Police shot and killed 83 people in May of 2015

8th June 2015   ·   0 Comments

By Frederick H. Lowe
Contributing Writer

(Special from NorthStar News Today) — Police shot and killed 83 people in May, including shooting to death a 36-year-old man in front of parents, their children, students and other visitors in a New Jersey public library located across the street from the city’s police station.

The number of individuals shot and killed by police last month was the lowest since January, according to the website Killed by Police.net.

Since January, police have killed 474 individuals, according to the website, which gathers its data from police departments, news accounts and Facebook postings. The U.S. Department of Justice has not released data concerning deadly shootings by police.

The Guardian, a British newspaper, which analyzed the deadly shootings, reported that 102 of the victims were unarmed and 32 percent were Black.

In May, the most bizarre use of police deadly force occurred on May 29 in the Lyndhurst, N.J., library. Two of the city’s cops shot and killed Kevin Allen on the library’s third floor after they claimed he charged them with a knife. Allen, who allegedly was wanted for violating probation according to terms of his work-release program, was recognized by a cop when he walked into the building.

The cop followed Allen to the library’s third floor and confronted him. Their exchange quickly escalated. Police claimed they used their batons and pepper spray before shooting Allen.

The shots endangered innocent bystanders.

When the shooting started, people visiting the library and its staff ran from the building in fear. It is not known how many times police shot Allen before killing him. Two cops were involved in the shooting, which occurred around 1:30 p.m.

A reporter asked Police Chief James O’Connor if the cops could have waited until Allen left the building before apprehending him. O’Connor said he would look into it. One mother who regularly took her children to the library said she no longer would do so.

Allen was one of at least 22 Black men police shot to death in May. That number is expected to grow because the race and ethnic group of many of the men have not yet been determined, but it may be revealed later.

Killed by Police reported cops also killed 101 individuals in April, 115 in March, 85 in February and 91 in January.

The first deadly shooting by police last month occurred May 2 and the last took place May 31.

Police shooting deaths of African-American men has drawn international attention. The United Nations Human Rights Council recently slammed the nation for its police violence and racial discrimination.

The Guardian is now keeping a record of deadly police shootings in the U.S.

This article originally published in the June 8, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.