Austin police released an annual ranking of bars where motorists who were stopped on suspicion of drunken driving reported having their most recent drinks. Several bars in downtown topped the list including Rain, Oilcan Harry’s, and The Ranch. Police are using the list to help target enforcement efforts. The rankings are based on information drivers…
City Council members voted Thursday to settle for $250,000 a lawsuit brought by two men who were struck in 2006 by an Austin police officer’s car while they were changing a flat tire. The money will be used to cover medical expenses and be divided between Marvin Clayborne and Stephan Center, both of whom were…
Austin City Council members approved a resolution last week saying it is their “clear will” that police officers not personally collect blood from people suspected of driving while intoxicated. During the meeting, police leaders told the council that they have abandoned plans to train a group of officers to act as phlebotomists. Police Chief Art…
The Burden of Billions in Police Misconduct Settlements In recent years, cases of police misconduct have led to substantial settlements, highlighting a critical issue in law enforcement accountability. These settlements, amounting to billions of dollars nationwide, are often paid by local governments, with little to no financial repercussions for the police departments or individual officers…
In the quiet of an early October morning in 2019, the life of 8-year-old Zion Carr was irrevocably altered. The fatal shooting of his aunt, Atatiana Jefferson, by Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean, while responding to a welfare check, not only claimed Jefferson’s life but also inflicted deep psychological scars on young Zion. Atatiana…
The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Elise Brown, an 83-year-old woman, to sue police officers for excessive force marks a pivotal moment in the battle against police brutality. Brown’s case, arising from a mistaken traffic stop in 2019, challenges the long-standing doctrine of qualified immunity, which often protects officers from liability in civil rights…
