A police officer testifies that an ex-prosecutor never obstructed her in the Ahmaud Arbery case
Read full article: A police officer testifies that an ex-prosecutor never obstructed her in the Ahmaud Arbery caseThe case against a former Georgia prosecutor accused of interfering with the police investigation into the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery has taken a blow in the courtroom.
Family of a Black teen who was shot after ringing the wrong doorbell files lawsuit against homeowner
Read full article: Family of a Black teen who was shot after ringing the wrong doorbell files lawsuit against homeownerThe family of a Black teenager by a white homeowner when he mistakenly went to the wrong Kansas City, Missouri, address has filed a lawsuit.
Ralph Yarl armed only with 'Black skin,' family lawyer says
Read full article: Ralph Yarl armed only with 'Black skin,' family lawyer saysAs Ralph Yarl struggles to come to grips with being shot after going to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers, the white Kansas City, Missouri homeowner who shot the Black 16-year-old is facing his day in court.
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Black inmate's death in Texas jail struggle ruled homicide
Read full article: Black inmate's death in Texas jail struggle ruled homicideThe death of a Black man who struggled with detention officers at a Texas jail during what his family members say probably was a mental health crisis has been ruled a homicide.
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Black man's family views graphic video of in-custody death
Read full article: Black man's family views graphic video of in-custody deathGreene died following a police chase in Louisiana in 2019, and his death is now under federal investigation. “This family has been lied to the entire time about what happened,” said civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who also viewed the footage. Police initially told Greene’s family he had “died on impact” after crashing into a tree, the doctor wrote. Greene’s death, which followed a chase near Monroe over an unspecified traffic violation, was ruled accidental and attributed to cardiac arrest, said Renee Smith, the Union Parish coroner who was not in office when that determination was made. The State Police report refers to Greene crashing into a tree as the “the most harmful event” in the crash.
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Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled
Read full article: Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handledIn this May 17, 2020, photo, a recently painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is on display in Brunswick, Ga., where the 25-year-old man was shot and killed in February. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)ATLANTA – A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case. Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday. More than two months passed before Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. The elder McMichael worked for her as an investigator before retiring a year ago, which required the office to step away from the case.

Funeral for Atatiana Jefferson to be held Thursday in Dallas
Read full article: Funeral for Atatiana Jefferson to be held Thursday in DallasThe services will begin at 11 a.m. (noon ET) at Concord Church in Dallas, family attorney Lee Merritt said. Mourners had expected to gather Saturday at a Dallas megachurch to say farewell to Jefferson, who was killed as she played with her 8-year-old nephew. Aside from the optics of a police officer shooting a woman in her own home, Dean is white, and Atatiana Jefferson was black. A week after the shooting, a small group of protesters marched in Fort Worth to decry Jefferson's killing, according to CNN affiliate KTVT. Remembering a woman who loved her familyJefferson had recently moved home to Fort Worth to take care of her ailing mother.

Atatiana Jefferson Was Killed While Playing Video Games With 8-Year-Old Nephew
Read full article: Atatiana Jefferson Was Killed While Playing Video Games With 8-Year-Old NephewAtatiana Jefferson, known as the "cool auntie" to her 8-year-old nephew, was playing video games with the young boy when she was shot and killed by a police officer standing outside her window. Jefferson, 28, was babysitting her nephew when Fort Worth officers arrived outside her house to perform a welfare check. It was then that Dean fatally shot Jefferson through the window. "He saw her when she fell," Merritt told CNN of Jefferson's nephew. This tragic loss of life has major ramifications for all involved, especially the family of Ms. Atatiana Jefferson, police said in a statement.

Fort Worth police chief apologizes for woman's death
Read full article: Fort Worth police chief apologizes for woman's death(CNN) - Fort Worth Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus apologized Tuesday for the killing of Atatiana Jefferson in her home by a Fort Worth officer. Fort Worth police responded to a call to check on Jefferson's home in the early hours of Saturday morning. "The city of Fort Worth is unique in allowing its own department to investigate its own officers," Merritt told CNN Monday. The Fort Worth Police Department has presented a preliminary case to the FBI to review Dean's actions for possible civil rights violations, according to interim police Chief Ed Kraus. Saturday's shooting is the ninth by Fort Worth police in 2019, police said.

Fort Worth officer charged with murder after shooting woman in her home
Read full article: Fort Worth officer charged with murder after shooting woman in her homeAtatiana Koquice Jefferson, a black woman, was shot and killed by a white police officer in her Fort Worth, Texas, home. (CNN) - The former Fort Worth police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson in her home Saturday morning was arrested and charged with murder Monday, police said. The officer, Aaron Dean, is being held in the Tarrant County Jail, the Fort Worth Police Department wrote on Twitter. The City of Fort Worth has much work to do to reform a brutal culture of policing." "My intent was to meet with him today to terminate his employment with the Fort Worth Police Department.

Here's what we know about the Fort Worth police shooting
Read full article: Here's what we know about the Fort Worth police shootingA white police officer shot and killed Atatiana Koquice Jefferson, a 28-year-old black woman, through her window early Saturday morning in Fort Worth, Texas. Police are investigatingThe Fort Worth Police Officer's Association said in a statement that they're "deeply saddened" by the shooting. "We are urging the Fort Worth Police Department to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, and through that investigation we hope to gain clarity and understanding of what transpired." Saturday's shooting is the ninth in 2019 by Fort Worth Texas Police, seven of which were fatal, he said. "We don't think that Fort Worth police should be investigating it on their own," attorney Lee Merritt told CNN Sunday.

Key Amber Guyger witness met violent end he feared
Read full article: Key Amber Guyger witness met violent end he fearedTen days after Brown testified, his fear came true. The two men met the day Jean was killedOn the afternoon of September 6, 2018, Brown met Jean for the first time. She was "crying, explaining what happened, what she thought happened, saying she came in to the wrong apartment," Brown testified. Brown said he heard Jean sing every morning, long before the two ever met in person. "When I come out (to) lock my door, I hear him," Brown testified.

Key witness in Amber Guyger killed 10 days after testimony
Read full article: Key witness in Amber Guyger killed 10 days after testimonyJoshua Brown was killed 10 days after appearing as a witness in the Amber Guyger murder trial in Dallas. Before his own death, Brown lived in constant fear of gun violence, Lee Merritt, an attorney for Brown's family said. Another person was killed in the shooting, Merritt told CNN by phone Sunday. Relatives of the person who was killed, Nicholas Shaquan Diggs, blamed Brown for his death, according to Merritt. "He did not want to testify in that trial," Merritt said.

Botham Jean's Neighbor, Key Witness in Amber Guyger Murder Trial, Shot Dead at His Home
Read full article: Botham Jean's Neighbor, Key Witness in Amber Guyger Murder Trial, Shot Dead at His HomeA week after former police officer Amber Guyger was found guilty of murdering Botham Jean in his own home, his neighbor who acted as a key prosecution witness in the trial was found dead. The Dallas District Attorneys office confirmed that Joshua Brown was shot dead on Friday night at his Dallas apartment complex, according to CBS News. Attorney Lee Merritt, who represents Jeans family, said Brown was shot at close range in the parking lot of the complex. Brown said he did not hear any police commands, such as "show me your hands," as Guyger claimed she shouted before shooting Jean. RELATED STORIESBotham Jean's Mom Speaks at Court Hearing for Ex-Cop Found Guilty of His MurderEx-Cop Found Guilty of Murder After Shooting Botham Jean in His Own ApartmentEx-Cop Texted Boyfriend After Shooting Botham Jean: 'I Need You'

Key witness in Amber Guyger murder trial shot to death
Read full article: Key witness in Amber Guyger murder trial shot to deathCNN VideoDALLAS (CNN) - A man who was a key witness in the murder trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was fatally shot Friday in the parking lot of his apartment complex, according to attorney Lee Merritt. At the time of his testimony, Brown said he was managing four Airbnb's in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas. Merritt said Brown lived in constant fear of gun violence and that's why he was emotional on the witness stand during the trial. "Brown lived in constant fear that he could be the next victim of gun violence, either state sanctioned or otherwise," he wrote. Soon after, from his apartment balcony, Brown said he saw Guyger come out to the hallway from Jean's apartment on the phone.

Police release video of officer fatally shooting California teen
Read full article: Police release video of officer fatally shooting California teenNo audio was recorded by the police officer's body camera in the moments leading up to the shooting. Dunn also said the body camera footage contains images that may be disturbing. In the video, Radus, the public information officer, says the SUV made a U-turn and ended up facing the wrong way on the freeway. The body camera video shows an apparent witness approaching the scene to help the officer before medics arrived. Asked by CNN about the missing audio from the body camera footage, Radus, the police spokesman, explained it was the result of a 30-second buffer.
