothers, wives, girlfriends, nieces to work to form a united collective movement for change.

Loretta Prater’s son, Leslie, was killed in Tennessee when a citizen called the police after seeing him get out of his car and pull off his clothes.  Two independent autopsy reports concluded homicide by positional asphyxia though the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported ‘excited delirium’ as the cause of death.

Sandra Robertson’s 19-year old son, John, died from five shots – two in the back.  He bled to death on the sidewalk in Arizona.

Mar?ia Riley’s 22-year old son, Marcus, was dead within less than 48 hours of being arrested in Texas.  Jailers initially claimed that he committed suicide.

Connie Riding was devastated when her 25 year-old son, Derek, was shamelessly killed by officers in Delaware after having served two tours of military duty fighting for our country.  Helpless and paralyzed from taser blasts, he was shot three times.

These mothers are aware that good officers exist within the system; however, there’s an “epidemic” of fear which has engulfed them to silence.  It’s the bad officers and jailers who are the focus of their grass root efforts.  It’s the supervisors who knowingly turn a blind eye to these heinous killings; it’s the taxpayers who lose valuable dollars through court costs and lawsuit settlements; and it’s families who are plagued with a lifetime of grief.

The kick-off event will be held on Dec. 29 starting 6:30 p.m. at the Second Missionary Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall on 2305 East 3^rd Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Source

Police say they shot and killed a 24-year-old man after he fired at squad cars responding to a domestic disturbance in the Ozaukee County community of Mequon.

Officers were called to an affluent neighborhood Sunday about 4:30 p.m. after shots were fired inside a home.

Police say the 24-year-old came outside and began firing at squad cars, hitting at least one.

Police say when the man aimed his gun at an officer, the officer fired in self defense.

The man was pronounced dead at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee shortly before 6 p.m.

more on this story here

Bear Whalen may never know exactly what happened at his house early Saturday morning, but he wants to get as close to the truth as he can.

Three Everett police officers responding to a report of a burglary shot and killed Whalen’s roommate at his home in the 2400 block of 23rd Street.

The slain man owned and lived at the house where he was fatally shot, Whalen said.

Someone in the neighborhood east of Broadway called police just before 2 a.m. Saturday to report that someone was breaking windows and kicking in the door of a nearby house, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Three officers arrived and said they were confronted by a man with a gun, standing in the doorway of the home, Hover said.

Officers said they repeatedly ordered the man to drop his weapon but he refused to comply. The three officers fired multiple shots at the man, 31. He died at the scene, Hover said.

The man’s identity has not been released. His friends and roommate say he is one of the owners of the home and had every right to be there.

No one else was at the house at the time of the shooting, Hover said.

The officers involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard practice, while a team of detectives pulled from throughout the county investigates.

more on this story here

Duana Johnson

A transwoman whose videotaped beating at the hands of police helped spark a movement to fight police brutality in Memphis was found shot to death Nov. 9.

A Nov. 11 article at the Memphis Commercial Appeal said that Duanna Johnson, 43, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died at the site of the shooting in North Memphis.

Johnson’s arrest for prostitution last winter led to a police interrogation in which Johnson–formerly known as Dwayne Johnson–was beaten by police officers.

When Johnson’s lawyer provided a video of the beating, two Memphis policemen–Bridges McRae and James Swain–were dismissed from the force, the article said.

A lawsuit stemming from the beating will go forward despite Johnson’s death, said her lawyer, Murray Wells.

more on this story here

Two years later, the Kathryn Johnston case is back where it started —- with the Atlanta Police Department.

The November 2006 killing of the 92-year-old woman by a rogue drug squad in her own home has been solved. Early on, federal investigators echoed suspicions of the community that such corruption was widespread. But in closing the investigation, they now say the wrongdoing was more isolated. Atlanta police last week said they were starting a task force to investigate internal wrongdoing.

Yet questions persist. Narcotics officers told investigators they cut corners, faked search warrants, planted drugs and raided homes because of pressure from superiors to make arrests. There were complaints from other officers that there were performance quotas, a charge higher-ups always denied.

But there never has been a public explanation about whether allegations about pressure from superiors were accurate, and if so, who was applying it. Also, did any higher-ups know how the drug unit operated? Or why they didn’t know?

There were thoughts this would uncover a huge ring of corruption in the Police Department. It never did,” said William McKenney, an attorney for narcotics officer Arthur Tesler, who late last month pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with Johnston’s death. “The nine and two was the catalyst —- the nine arrests and two warrants each officer was required to get [each month].

It’s difficult to stay within a quota and abide by the rules,” McKenney said. “[The federal investigation] never addressed the question of where they came up with the numbers and why there was no accountability in that unit. That was the real failure. This investigation addressed the symptoms, not the cause. It’s difficult to believe this corrupt unit could be functioning at the rate it did without no one over the rank of sergeant knowing about it.

Others, such as state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), say the full findings of the investigation that were turned over to the Atlanta police need to be made public.

More on this story here

A Culver City police officer shot to death an unarmed man who had his hand in his waistband during a traffic stop Saturday, authorities said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene in the Venice area of Los Angeles shortly after midnight, said Deputy Johnie Jones of the county Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the shooting.

The identities of the man and the officer were not immediately released.

More on this story here

Breon Pittman

Breon Pittman, 19, died after being shot at The Regents Apartments on Caravan Circle. He’d been stopped by police who were responding to a report of shots being fired at the Southside complex. An officer felt a gun in Pittman’s waistband and another officer shot him after he struggled, broke away and turned toward the officers, said Director Dwain Senterfitt of the Sheriff’s Office.

Pittman is the 25th person shot by Jacksonville police this year, compared with 19 shootings in 2007. Twelve of those shot this year have died, compared with nine last year.

The Jacksonville man had been the subject of a police brutality claim settled by the city in 2006, city records show.

witnesses later identified Pittman as a man who had been firing a gun in the parking lot before police arrived. He said they recovered 16 shell casings that matched the type of gun found in the hoodie.

Police records show Pittman had several previous arrests, including several charges of drug possession.

One of those arrests occurred in September in an apartment at the Regents. A report said that an officer investigating a report of an armed, suspicious person saw Pittman, through an apartment window, reach under a cushion and pull out a handgun. Pittman answered the door with the gun in hand and then tried to shut the door, the report said. He threw the gun on a desk and was detained. Police found numerous guns and marijuana in the apartment. Waddell was one of the officers on that call.

Lundquist is a five-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and has been involved in one other shooting in which no one was hurt, police records show. As a routine measure, he is on administrative leave pending reviews of the shooting by the State Attorney’s Office and a Sheriff’s Office response to resistance board.

more on this story here