Jurors hear testimony on shooting by officer who Shot and Killed Phili Black Man

It took just three or four seconds, shortly before 5 a.m. Jan. 10, 2000, on City Avenue, and when it was over, one life had ended and another changed forever. Yesterday,a federal civil jury listened as witnesses heard the puzzling circumstances of the shooting of  Erin Forbes by Lower Merion Police Officer John Salkowski. Forbes' parents have sued Salkowski, contending there was no reason for Salkowski to shoot and kill Forbes,26, after he was stopped in a high-speed chase along City Avenue and surrounded by six patrol cars. [more]

19 Black Men have Died in Confrontations with the Police Since 1995

Cincinnati Officers Targeted in Shootings:
19 Black Men have Died in Confrontations with the Police Since 1995
Random shootings targeting police have been on the rise in Cincinnati, where tensions between officers and civilians have already been running high in recent years. [more]

More young black men have done prison time than military service or college

More young black men have done prison time than military service or earned college degree
Being jailed in federal or state prisons has become so common today that more young black men in the United States have done time than have served in the military or earned a college degree, according to new study. The paper, appearing this week in the American Sociological Review,estimates that 20 percent of all black men born from 1965 through 1969 had served time in prison by the time they reached their early 30s.  By comparison, less than 3 percent of white males born in thesame time period had been in prison.[more]

Redneck Cop will return to the Minneapolis police force on Monday.

Poised for Senate confirmation as the state's top cop, news resurfaced last month that he had admitted using racial epithets on the job in Minneapolis. Hestepped down, and when it was quickly realized he was headed back to the city's police force, community leaders raised their eyebrows. [more ]

Arrest of African-American fuels uneasy race relations in Waterloo

Mayor Tim Hurley and the city's police force are coming under heavy fire for officers' handling of a traffic accident last weekend. A group of African American residents,who spoke at the City Council meeting Monday, predicted an explosive summer if steps aren't taken to resolve what they believe to be on going racial prejudice by members of Waterloo's law enforcement community. [more]

Dallas Officers cleared in neck hold case

A  Dallas County grand jury Friday declined to indict a Dallas police  officer whose use of a controversial neck restraint to subdue a man contributed to the man's death. [more]

St. Petersburg remains calm following verdict in police shooting case

Peaceful protests were the response to a jury verdict that rejected a $1.6 million law suit brought by the family of a black motorist who was fatally shot by a white officer, touching off riots in 1996. [more]

Akron, Ohio: Tensions Growing Between Blacks and Police

Members of the Akron City Council have complained that there's a growing divide between the city's police department and the African-American community. Blacks feel that police stop them more often than their white counterparts, the council members say, and those same leaders have called for something to be done before the criticism escalates. [more]

SF: Police Shooting Victim Had Civil Rights Suit Pending

Family members of a man who was killed by San Francisco police last week and arrested a few days before that in Oakland said they filed claims against both cities today, charging racial bias and asking for $100  million.[more]

Trial may open old wounds

The wrongful-death lawsuit in a 1996 police shooting is likely to revive race relations questions.
It began with a traffic stop almost eight years ago. TyRon Lewis, 18, was shot dead after he refused to get out of a stolen Pontiac LeMans and bumped a police officer several times with it. The shooting sparked two nights of civil disturbances. [more]