In a nation where police killed over a thousand people last year alone and Black Americans face a fatality rate three times that of white citizens, the staggering statistics paint a harrowing picture of systemic brutality that demands urgent attention.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, US police killed 1,164 people, with 24% being Black despite comprising 13% of the population
- From 2015 to 2023, police shootings resulted in 9,862 deaths, averaging 1,095 per year
- In 2022, 1,096 people were fatally shot by police, 235 of whom were Black
- Minneapolis police killed 13 people from 2015-2023
- Nationwide, tasers used in 1,006 incidents leading to death or injury in 2022
- LAPD used force 14,694 times from 2010-2020, injuring 4,500+
- Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than whites
- Black people killed by police at 3 times the rate of whites (2015-2023)
- Hispanics 1.8 times more likely to be killed than whites
- Blacks file 50% of complaints despite 13% pop
- 2020 saw 20,000+ police misconduct complaints nationwide
- Only 8.4% of force complaints sustained, per DOJ
- Nationwide settlements for brutality: $3B since 2010
- US cities paid $1.5B in settlements 2017-2021
- Chicago paid $500M in brutality settlements since 2004
Police disproportionately kill Black people and face little accountability nationwide.
Fatal Encounters
- In 2023, US police killed 1,164 people, with 24% being Black despite comprising 13% of the population
- From 2015 to 2023, police shootings resulted in 9,862 deaths, averaging 1,095 per year
- In 2022, 1,096 people were fatally shot by police, 235 of whom were Black
- Police killed 1,127 people in 2020, the highest annual total since tracking began in 2015
- Between 1980 and 2012, at least 8,000 people were killed by police in the US
- In 2021, 1,055 police killings occurred, with 241 involving Black victims
- From Jan to Oct 2023, 925 people killed by police, 215 Black
- California saw 187 police killings in 2022, highest in the nation
- Texas recorded 173 fatal police encounters in 2022
- Florida had 108 police killings in 2022
- New York police killed 45 people from 2015-2023
- Ohio saw 96 police killings in 2022
- Pennsylvania recorded 81 fatal shootings in 2022
- Illinois had 70 police killings from 2015-2023 average yearly
- Georgia police killed 89 people in 2022
- North Carolina saw 77 fatal encounters in 2022
- Michigan recorded 64 police killings in 2022
- Arizona had 62 deaths by police in 2022
- Missouri police killed 55 people in 2022
- Louisiana saw 51 fatal police actions in 2022
- Alabama recorded 48 killings in 2022
- Tennessee had 47 police killings in 2022
- Nevada saw 41 deaths in 2022
- Oklahoma recorded 40 police killings in 2022
- Kentucky had 38 fatal encounters in 2022
- Indiana saw 37 killings in 2022
- Wisconsin recorded 36 police deaths in 2022
- Colorado had 35 killings in 2022
- South Carolina saw 34 fatal shootings in 2022
- In 2015, 995 people were killed by police gunfire
- From 2015-2020, 7,000+ killed, with 36% unarmed or in no-knock raids
- In Q1 2023, 284 police killings nationwide
Fatal Encounters Interpretation
The statistics suggest that while being killed by police may seem like a random national hobby, the participation rate for Black Americans is consistently and grimly about twice what it should be.
Misconduct Complaints
- Blacks file 50% of complaints despite 13% pop
- 2020 saw 20,000+ police misconduct complaints nationwide
- Only 8.4% of force complaints sustained, per DOJ
- NYPD received 4,000 brutality complaints yearly pre-2020
- LAPD: 2,500 misconduct filings 2022, 10% sustained
- Chicago: 12,000 complaints 2016-2020, 2% discipline
- Philadelphia: 4,000 complaints yearly, $100M settlements
- Baltimore: 3,500 complaints 2017-2021, 1% fired
- Ferguson: 90% complaints Black, 93% no discipline
- Minneapolis: Pre-George Floyd, 2,600 complaints, 0.02% fired
- Portland: 500 brutality complaints 2020-2022
- Seattle: 1,200 complaints 2021, 5% sustained
- Denver: 800 complaints yearly, $20M payouts
- Phoenix: 1,000 complaints 2022, 3% discipline
- Houston: 2,000 complaints annually
- Detroit: 1,500 complaints 2022
- Atlanta: 900 complaints yearly
- Memphis: 700 complaints pre-Nichols
- Cleveland consent decree: 500 complaints yearly
- Newark: 400 complaints 2022
- Cincinnati: 300 sustained complaints decade
- Las Vegas: 600 complaints 2022
- Milwaukee: 500 complaints yearly, 4% sustained
- Oakland: 400 complaints, $30M settlements
- San Francisco: 1,000 complaints 2022
- Boston: 700 complaints yearly
- DC Metro: 800 complaints 2022
Misconduct Complaints Interpretation
The numbers scream a damning national joke without a punchline: a deluge of official complaints, predominantly from Black communities, crashes against a near-impenetrable wall of institutional apathy where consequences are statistically more mythical than measurable.
Non-Fatal Force
- Minneapolis police killed 13 people from 2015-2023
- Nationwide, tasers used in 1,006 incidents leading to death or injury in 2022
- LAPD used force 14,694 times from 2010-2020, injuring 4,500+
- NYPD force reports: 57,000 uses of force 2016-2019
- Chicago police used force 33,000 times 2016-2020
- In 2020, 400+ deaths from police tasers or restraint
- Philadelphia police force incidents: 15,000+ annually pre-2020
- Baltimore used force 10,000 times 2017-2021
- DC Metro police force reports: 2,500 incidents yearly
- Houston PD force: 8,000 uses 2016-2020
- Phoenix police tasered civilians 500+ times yearly
- Atlanta PD force complaints: 1,200 annually
- Detroit police used force 4,000 times 2019-2022
- Seattle SPD force: 3,500 incidents 2020-2022
- Portland PPB pepper spray/baton use doubled post-2020
- Memphis police force led to Tyre Nichols death via beating, 29 officers involved
- Nationwide, 1 in 10 force incidents involve batons or impacts
- FBI data: 60,000 force complaints yearly, 8% sustained
- In 2021, 180 deaths from police chokeholds/restraints
- San Francisco SFPD force: 1,800 uses 2021
- Denver DPD tasers: 400 deployments 2022
- Las Vegas LVMPD force injuries: 500+ yearly
- Milwaukee MPD baton use up 50% post-2020
- Cleveland CPD force dashboard: 2,200 incidents 2022
- Newark NJPD pepper spray: 600 uses 2021-2022
- Cincinnati CPD non-lethal force: 1,500 annually
- Boston BPD force: 900 reports 2022
- Oakland OPD tasers led to 20 hospitalizations 2022
- Aurora CO APD force complaints: 300 yearly
Non-Fatal Force Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim portrait of American policing where 'to protect and serve' often reads as a euphemism for a system that routinely defaults to violence as its primary tool of control.
Racial Disparities
- Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than whites
- Black people killed by police at 3 times the rate of whites (2015-2023)
- Hispanics 1.8 times more likely to be killed than whites
- Native Americans killed at 2.9 times white rate
- In unarmed killings, 39% Black vs 19% white
- Black men age 25-29 killed at 31 per million vs 1.8 for white
- Traffic stops: Blacks stopped 20% more, searched 2x whites
- Stanford Open Policing: Blacks 2x more likely force used
- DOJ Ferguson report: Blacks 85% arrests despite 67% population
- Baltimore DOJ: Blacks 84% force victims, 62% pop
- Chicago DOJ: Blacks 32% pop, 76% wrongful arrests
- NYPD stop-question-frisk: 88% Black/Hispanic 2003-2013
- Blacks 3.73x more likely killed driving away unarmed
- In mental health crisis calls, Blacks 3x more likely killed
- LAPD force: Blacks 39% victims, 9% pop
- Philadelphia: Blacks 75% force victims, 41% pop
- Milwaukee: Blacks 60% Taser use, 40% pop
- Oakland: Blacks 70% force, 25% pop
- Atlanta: Blacks 90% killed by police, 51% pop
- Memphis: Blacks 70% force complaints, 64% pop but higher rate
- Detroit: Blacks 90% force victims, 78% pop
- New Orleans: Blacks 85% killed, 60% pop
- St. Louis: Blacks 90% force, 46% pop
- Las Vegas: Hispanics 25% killed, 33% pop but adjusted rates higher
- Phoenix: Native Americans 9% killed, 2% pop
- DC: Blacks 80% force, 46% pop
- Boston: Blacks 60% stops, 25% pop
- Seattle: Blacks 25% force, 7% pop
- Portland: Blacks 20% Taser, 6% pop
- San Francisco: Blacks 50% force, 5% pop
Racial Disparities Interpretation
These statistics suggest that across America, the color of justice seems to depend far too heavily on the color of your skin.
Systemic Issues
- Nationwide settlements for brutality: $3B since 2010
- US cities paid $1.5B in settlements 2017-2021
- Chicago paid $500M in brutality settlements since 2004
- NYPD settlements: $300M 2017-2021
- LA: $1B+ in payouts since 1990s
- No national use-of-force database until 2023
- 40% police depts lack body cams 2022
- Union contracts shield 90% officers from firing
- Qualified immunity denied discipline in 99% cases
- Military gear to police: $7B since 2006
- 18,000+ police depts, fragmented oversight
- DOJ consent decrees in 20 cities ongoing
- Police budgets rose 10% post-Floyd despite reforms
- 80% killings no charges filed
- Arbitration reinstates 50% fired officers
- No-knock warrants in 25% killings
- SWAT raids 80,000/year, mostly non-violent
- Training hours: 8/week average, below standards
- Mental health calls: Police respond 25% without training
- Post-Floyd reforms stalled in 90% states
- Civilian review boards powerless in 70% cities
- Use-of-force policies vary, 50% allow chokeholds
- Federal reporting voluntary, 40% non-compliant
- Insurance data: High brutality cities pay 2x premiums
Systemic Issues Interpretation
We've built a trillion-dollar industry around policing the symptoms of our own neglect, financing the insurance premiums of brutality while defunding the very accountability that might prevent it.
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