Cop Shooting Death Cases Raise Question: When Is Fear Reasonable?
Many Americans believe that convictions of law enforcement officers for shooting someone while on duty are too rare. But experts say jurors are hesitant to convict cops for making mistakes on the job.
It's rare for a law enforcement officer to be convicted of homicide for shooting someone while on duty. According to a new NPR data analysis, 2,400 people have been killed this way in the last two and a half years; the vast majority of those cases were found to be justified, but NPR found 20 officers who faced charges. Of those, six have been convicted or pleaded guilty.
Many Americans have come to believe that the convictions are too rare. The acquittal earlier this month of
