Legal
The Legal topic page on Police1 is a must-read for any officer, at any agency, who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest news. Every trial, verdict and court decision that has to do with cops will be covered on this page.
A traffic stop leads to finding guns and marijuana, with social media proving illegal possession of firearms
In U.S. v. Keller, the 5th Circuit reaffirms the legality of Fourth Amendment border searches at immigration checkpoints
Grabbing and firing an officer’s gun during arrest results in a felon in possession of firearm conviction and a 110-month prison sentence
Minn. SROs can use prone restraints on students in ‘physically dangerous’ situations, new law states
The new law, signed by Gov. Tim Walz on March 14, comes after more than 40 agencies suspended their school resource officer programs last year in response to a law that generated confusion about restraint restrictions
Only one civil case remains open against former Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah; all three shootings were ruled justified by a district attorney
Trooper Brian North testified that he shot Mubarak Soulemane, who was holding a knife and refusing to exit a vehicle, because he feared other officers’ lives were in danger
Prosecutors argued that James Crumbley committed gross negligence by failing to store guns safely; a sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 9, the same day as Jennifer Crumbley’s sentencing for the same charge
The men hid in the basement as Officer Jorge DelRio conducted a drug raid on a home; one man shot DelRio five times as he came down the stairs
Officers believed the suspect to be armed based on witness reports and knew that the suspect had severely beaten the child’s mother
New York State Trooper Anthony Nigro IV was charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter over the Feb. 2022 shooting death of a suspected speeding driver
The panel of judges unanimously reversed former DeKalb County Police Officer Robert Olsen’s conviction after finding that the department’s use-of-force policy conflicted with state law
Police drone use is increasing, making it essential for agencies to adopt a sound law enforcement drone policy governing their use
The class action suit alleges LexisNexis faked identity thefts, froze credit files and damaged credit reports
The jury hearing the case of Zach Camden and J.J. Johnson considered charges of manslaughter, criminal negligence and assault
The team obtained a search warrant based on “Find my iphone” pings that a victim in a theft case provided; the woman whose home was searched was not found to be involved in the theft
Holley was shot and killed while sitting in a marked patrol car during an overnight shift; the motive behind the shooting remains unknown, as the defendant did not testify during the trial
Deputy R.J. Leonard drove into the Tennessee River with Tabitha Smith in the back seat, causing both to drown; Smith’s family alleges Leonard was not properly trained in suspect transport and was not familiar with his patrol area
Officers Ella French and Carlos Yanez Jr. were shot, and French was killed while performing an August 2021 traffic stop
The law would allow state officers to arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally; people who are arrested could then agree to a Texas judge’s order to leave the country or face a misdemeanor charge
Boston police officers’ post-protest debriefings subject to legal scrutiny in federal lawsuit over excessive force and First Amendment violations
Moody police Lt. Stephen Williams was shot in an ambush attack by two suspects, one of whom was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2023
In a recent case, the court reviews police use of force on a compliant subject over the course of a traffic stop
NYPD
“She set free a predator back into the community, who may be on your next train, or walking the streets of our city, looking for his next victim,” Chief of Patrol John Chell said
The Texas law, known as Senate Bill 4, was set to take effect March 5; the state is expected to appeal the ruling
Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff ruled that the LAPD had legal grounds to demand vaccine compliance, but it violated officers’ rights to a hearing before firing
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez stated that the prohibition, which has an exemption for police officers and state-certified security guards, “unconstitutionally infringes the Second Amendment rights of American citizens”
The court determines the permissibility of a warrant that allowed for the search of a cloud account with no time limitation
Bridgewater College Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson were friends who were known on campus as the “dynamic duo”
Under Elizabeth PD Chief Giacommo Sacca’s leadership, the department has embraced the vital role of accreditation in modern policing
Most body camera footage must be available to the public under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act; police chiefs and politicians are examining ways to protect citizens from exploitation without compromising accountability
The suspect’s vehicle slammed into Officer James Muhlbauer’s patrol car, killing him and his K-9 partner Champ; the impact caused the cruiser to strike and kill Jesse Eckes, a pedestrian
“California has experienced 96 school shootings between 2018 and 2023. If we want to get serious about preventing school shootings ... we need good guys, and girls, with guns, ready to act,” Assemblyman Bill Essayli said
Judge Ellen Ceisler wrote that Philadelphia’s ordinance does not regulate “firearms,” but rather“ merely prohibits the conversion of unfinished frames or receivers into firearms
MOST POPULAR
- ‘One suspicious thing after another’ in truck driver case
- Federal appeals court strikes down Ind. ‘police buffer zone’ law
- Police1’s Got Your Six list: Samuel Royer’s fight to make homeownership possible for first responders
- Mo. city fires police officer charged with animal abuse in K-9 partner’s death
- Officers awarded $14.6M after jury finds LAPD retaliated against them for reporting training safety issues