A Lethal Distraction
(#467, 5/12/25)

A foot pursuit of hit-and-run
suspects turns into
an exchange of fire with
an armed resident

Putting Things Off
(#466, 4/27/25)

Pursuits hurt and kill
innocents. What are
the options?

Gun Control?
What's That?
(#465, 4/1/25)

Ideological quarrels
beset gun laws.
And gun law-making.
And gun law-enforcing.

Forewarned is
Forearmed
(#464, 3/19/25)

Killings of police officers
seem inevitable.
What might help?

Who's Under the Gun?
The ATF, That's Whom
(#463, 3/6/25)

Going after gun controllers,
for the usual reasons

Who's Under the Gun?
The FBI, That's Whom
(#462, 2/14/25)

Going after the FBI
for going after
the Capitol rioters

Point of View
(#461, 1/30/25)

Do scholars really “get”
the craft of policing?

All in the Family
(Part II)
(#460, 1/6/25)

A decade after Part I,
domestic killings
remain commomplace

Acting...or Re-acting?
(#459, 12/8/24)

An urgent response
proves tragically imprecise

Citizen Misbehavior
Breeds Voter
Discontent
(#458, 11/20/24)

Progressive agendas
face rebuke in even
the "Bluest" of places

A Matter of Facts
(#457, 11/3/24)

Did flawed science place
an innocent man
on death row?

Want Brotherly Love?
Don't be Poor!
(#456, 10/12/24)

Violence is down in Philly,
L.A. and D.C.
Have their poor noticed?

Prevention Through Preemption
(#455, 9/16/24)

Expanding the scope of
policing beyond
making arrests

Switching Sides
(#454, 8/30/24)

St. Louis’ D.A. argues that
a condemned man
is in fact innocent

"Distraction Strike"?
Angry Punch? Both?
(#453, 8/11/24)

When cops get rattled,
the distinction may
ring hollow

Bringing a Gun
To a Knife Fight
(#452, 7/30/24)

Cops carry guns.
Some citizens flaunt knives.
Are poor outcomes inevitable?

"Numbers" Rule –
Everywhere
(#451, 7/2/24)

Production pressures
degrade what's "produced" –
and not just in policing

Is Crime Really Down?
It Depends...
(#450, 6/20/24)

Even when citywide
numbers improve, place
really, really matters

Kids With Guns
(#449, 6/3/24)

Ready access
and permissive laws
create a daunting problem

Keep going...

5/16/25 Highly timely tip-offs recently enabled authorities to thwart school shootings in Texas and in California. Acting on a grandma’s tip, Texas police arrested Ashley Pardo for buying ammo and tactical gear for her 13-year old son, a deeply-disturbed boy long obsessed with school shootings. School officials recently questioned him after finding drawings setting out how a massacre at his middle school would happen. And a Tennessee online gamer’s tip led to the arrest of two boys, ages 14 and 15. Fans of Columbine, they were deeply immersed in plans to carry out a like massacre on a Northern California campus. Related post

During the pandemic California granted about 14,800 prisoners early release. As of January 31, 2025, about 4,600 members of this group (31%) have returned to prison. The top three reasons are getting caught with a gun (14%), assault (10%) and burglary (9%). Next on the list, with 4-5% each, are vehicle theft, second-degree robbery and domestic abuse. According to CalMatters, 23% of prisoners released during the early stages of the pandemic returned within three years. That’s higher than the 17% who went back after being released during 2019-2020. Limited services and support may be to blame. COVID updates Related post

“While the situation at the precise time of the shooting will often matter most, earlier facts and circumstances may bear on how a reasonable officer would have understood and responded to later ones.” That’s the position that the Supreme Court just unanimously took in Estate of Barnes v. Felix et al. (23-1239), a lawsuit that accused Harris County, TX police officer Roberto Felix of needlessly shooting and killing a motorist who began driving away from a traffic stop. According to the Justices, the officer’s actions throughout the stop - not just what he said or did during the “moment of threat” when the car began moving - are open for the plaintiff to argue. Related post

5/15/25 Have officers (as Chief Jim McDonnell laments) “weaponized” LAPD’s disciplinary system? Over the last five years Los Angeles has paid out “at least $68.5 million” to settle lawsuits filed by officers who claim they were harassed or discriminated against by colleagues and superiors, or experienced retaliation for complaining. One former cop got $11.5 million to settle allegations that colleagues mocked his ethnic heritage; a former detective got nearly $1 million because male colleagues disparaged her job performance. Indeed, one of those alleged evildoers was himself recently awarded $4.5 million by a civil jury who agreed that he had been punished for filing a complaint. Related post

5/14/25 Despite vigorous opposition from the current D.A., L.A. Superior Court judge Michael Jesic went along with the previous D.A.’s request and resentenced Eric and Lyle Menendez, who were doing  life without parole for murdering their parents, to fifty years to life. Since the brothers have served 35 years and were under 26 when they committed the murders, they are eligible for parole. That’s a time-consuming process. Governor Newsom could also invoke clemency, and a hearing is scheduled in June. Related post

“At least 50 times.” That’s how often Bernalillo Co., NM deputies have been called to an Albuquerque-area residence over family issues. And most recently, in February, when two brothers who live there, ages 7 and 9, were playing with a loaded pistol that they refused to give up. A dramatic drone image shows deputies as they close in and take the lethal “toy” away. Social service agencies have been called in to help the family deal with its many problems. Related post

A scientifically-drawn sample of 2,709 U.S. gun owners responded to a detailed questionnaire about their reasons for having firearms and their gun storage practices. Secure storage was significantly more prevalent among gun owners whose primary motivator was sport or hunting. Persons who feared violence at home, in their neighborhoods or at work were substantially more likely to keep their guns unsecured. And while about half of gun owners reported that their guns were kept “locked and unloaded,” about two-thirds of gun owners said they could access their guns in less than a minute. Related post

According to the FBI, U.S. law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in 2024. These killings were committed by 61 offenders: 96% were male, 58% were white, and 32 - slightly more than half - had a criminal record. LEOKA data for the preceding five years reveals that 48 officers were feloniously killed in 2019, 46 in 2020, 73 in 2021, 61 in 2022, and 60 in 2023. Preliminary 2025 data (Jan. thru April) reveals that 16 officers have been feloniously killed this year. Related post

Making her initial court appearance, Jillian Lauren pled not guilty to two felony charges: discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, and assault with a semi-automatic firearm. She is not being prosecuted on the arrest charge, attempted murder of a peace officer. Her maximum penalty if convicted on both charges is nineteen years in prison. A preliminary hearing is set for June. Related post

5/13/25 Basing its decision on the historical test imposed by Rahimi, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled 2-1 last year that the Federal prohibition on gun possession by felons doesn’t apply to persons whose only convictions were for non-violent crimes. But an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit just reversed that decision. Ruling in U.S.A. v. Steven Duarte, AKA Shorty (5/9/25), the Justices held that historical tradition supports the prohibition on gun possession by anyone who’s been convicted of a serious crime. Related posts 1   2

In a “Hail Mary” move, Santa Clara Co., CA investigators resubmitted the fingerprints connected with the unsolved 1977 murder of 24-year old Jeannette Ralston. In 2018 the FBI modernized its algorithm, and this time there was a “hit.” A latent lifted from Ms. Ralston’s possessions matched the thumbprint of Ohio man Willie Eugene Sims, 69. Sims, who later served four years for an unrelated assault, was an Army private stationed nearby when he met the victim in a San Jose bar. As it turns out, his DNA also matches. Almost fifty years after the crime, he’s under arrest and is being held without bail. Related post

5/12/25 Las Vegas Metropolitan police have a “cold-case” detail, led by a Sergeant, that specializes in pursuing leads on unsolved, long-ago homicides. And they’ve just added a forensic genealogist to the mix. “It's amazing that we can use that technology now to go back 30-40 years later and try to solve a case” says one of the unit’s three full-time detectives. Five retired homicide investigators also work for the unit, part-time. Related post

Until recently Aurora (CO) police could only pursue drunk drivers or persons who committed a felony and presented “a serious risk to public safety.” On March 5th., the authority to pursue was extended to include all gun- related crimes and stolen vehicles. Since then, Aurora cops have chased 27 stolen cars. So far there’s only been one injury, to a fleeing driver. Most of those arrested had “prolific” criminal pasts. None of the pursuits have gone over five minutes; those that hit this limit were ended. Related post

In 2019, Chicago PD served nearly 1,400 residential search warrants. Last year that number was “only” 210. This steep dropoff is attributed to a host of rules that were instituted in the wake of massive legal fallout over the infamous 2019 mistaken search of the apartment of Anjanette Young, an innocent social worker who was handcuffed while naked. Search warrants can no longer solely depend on accounts from unnamed informants. They now require high levels of approval and must be executed in the presence of ranking officers. Related post

Just published in The Lancet, a nationally- representative sample of 8,009 adults reveals that “nearly two-thirds” of U.S. adults have personally experienced gun violence. Race, ethnicity and “neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage” are closely linked to their exposure. Nearly forty percent of Black persons have a friend or family member who has been shot, versus 25 percent of Hispanic persons and 16 percent of Whites. Related post

“My friend? That’s an understatement. He’s my brother.” That’s how Jermaine Hudson feels about Bobby Gumpright, whose false testimony sent Hudson to prison for robbery in 2001. It was a 10-2 verdict, at a time when Louisiana allowed such decisions. Twenty-two years later, as Hudson sought to be released by pleading guilty and getting time served, Gumpright admitted he had lied. They have since  reconciled and become star players in a bill that would let all Louisiana inmates who were convicted on split verdicts petition for a retrial. Related post

President Trump has called on DHS to form partnerships with local, state and Federal law enforcement agencies that would in effect yield 20,000 additional officers to enforce immigration laws. Some states, including Florida and Tennessee, seem already well on board. Tennessee’s highway patrol recently made 588 traffic stops in a joint operation with ICE. These stops led to the arrest of 103 persons for immigration crimes, the seizure of illegal guns and drugs, and the apprehension of a man wanted for murder in El Salvador. Immigration updates   Related post

5/9/25 Last December 16th. Natalie Rupnow, 15, opened fire with a 9mm. pistol at a K-12 Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a teacher and a student and wounding six students. She then committed suicide. Rupnow, who was despondent over her parents’ divorce, was given the gun she used, and another, by her father Jeffrey. He told police that his daughter had severe mental issues and had purposely cut herself, forcing him to secure all the knives in their home. Jeffrey Rupnow was just criminally charged with giving access to a handgun by a minor. Related post

A mistrial was declared after jurors deadlocked in the case against former Grand Rapids, Michigan officer Christopher Schurr, who is accused of murder and manslaughter for the April 2022 shooting death of Patrick Lyoya. Schurr had stopped Lyoya for a traffic violation. Lyoya, who was unlicensed, drunk and had a domestic violence warrant, bolted. Schurr chased after him. During a violent struggle, Lyoya grabbed Schurr’s Taser, and the officer shot him dead. Defense experts testified that Lyoya’s actions justified the shooting; prosecution experts countered that Schurr could have simply let the man go. Related post

In the New York Times, an absorbing exploration of a former Des Moines police officer’s struggle over the suicide of his long-time partner officer and best friend. Matthew Hunter’s grief came to consume him, and in the months following his promotion to sergeant he frequently cried at his desk. One evening, while intoxicated and off-duty, he tangled with a cop from a neighboring city and got arrested. And although he was being treated for PTSD, he was summarily fired. But he prevailed in a lawsuit. Now employed by a nonprofit, he continues his therapy. And regularly visits his friend’s grave. Related post

5/8/25 It took twenty-three years. But in 2024 Montgomery Co., MD detectives arrested Eugene Gligor for the 2001 strangulation murder of Leslie Preer, the mother of Gligor’s one-time girlfriend. His name came up when officers had an ancestry research company build a family tree using crime scene DNA. Gligor’s DNA was then obtained through a ruse in which a Customs agent left a water bottle for him to hold during an ostensible airport screening. Its DNA proved a perfect match. Gligor just pled guilty. Related post

A prosecution expert testified that the repeated blows to the arrestee’s head were unnecessary. And an ex-cop testified that he regretted not stopping the assault. But a State jury nonetheless acquitted ex-Memphis cops Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley of all charges over their alleged 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols, who had fled from their colleagues after forcefully resisting a traffic stop. Still, each former member of the “Scorpion” anti-crime team was convicted on moderately severe Federal charges last year and will soon face sentences that could run as high as twenty years. Related post

According to the Major Cities Chiefs Assoc., a comparison between first quarter 2024-2025 crime totals furnished by 68 member agencies reveals substantial overall drops in each of four categories of violent crime. Homicides dropped 20 percent, going from 1,535 in 2024 to 1,221 in 2025; rapes fell 14 pct., from 6,568 to 5,642; robberies fell 20 pct., from 22,815 to 18,259; and agg. assaults fell 11 pct., from 60,943 to 53,976. On the other hand, five member agencies, Atlanta, El Paso, L.A. Sheriff’s Dept., Pittsburgh, and Raleigh (NC) experienced increases in three categories, and seven had increases in two. Related post

5/7/25 In February a Federal jury convicted L.A. Sheriff’s deputy Trevor Kirk of depriving a suspected shoplifter of her rights by needlessly pepper-spraying her and using excessive force. But former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and others implored President Trump to step in. Newly-installed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli just approved an unusual post-conviction plea deal reducing the crime to a misdemeanor, and recommended Kirk be sentenced to one year of probation. That in turn led three Federal prosecutors to resign. Related post

Police pursuits in Hawaii have often harmed innocent persons. Many resulted in lawsuits and large settlements. One analysis said a third ended in collisions and nearly half caused injuries. But Hawaii’s Law Enforcement Standards Board is yet to create a statewide policy. So legislators have stepped in with a detailed bill. Its current version would, among other things, require that officers only pursue when they believe a person “is attempting to commit, has committed, or is committing a crime” and “poses a serious risk of harm to others.” Police groups and the A.G. oppose the measure. Related post

5/6/25 Gunplay continues to beset the land. During the early morning hours of Sunday, May 4, “an uninvited guest” who was asked to leave a large Sweet 16 party being held in a Houston neighborhood started shooting. His gunfire was returned. In all, sixteen guests ages 16-40 were wounded; one, an 18-year old, was killed. About the same time, in the Phoenix area, a dispute between warring factions attending a concert and car show devolved into a shootout. Three persons, ages 17-21, were killed; five others, ages 16-23, were wounded. Related post

Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County, Minnesota’s reportedly progressive D.A., has issued written instructions requiring prosecutors “to consider a defendant's race and age when negotiating plea deals.” But that, she recently told reporters, is only intended to keep unconscious biases from affecting prosecutive decisions. But that’s apparently not enough for the DOJ. Its Civil Rights Division has just opened a formal inquiry into this seeming example of “race-based prosecutorial decision making.” According to A.G. Pamela Bondi, criminal justice must be “colorblind.” No exceptions. DOJ memo   Related post

In a move designed to encourage self-deportation, DHS is offering illegal immigrants who use the “CBP Home App” a $1,000 payment, to be delivered once they have confirmed arriving in their homeland. To help make return possible, “financial and travel assistance” is also being offered. According to  Secretary Kristi Noem,  this unprecedented, “historic” process “is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers.” Immigration updates   Related post

FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, a handy online tool for tracking crime across States and localities, has been beset with issues of accuracy and completeness since the 2021 transition from the UCR to the NIBRS. Local agencies have found the switch complex, costly and time-consuming, and many are still not fully onboard. Such as Chicago, whose NIBRS violent crime trend took a pronounced dive in 2021 and remains extremely low. But the city’s data portal, whose data is assumed accurate, reports no such drop. Related post

5/5/25 “Nearly 75% of gun violence takes place in just 20 of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago.” Violence-reduction program Chicago Cred’s views seemed borne out by a series of links in the Chicago Tribune’s May 3rd. morning homepage to four woundings (at least two proved fatal) and a series of stabbings in four of the troubled city’s most poverty-stricken, violence-ridden neighborhoods: North Lawndale   Chicago Lawn    Austin   Englewood    Austin (again). Related post

“An epidemic of suicides haunts N.J. cops.” This dispiriting message leads off an in-depth inquiry by NJ.com into a plague that has long beset police throughout the U.S. According to Blue Help, 885 U.S. police officers committed suicide between 2018-2024; forty were reportedly from New Jersey. But NJ.com reports that the state’s real count is considerably worse, as families frequently withhold the true causes of death. “At least nine” suicides by New Jersey police officers have been supposedly kept private since October 2023, “including five since Christmas 2024.” Related post

On May 1 Ryan Hinton, 18, was shot and killed by Cincinnati police when he allegedly pointed a pistol at an officer during a foot chase. When first confronted, the youth and several companions were sitting in a reportedly stolen vehicle. Hinton’s gun is said to have been recovered. On the next day his father viewed the officer bodycam video in the police chief’s office. Several hours later, he drove his car into a recently retired Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy who was doing part-time work directing traffic. Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, is charged with murder. Related post

D.C. homicides are reportedly down. But more youths are being shot. That’s affected even the “gentrifying” 4th. Ward, which has suffered two homicides this year. Most recently, the killing of an 18-year old male who was hanging out on the street with friends when gunfire erupted from a passing car. A 15-year old boy was also wounded. Some residents want more cops; others are calling for “violence interrupters” to mediate disputes. “Police are just reactionary” says the chair of a neighborhood watch  group. “I think we could be doing more to be preventative.” Related post

Last year ATF erected a photographic memorial entitled “The Faces of Gun Violence” at the entrance to its D.C. headquarters. It was comprised of “about 120” photographs depicting police officers who were shot and killed in the line of duty, and innocent citizens who lost their lives in one of America’s many domestic gun massacres. But the memorial has been taken down. Ditto, its online page. DOJ denies that the move was politically inspired. But the daughter of one of the (former) honorees thinks otherwise. Related post

5/2/25 On May 21, 2024 the L.A. Sheriff’s Dept. gave the D.A.’s office a report alleging that Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, a 43-year-old youth soccer coach, sexually assaulted one of his players. But due to a case “backup” the D.A. didn’t issue a warrant for Garcia-Aquino until April 2, 2025, when the body of another of Garcia-Aquino’s soccer players was discovered in a ditch. He’s been charged with the killing, and with two instances of sexually abusing teens. According to the D.A., a new rule requires that sex abuse charges be promptly filed. And according to DHS, Garcia-Aquino is illegally present in the U.S.
D.A. news release   Related post

California prisons had 24 inmate-on-inmate killings in 2024. So far this year there’s been thirteen. Most recently, the killing of convicted rapist Renee A. Rodriguez by Kenneth Wilson, who is doing life without parole for 1st. degree murder. Other recent prison killings include the slaying of  prisoner William Couste by inmate Rodger Brown, who is doing life for a previous inmate killing. And another prisoner reportedly told his psychologist that murdering his cellmate “was a ‘freebie’ because he was already serving life.” California’s long-standing death penalty moratorium was imposed by Governor Gavin A. Newsom in March, 2019. Related post