Police kill more than 1,000 people per year in the US.

[Lois]

Killed by Police had listed more than 1,450 deaths caused by law-enforcement officers since its launch, on May 1, 2013, through Sunday. That works out to about three per day, or 1,100 a year.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/another-much-higher-count-of-police-homicides/

So maybe being a cop is dangerous, and they have to kill this many people to protect themselves?
 
And here's another interesting article on the subject:
http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/01/police-involved-shootings-2011-annual.html

This article details police shootings that occurred in the US during 2011: police officers in the United States shot 1,146  people, killing 607.

And yet in 2011, in England and Wales, only 2 people were killed by the police.

Sure England and Wales are much smaller, but this is still way our of wack.

From the Economist:

Last year [2013], in total, British police officers actually fired their weapons three times. The number of people fatally shot was zero. In 2012 the figure was just one. Even after adjusting for the smaller size of Britain’s population, British citizens are around 100 times less likely to be shot by a police officer than Americans. Between 2010 and 2014 the police force of one small American city, Albuquerque in New Mexico, shot and killed 23 civilians; seven times more than the number of Brits killed by all of England and Wales’s 43 forces during the same period.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2014/08/armed-police

I think we have a problem.

 

[Well Behaved Lady]

Guns are not part of everyday uniform either in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. They do in Northern Ireland, maybe this is one of the reasons there is no comparison.

[MissBarbara]

I agree that there is a problem but it's worth remembering that there are many cultural differences between the US and the UK (also where did the commenter get that statistic from and why is it limited to England and Wales and not the rest of the UK, odd). I would not conclude that American police are simply more brutal based on that statistic.

For reference though, the Republic of Ireland has a population of about 4 million. In my lifetime I can remember one instance of a Garda (our police) killing a person and the man in question was armed and had some severe psychiatric condition. At the time the case caused no small amount of controversy even at that, but if I remember right there was not a lot else that could have been done. I don't remember any other examples but I may  be forgetting some. Either way, the police killing someone here would always be a big deal.

GB is correct. Our "gun problem" is completely sui generis, and any comparisons with other developed nation are meaningless.

More to the point, the "statistics" in the OP are presented completely out of context, rendering them, also, meaningless.

Forthirtyeight.com is an extreme advocacy site, and the sites that article cites are also extreme advocacy sites. Citing a Facebook page (really?) as a data source is less than meaningless. And the Jim Fisher blog is just as bad. His sources? "Data I collected...from the Internet."

Add to that, the data in the OP are doubly out of context, since there's no comparative data. For example, even accepting the figure of 607 people killed by police in 2011, is that higher or lower than previous years? If there's a change, is there any indication of causality? In how many instances of those 607 deaths was the justifiability called into question?

I agree with the final line in the OP: "I think we have a problem." But without reliable data to demonstrate the scope of the problem, thereby demonstrating that it is, in fact, a problem, efforts to solve the problem will prove futile.

[joan1984]

After Guest Claims There’s an Epidemic of Officers Killing Black People, Bill O’Reilly Pulls Out Some Damaging Statistics

Fox News host Bill O’Reilly clashed with radio host Tavis Smiley on the air Wednesday over the controversial police officer-involved killing of Eric Garner in New York City. While both men agreed the killing is concerning, they took opposing positions regarding claims that police officers are killing black men at an alarming rate.

A grand jury declined to indict the police officer who was caught on video putting Garner in an ultimately fatal chokehold.

“I think this would’ve happened to a white guy doing the same thing,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t think it had to do with skin color. I think it had to do with poor judgments made by the group of police officers.”

Smiley rejected O’Reilly’s comments as “speculation” and then listed off several black victims who have been killed, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Sean Bell.

“There is no respect for the humanity and the dignity for black life in this country,” he added.

O’Reilly then pulled out two statistics that seemingly hurt Smiley’s allegations that police officers are indiscriminately targeting black people.

“Do you know how many blacks were killed by police by gunfire last year?” O’Reilly asked.

“Off the top of my head, I don’t,” Smiley replied.

“The number is 123,” O’Reilly said. “Do you know how many whites were killed? 326.”

“There are 43 million-plus black Americans — 123 were killed by police gunfire,” he continued. “There isn’t an epidemic of this. … But when it happens it’s extremely troubling.”

When a stunned Smiley asked O’Reilly if he really doesn’t see a “pattern” on the issue, the Fox News host replied, “I don’t because the statistics don’t say there’s a pattern.”

“Again, 123 deaths out of 43 million-plus is minuscule — every death is a tragedy, I’m with you,” he added. “Three times as many whites are shot by police than blacks. I don’t think it’s hunting down blacks.”

Smiley correctly noted that there are more white than black people in the United States and reiterated that it is “open season, hunting season” on blacks.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/03/after-guest-claims-theres-an-epidemic-of-officers-killing-black-people-bill-oreilly-pulls-out-some-damaging-statistics/

[MissBarbara]

After Guest Claims There’s an Epidemic of Officers Killing Black People, Bill O’Reilly Pulls Out Some Damaging Statistics

Fox News host Bill O’Reilly clashed with radio host Tavis Smiley on the air Wednesday over the controversial police officer-involved killing of Eric Garner in New York City. While both men agreed the killing is concerning, they took opposing positions regarding claims that police officers are killing black men at an alarming rate.

A grand jury declined to indict the police officer who was caught on video putting Garner in an ultimately fatal chokehold.

“I think this would’ve happened to a white guy doing the same thing,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t think it had to do with skin color. I think it had to do with poor judgments made by the group of police officers.”

Smiley rejected O’Reilly’s comments as “speculation” and then listed off several black victims who have been killed, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Sean Bell.

“There is no respect for the humanity and the dignity for black life in this country,” he added.

O’Reilly then pulled out two statistics that seemingly hurt Smiley’s allegations that police officers are indiscriminately targeting black people.

“Do you know how many blacks were killed by police by gunfire last year?” O’Reilly asked.

“Off the top of my head, I don’t,” Smiley replied.

“The number is 123,” O’Reilly said. “Do you know how many whites were killed? 326.”

“There are 43 million-plus black Americans — 123 were killed by police gunfire,” he continued. “There isn’t an epidemic of this. … But when it happens it’s extremely troubling.”

When a stunned Smiley asked O’Reilly if he really doesn’t see a “pattern” on the issue, the Fox News host replied, “I don’t because the statistics don’t say there’s a pattern.”

“Again, 123 deaths out of 43 million-plus is minuscule — every death is a tragedy, I’m with you,” he added. “Three times as many whites are shot by police than blacks. I don’t think it’s hunting down blacks.”

Smiley correctly noted that there are more white than black people in the United States and reiterated that it is “open season, hunting season” on blacks.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/03/after-guest-claims-theres-an-epidemic-of-officers-killing-black-people-bill-oreilly-pulls-out-some-damaging-statistics/

After taking a hatchet to Lois's post above, I'm now going to turn around and defend it.

Neither Lois's comments nor any of the three articles cited make any mention of the race of those killed by police, nor do they focus on it.

Since you're someone who frequently accuses others of race-bating, perhaps you need to take a good, long look in the mirror.

[Athos_131]

A grand jury declined to indict the police officer who was caught on video putting Garner in an ultimately fatal chokehold.

“Do you know how many blacks were killed by police by gunfire last year?” O’Reilly asked.

A=/=B

[Katiebee]

Sounds like the police in GB need more range practice.

[RopeFiend]

It's an epidemic... of stupidity.




I see it down here every damned week.  If you're dumb and aggressive towards a cop (or anyone, really) holding a gun, you run a higher-than-normal chance of walking away with a subcutaneous Vitamin Pb injection.

[joan1984]

Great sign, RF!

[MissBarbara]

A grand jury declined to indict the police officer who was caught on video putting Garner in an ultimately fatal chokehold.

“Do you know how many blacks were killed by police by gunfire last year?” O’Reilly asked.

A=/=B

It's worse than that.

If you take O'Reilly's statistics at face value, roughly 25% of all those shot to death by police officers are black. Yet blacks make up only about 13% of the population.

In other words, O'Reilly ends up making the exact opposite argument of the one he intended. He demonstrates that, on a percentage basis, many more Blacks are killed by police officers than non-Blacks.

Oops!

[joan1984]

If we take Mayor DeBlazio, and President Obama, and AG Eric Holder at their words, recent words, that there is an epidemic that stretches back to the founding of White Police killing Black People unjustly, and look at only the years they could do something about it, what are the stats?

Forget the NYC Mayor, who is brand new relatively, and recently was arguing to keep the 'choke hold' from being deemed illegal, but now is against it (sound familiar?), and give him a pass as a hapless liberal who is new to all this... lets just look at the past 6 years of this known to Holder and Obama epidemic.

How many Police Officers of any color, or ethnicity, have been found by Grand Juries in their jurisdictions (all Police are controlled by the States, by the way, not by the Feds, by that pesky Constitution)? How many? Surely there is a known number, as this is a epidemic...

How many Police Officers of any color, any ethnicity, any state, have been tried by Petit Juries and found Guilty of killing citizens due to race? Must be a large number, as our leaders surely know there is an epidemic, and have studied this matter closely, consulted with major cities Mayors and Police Chiefs, and Prosecutors, and Governors, right? What is the number... within 100 would be close enough to start, if they as yet don't have the exact count... just the years the Obama Administration, and Eric Holder's Justice Department have been 'On Watch'?

If there is no ready number, then how do they get to 'epidemic'? If there is a number, some good citizen will surely find it, and quote it.

[watcher1]

How many Police Officers of any color, or ethnicity, have been found by Grand Juries in their jurisdictions (all Police are controlled by the States, by the way, not by the Feds, by that pesky Constitution)? How many? Surely there is a known number, as this is a epidemic...

The State Police answer to the state. The Sheriff answers to their respective county or parish and the individual city police departments answer to their respective mayor, city manager, etc. But they all have to follow the Constitution. 

[joan1984]

FBI: 76 Law Enforcement Officers Killed in
Line of Duty Last Year; 49,851 Assaulted
November 24, 2014 - 10:17 AM
By Susan Jones

(CNSNews.com) - The FBI on Monday said 76 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2013; and another 49,851 officers -- 136 a day -- were assaulted while performing their duties last year, down from 53,867 assaulted in 2012.

Of the 49,851 officers attacked last year, 14,565 -- or 29.2 percent -- were injured. And of those injured officers, the largest percentage -- 31.2 percent -- were assaulted while responding to disturbance calls, such as domestic disputes or bar fights.

The FBI says assailants used personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) in 79.8 percent of the incidents; firearms in 4.5 percent of incidents; and knives or other cutting instruments in 1.8 percent of the incidents. (Other weapons were used in 13.9 percent of assaults.)

The report does not provide a racial breakdown of the assaulted officers or of the known suspects.

For the fifteenth consecutive year, the largest percentage of assaults on officers (15.1 percent) happened from 12:01 a.m. to 2 a.m. The smallest percentage of assaults on officers (2.5 percent) occurred between 6:01 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Of the 76 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2013, 27 died in "felonious acts," well below the 49 feloniously killed in 2012. Forty-nine died in accidents.

Of the 27 officers killed feloniously in 2013, all but one were shot. One was hit by a vehicle.

The average age of the officers killed in felonies was 39 years. Two were female. Twenty-five were white, and two were black.

Fifteen of the felonious deaths happened in the South, six in the West, four in the Midwest, and two in the Northeast.

Most of the officers killed accidentally in the line of duty were killed in car crashes.  All 49 of those officers were male. Forty-one were white, six were black, and race was not reported for two officers.

In 2013, the FBI collected assault data from 11,468 law enforcement agencies that employed 533,895 officers. These officers provided service to more than 247 million persons, or 78.2 percent of the nation’s population.

This puts the numbers into greater perspective I think

[Athos_131]

It's an epidemic... of stupidity.




I see it down here every damned week.  If you're dumb and aggressive towards a cop (or anyone, really) holding a gun, you run a higher-than-normal chance of walking away with a subcutaneous Vitamin Pb injection.

Oops.

Forward or Delete: This Year's Fake Racist Bullshit

https://twitter.com/tmgparks/status/540250330106040320/photo/1

@tmgparks

The sign "No mother should have to fear for her son's life every time he robs a store" was photoshopped. Real sign:



Oops.