In Context: Understanding Police Killings of Unarmed Civilians

Since 2014, the media and the American public have paid more attention than ever to the use of deadly force by American police officers. This accessible book, written in plain English, provides in objective, accurate terms contextually relevant facts on incidents during 2015 in which police officers killed unarmed civilians. It provides reporters, activists, scholars, police administrators, and legislators with high-level analysis to stimulate educated debate. The incidents are described in neutrally written accounts, with analysis and commentary from three perspectives: a police data expert; a veteran street cop and narcotics detective; and an experienced expert witness in the use of force. With chapters by a commissioner of one of America's largest police departments, and a former Navy SEAL officer, the book presents these controversial issues in a new way: fearlessly criticizing the police where warranted, and equally, pointing out where the police acted not just correctly, but honorably.