Latest Law Enforcement Headlines
All the headlines from our Law Enforcement Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurers Exploring ‘New World’ of Police Officer Professional Liability
Jul 24 2020 // U.S. insurers and brokers are starting to craft professional liability coverage for police officers, spurred on by signs that policymakers in some cities and states want to use a financial stick to curb police...
$3.5M Settlement Reached in Death of Black Man Shot 22 Times by West Virginia Police
Jul 24 2020 // A West Virginia city has agreed to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by the family of a homeless Black man who was shot 22 times by police, an attorney said. Christopher E. Brown, the attorney for the family of Wayne...
Connecticut State Trooper Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud, Larceny
Jul 23 2020 // A Moosup, Conn., man has been arrested and charged with illegally collecting workers’ compensation benefits while being employed as a Connecticut state trooper. Kevin Moore, age 41, was arrested by inspectors from...
Bishops Should Report Sex Abuse to Police Even If Law Doesn’t Require, Says Vatican
Jul 21 2020 // The Vatican told bishops around the world last Thursday they should report cases of clergy sex crimes to police even when not legally bound to do so, in its latest effort to compel church leaders to protect minors from...
Floyd Family Sues City of Minneapolis, Officers Charged in his Death
Jul 16 2020 // George Floyd’s family filed a lawsuit on July 15 against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers charged in his death, alleging the officers violated Floyd’s rights when they restrained him and...
Traffic Cameras Could Help Reduce Racism in Traffic Enforcement: Opinion
Jul 13 2020 // Speed cameras made their U.S. debut in 1986 in Galveston County, Texas. The Swiss-made devices, dubbed “PhotoCops” by the local company that lent them to police departments in exchange for a cut of the ticket...
German Officials Seize Server With U.S. Police Files Stolen in Data Breach
Jul 10 2020 // At the behest of the U.S. government, German authorities have seized a computer server that hosted a huge cache of files from scores of U.S. federal, state and local law enforcement agencies obtained in a Houston data...
Officials Say Portland Businesses Lost $23M Due to Ongoing Protests
Jul 10 2020 // Downtown businesses in Portland, Ore. have sustained about $23 million in damages and lost customers because of violent nightly protests that have brought the city to its knees, authorities said Wednesday. At a police...
Wrongful Death Suit in California Claims Guard Kept Knee on Man’s Neck
Jul 10 2020 // The parents of a California man who died while being detained on suspicion of trespassing at Sacramento’s basketball arena has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging a security guard kept his knee on the...
Updated Minnesota Driver’s Manual Provides Guidance for Legal Gun Owners
Jul 8 2020 // Minnesota public safety officials updated the state’s driver’s manual to give motorists who are legally carrying firearms some guidance on what to do if they are stopped by police, including instructions to...
Parents Sue After Son Fatally Shot in Alaska
Jul 8 2020 // The parents of a man who died after being shot by a Juneau police officer in December sued the officer, city and others, alleging wrongful death and civil rights violations. Kevin and Virginia Stephens, parents of Kelly...
Customer Reassurance Part of Job for Minnesota Agent in Aftermath of Riots
Jul 6 2020 // Dan Gutlovics did a lot of virtual hand holding during the first days of the violent protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul following the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police on May 25. Gutlovics,...
Do Police Officers Need to Buy Professional Liability?
Jul 6 2020 // Law enforcement practices and reform have been on the minds of many city government leaders in recent weeks. Some groups are advocating that police officers carry professional liability insurance. Let’s examine this...
Police Say Maryland Man Charged in Church Arson Case
Jun 29 2020 // A Maryland man faces multiple arson-related charges after police say he confessed to setting fires at a church where investigators found a Molotov cocktail in a vestibule. David Francis Creager, 47, was detained Friday and...
Arizona Man Accused of Selling LSD Sues for Wrongful Arrest
Jun 25 2020 // A Flagstaff, Ariz. man who was wrongfully arrested on suspicion of selling LSD has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, saying police ignored evidence that showed he wasn’t a drug dealer. Tremayne Nez, who is...
Do Police Officers Need to Buy Professional Liability?
Jun 24 2020 // I read an interesting article today on Insurance Journal (of course) about plans to reform law enforcement in Minneapolis. What interested me the most was that some groups were advocating making police officers carry...
Louisiana Lawmakers Block Bill Allowing Lawsuits Against Officers
Jun 22 2020 // A Louisiana lawmaker’s effort to eliminate police officers’ wide immunity from lawsuits and allow people injured by law enforcement to sue for damages in civil court was shelved by Republicans on a state House...
Supreme Court Rejects Appeals Over Police ‘Qualified Immunity’
Jun 19 2020 // The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to take up a new test of “qualified immunity,” rejecting several appeals that challenged the legal doctrine that has become a broad liability shield for police officers...
Appeals Court Rejects Qualified Immunity for West Virginia Police in Excessive Force Suit
Jun 18 2020 // A federal appeals court has vacated part of a finding that cleared five West Virginia police officers on qualified immunity grounds in an excessive force lawsuit, which was filed by the estate of a homeless black man shot...
Minnesota Lawmakers Push $300M Plan to Rebuild from Unrest
Jun 17 2020 // Democrats who control the Minnesota House announced a $300 million economic aid proposal June 15 for businesses that were damaged or destroyed during the civil unrest over the death of George Floyd. The legislation is...
