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Police shoot and kill almost 20 people every week in the USA. A lot of times it goes unquestioned, but what’s really happening is a lot of people being executed on the spot - without ever seeing their day in court.
One state is especially bad when it comes to this.
Colorado police are shooting far more people than any other state across the country, with the Denver Police Department leading the way. Police in Colorado shoot people more than police in other states with similar population sizes. Race plays a huge factor in this, as well.
According to reporting from Colorado Public Radio, white people account for 50% of officer-involved shooting fatalities and make up 60% of the population.
Yet Black people account for 27% of victims while making up only 12% of the population. That’s more than double our population size!
Officers in the state who don’t shoot as much credit de-escalation. This means they work with suspects to avoid deadly conflicts. However, there are still police in Colorado and throughout the nation who prefer to shoot first and ask questions last - and that’s not helping us at all.
Black people in Colorado and anywhere else police operate have the right to a trial if they’re suspected of a crime. Executing people on the spot is a part of police culture that can be avoided, even in dangerous situations! We’ve seen enough mass shooters apprehended alive to know this.