Police Brutality

These are some of countless examples of police attacking or murdering people of color and/or labor organizing. This list focuses on local and state police. There are many more cases that involve the U.S. National Guard and state militia. Read about the history of policing. See also a list of Massacres in U.S. History.

Aug. 9, 2014: Michael Brown Killed by Police

Michael Brown was fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Philando Castile by Pollen | Zinn Education Project

July 6, 2016: Philando Castile is Killed by Police

Philando Castile, an African American, was shot to death by a police officer at a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Castile had worked as a nutritional supervisor at an elementary school.

March 13, 2020: Breonna Taylor Killed by Louisville Police

Louisville police officers opened fire in the home of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, shooting and killing her.

“Prisons Make Us Safer”: And 20 Other Myths about Mass Incarceration

Book — Non-fiction. By Victoria Law. 2021. 240 pages
An accessible guide for activists, educators, and all who are interested in understanding how the prison system oppresses communities and harms individuals.

Teaching Activity by Victoria Law

Side entrance to the Governor’s mansion on Capital Street in Jackson on June 17, 1965.

June 17, 1965: Protest for Voting Rights in Jackson, Mississippi

Five-year-old Anthony Quin and his mother and siblings protested against the election of five Mississippi Congressmen from districts where Black people were not allowed to vote. Refused admittance, they sat on the steps and police-instigated mayhem ensued.

No More Police: A Case for Abolition

Book — Non-fiction. By Mariame Kaba and Andrea Ritchie. 2022. 400 pages.
No More Police calls on us to turn away from systems that perpetrate violence in the name of ending it toward a world where violence is the exception, and safe, well-resourced and thriving communities are the rule.

Teaching Activity by Mariame Kaba and Andrea Ritchie

Flowers, toys, and other objects are seen at a memorial for the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in nearly a decade resulting in the death of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 29, 2022.

May 24, 2022: Uvalde School Shooting

Nineteen children and two teachers were shot dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.