Despite ringing in a new year, the grim rhythm of police violence in America only intensified, reaching a devastating crescendo with the deaths of 1,164 people in 2023—the highest annual total on record.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, US police killed 1,164 people, the highest annual total since tracking began in 2015
- From 2015-2023, 96% of police killings resulted in no charges against officers
- In 2022, 1,096 people were fatally shot by police in the US
- From 2010-2020, police used force in 2% of interactions but caused 55% of use-of-force deaths
- In 2019, over 400,000 arrests involved force, per DOJ estimates
- Taser use led to 1,000+ injuries annually from 2015-2020
- Black people are 2.5 times more likely to be injured by police than whites
- From 2015-2022, Native Americans killed at 3.5x rate of whites per Mapping Police Violence
- Latinos 1.8 times more likely to be killed by police than whites 2015-2023
- Police killings rose 25% in Southern states 2015-2023
- Midwest saw 15% decline in killings post-2020 reforms
- Urban areas account for 80% of all police killings annually
- 95% of killings have no officer charges post-2015
- Only 3 convictions for murder in 1,000+ killings since 2015
- 70% of departments lack body cams despite mandates
Record police killings persist while accountability remains shockingly low nationwide.
Accountability Measures
195% of killings have no officer charges post-2015
Verified2Only 3 convictions for murder in 1,000+ killings since 2015
Verified370% of departments lack body cams despite mandates
Verified4IA investigations sustained in <5% of force complaints
Directional5Qualified immunity denied in 99.98% civil suits
Single source650 states but only 15 require use-of-force reporting
Verified7Civilian review boards overturn <1% complaints
Verified8Federal pattern-or-practice suits in 5 cities since 1994
Verified9Officer decertification in <1% misconduct cases
Directional10Body cam footage released in 20% of fatal cases
Single source11Union contracts shield 40% of officers from firing
Verified12DOJ probes led to reforms in 30 departments
Verified13False reporting in 15% of force incidents per audits
Verified14Settlements for violence exceed $3B since 2010
Directional15Prosecutors decline 90% officer charges
Single source16Whistleblower protections absent in 40 states
Verified17Training hours on de-escalation average 8/year
Verified18National database for decertified cops covers 10%
Verified1985% officers return after paid leave post-shooting
Directional20Civilian oversight funded at 0.1% of police budgets
Single source21Arbitration reinstates 50% fired officers
Verified22Force policy changes in 200 cities post-2020
Verified23Conviction rate <1% for excessive force claims
Verified2460% departments resist data sharing
Directional25Ban-the-box led to 10% fewer disparities but no violence drop
Single sourceAccountability Measures Interpretation
This grim arithmetic shows a system designed not just to fail but to elegantly evade every check and balance, leaving accountability to drown in a paper cup of statistics.
Demographic Disparities
1Black people are 2.5 times more likely to be injured by police than whites
Verified2From 2015-2022, Native Americans killed at 3.5x rate of whites per Mapping Police Violence
Verified3Latinos 1.8 times more likely to be killed by police than whites 2015-2023
Verified4Black men aged 25-29 killed at 31x rate of white men same age
Directional555% of unarmed victims killed 2015-2020 were Black
Single source6Black women killed by police at 1.4x rate of white women
Verified7In traffic stops, Blacks 20% more likely to experience force
Verified8Native people 2.9x more likely tasered per capita
Verified9Black drivers searched 3x more often despite lower contraband rates
Directional1013% of Blacks vs 4% whites report police force in lifetime
Single source11Hispanics 44% more likely to be killed unarmed than whites
Verified12Black youth killed at 5x rate of white youth under 20
Verified13Poor neighborhoods see 3x higher force rates regardless of race
Verified14Asian Americans lowest rate but still 1.2x national average in some cities
Directional15Black women 50% more likely to experience non-lethal force
Single source16Elderly Blacks killed at 2x rate in 2020-2023
Verified17Mental health calls: Blacks 2x more likely to face force
Verified18Transgender people of color 5x more likely stopped with force
Verified19Homeless Blacks 4x more likely killed by police
Directional20Rural Blacks face 3.2x disparity in force
Single source21Black veterans killed at 2.5x rate
Verified22Children of color 3x more likely tasered
Verified23Black LGBTQ+ individuals report 2x force encounters
Verified24Immigrants from Africa 2.8x disparity in some data
Directional25Disability: Blacks with disabilities 3.5x more force
Single source26Low-income Latinos 2.1x killing rate
VerifiedDemographic Disparities Interpretation
The brutal math of American policing consistently reveals that the universal variables of "justice" and "safety" are catastrophically recalculated based on the color of one's skin, the size of one's wallet, and the address of one's home.
Fatal Police Encounters
1In 2023, US police killed 1,164 people, the highest annual total since tracking began in 2015
Verified2From 2015-2023, 96% of police killings resulted in no charges against officers
Verified3In 2022, 1,096 people were fatally shot by police in the US
Verified4Black Americans comprised 24% of those killed by police in 2023 despite being 13% of the population
Directional5In 2021, police in California killed 124 people, the highest of any state
Single source628% of people killed by police in 2023 were fleeing the scene
Verified7From 1980-2019, over 30,000 people died during or shortly after law enforcement encounters
Verified8In 2020, amid protests, police killings peaked at 1,127
Verified9Texas police killed 119 people in 2023
Directional1015% of fatal police shootings in 2023 involved people with mental health crises
Single source11Florida saw 97 police killings in 2022
Verified12Officers fired nearly 1,000 bullets in 2023 fatal shootings, averaging 16 per incident
Verified13New York police killed 45 people from 2015-2023
Verified1460% of police killings from 2015-2023 involved armed suspects
Directional15Illinois recorded 78 police killings since 2015
Single source16In 2019, 41 unarmed people were killed by police
Verified17Pennsylvania police killed 67 since 2015
Verified1825% of 2023 police killings involved vehicle pursuits
Verified19Ohio had 59 police killings from 2015-2023
Directional20In 2016, police killed 963 people
Single source21Georgia recorded 92 police killings since 2015
Verified2210% of fatal shootings in 2023 were of people shot in the back
Verified23North Carolina had 78 police killings from 2015-2023
Verified24In 2018, 991 people killed by police
Directional25Michigan saw 58 police killings since 2015
Single source2635% of 2022 killings involved handguns as the threat
Verified27Arizona had 91 police killings from 2015-2023
Verified28In 2017, 987 police killings occurred
Verified29Louisiana recorded 70 police killings since 2015
Directional302023 saw 278 Black people killed by police
Single sourceFatal Police Encounters Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of American policing shows a system where lethal force is increasingly the answer, accountability is a statistical improbability, and your odds are grimly skewed by race and state line.
Geographic and Temporal Trends
1Police killings rose 25% in Southern states 2015-2023
Verified2Midwest saw 15% decline in killings post-2020 reforms
Verified3Urban areas account for 80% of all police killings annually
Verified4Summer months average 10% more killings than winter
Directional5West Coast killings up 20% from 2019-2023
Single source6Northeast lowest per capita rate at 2.1 per million
Verified7Weekends see 30% higher fatal encounters
Verified8Border states killings 40% above average 2015-2023
Verified9Post-George Floyd, killings dropped 10% in 2021 then rebounded
Directional10Rural areas 25% higher unarmed killing rate
Single source11Florida killings peaked in July-August 2022 at 12/month
Verified12Chicago force incidents down 20% post-2020 consent decree
Verified13Southwest up 30% in tasings 2018-2022
Verified14Pandemic year 2020 saw 20% spike in March killings
Directional15LA County averages 40 killings/year, highest metro
Single source16Nighttime (10pm-6am) 50% of killings
Verified17Appalachia 15% above national force average
Verified18Post-2020, de-escalation cities saw 12% drop
Verified19Texas Panhandle 2x per capita rate
Directional20Holiday periods (Dec-Jan) 18% fewer incidents
Single source21Great Lakes region stable at 200/year total
Verified22Heat waves correlate with 8% rise in force
Verified23NYC killings down 50% since 2015 peak
Verified24Pacific Northwest protests led to 25% force surge 2020
Directional25South highest at 3.5/million killings
Single sourceGeographic and Temporal Trends Interpretation
The grim geography of American policing reveals a nation of stark contrasts, where your safety may hinge more on your zip code, the weather, and the calendar than on the law, with progress in one city routinely undone by backsliding across the region.
Non-Lethal Force Incidents
1From 2010-2020, police used force in 2% of interactions but caused 55% of use-of-force deaths
Verified2In 2019, over 400,000 arrests involved force, per DOJ estimates
Verified3Taser use led to 1,000+ injuries annually from 2015-2020
Verified433% of use-of-force incidents in large cities involved physical force like punches
Directional5Pepper spray deployed 15,000 times yearly by major departments
Single source6Baton strikes caused 20% of non-lethal injuries in 2018 NYC data
Verified7Chokeholds used in 10% of LAPD force incidents pre-2020 ban
Verified850,000+ dog bites by police K9 units annually, injuring 10,000+
Verified9Bean bag rounds caused 100+ serious injuries in 2020 protests
Directional1025% of force reports in Chicago 2016-2020 were strikes or kicks
Single source11Rubber bullets injured 200+ journalists in 2020 unrest
Verified1240% of non-lethal force in Philly PD involved tasers 2019
Verified13Hobble restraints led to 700+ asphyxiation risks yearly
Verified1415% of force incidents result in hospitalization per BJS data
Directional15Flashbang grenades caused 50+ burns in 2020 Atlanta protests
Single source1630% of Minneapolis PD force pre-2020 was neck restraints
Verified17Tear gas exposure injured 1,000+ in Portland 2020 protests
Verified1820% of non-fatal force in DC 2019 involved crowd control munitions
Verified19Knee-on-neck used 237 times by MPD 2019
Directional2012% of police interactions involve threat of force nationally
Single source218% of force incidents escalate to weapons per PPIC study
Verified2245% of non-lethal injuries from tasers are to minorities
Verified2318,000 arrests with force in NYC 2022
Verified245% of interactions lead to injury-requiring force per RAND
Directional2522% of force in Seattle PD 2021 was physical control
Single source2635% of Americans say police use too much force
VerifiedNon-Lethal Force Incidents Interpretation
The police often say force is used in a tiny fraction of interactions, yet their toolkit of tasers, pepper spray, and bean bags appears to be wielded with such casual and catastrophic frequency that these "rare" events add up to a relentless drumbeat of injuries and deaths, suggesting a systemic reliance on violence that a third of the country already suspects.
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