10/9

In our class discussion, we delved into a disconcerting revelation presented by The Washington Post regarding fatal police shootings in the United States. Since 2015, a staggering 8,770 fatal police shootings have occurred, with a chilling 928 such incidents recorded in the past 12 months alone. What’s particularly troubling is the significant undercounting issue, with only a third of these incidents making their way into the FBI database due to reporting discrepancies and confusion among law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, the data underscores a distressing racial disparity, with Black Americans being fatally shot at more than twice the rate of White Americans, despite comprising only 14 percent of the population. Hispanic Americans are similarly disproportionately affected. This emphasizes a pressing need for systemic reforms and heightened accountability to bridge this glaring gap in police shootings. The database curated by The Washington Post, containing detailed records of these incidents, emerged as a crucial resource for our discussion, shedding light on the urgent need for change and serving as a reminder of this persistent issue in our society.

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