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Excessive Force Video Illustrates Columbia’s Need for Body Cameras

Latest Cell Phone Video of Excessive Force in Columbia Shows Need for Officers to Wear Body Cameras A 15-second cell phone video was released on the internet, showing a Columbia police officer brutally beating a suspect laying on the ground. The excessive force is just the latest example, according to both police officers and safety advocates, of the need for police in South Carolina and around the country to wear body cameras. “If you don’t have the whole sequence, you don’t know what caused the officer to do that,” said John O’Leary, a … [Read more...]

Officer Charged with Police Brutality for Death

Officer Faces Assault Charges for Police Brutality that Led to Death of Patient A San Francisco police officer faces numerous charges related to an incident of police brutality according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Deputy Michael Lewelling, 33, was arrested on Friday on charges related to a dire incident of police brutality, including assault, perjury, filing a false police report, filing a false instrument, and four felony charges. The arrest was related to a police brutality incident that occurred in November 2014. The … [Read more...]

Columbia Police to Wear Body Cameras to Prevent Excessive Force

As Dispute Over Excessive Force Continues Across Country, South Carolina Law Enforcement Supports Body Cameras Neither police officer involved in the recent deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner was indicted on murder or manslaughter charges after they reportedly killed the African Americans for no reason. Protests across the country decry the use of excessive force that killed these two citizens, and many believe that body cameras, which would record every movement of a police officer while on duty, would help prevent such tragedies by … [Read more...]

SC Legislators File Body Camera Bill to Prevent Excessive Force Injuries

SC Legislators File Bill to Require Body Cameras on Police to Prevent Excessive Force Injuries Police officers are currently required to use dash cams in their vehicles to document DUI or car accident stops, as well as monitor police behavior at the scene of a crime. However, many concerned citizens are advocating that police officers be required to wear a body camera, due to allegations of excessive force across the country. Now, two South Carolina state senators have filed legislation for consideration in the 2015 sessions, which could … [Read more...]

FBI Report Chronicles Excessive Force with Police Killings

FBI Crime Report Tracks Excessive Force Cases Leading to Death of Suspects Shot by Police The FBI recently released statistics on crime across the United States for 2013. Overall, violent crimes and property crimes, like homicide or larceny, have decreased across the country. However, one statistic – excessive force from police, leading to death – has drastically risen, to the highest point in two decades. The count is called the “justifiable homicide” count, and was reported in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. The report showed that the … [Read more...]

Man Perceived as Threat Actually Deaf, Victim of Excessive Force

Florida Police Officer Shot and Killed Man Who Was a Perceived Threat, Now Faces Excessive Force Investigation A 52-year-old man was shot and killed on Saturday, September 20th, after officers noticed the man in a verbal altercation at a tow yard, and saw that he had a concealed weapon on his person. The victim did not respond to police verbal commands, according to the report, but the man’s family said that he was deaf from a childhood illness. The shooting is yet another in a series of shootings in the US that raises the question of … [Read more...]