The Brief: Convictions Remain Rare When Police Shoot
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The Big Conversation
As national scrutiny of police shootings remains intense, prosecutions of Texas police officers who use lethal force remain a rare occurrence.
The Texas Tribune's Unholstered project analyzed data from the state’s 36 largest cities and found that at least 881 officers were involved in police shootings.
Seven officers have faced criminal charges for pulling the trigger in that period. None have been convicted, so far. In most cases, investigators and grand juries determine that officers were justified in using their weapons.
The series also looks for answers to other questions surrounding police use of deadly force, such as whether minorities are more likely to be shot and situations when the individual is unarmed or when the officer is off duty.
Trib Must Reads
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Elsewhere
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Bush ambassador to Mexico: Trump not suited to be commander in chief, The Hill
Inspired by SXSW, White House to host South by South Lawn event, Austin American-Statesman
Exxon Mobil drops tax-assessment lawsuit against HCAD, Houston Chronicle
At the height of his fame, Dallas Police Chief David Brown decides to pack it in, The Dallas Morning News
Cruz: Why Are We Giving Money to Iran?, National Review
Kennedy: Dallas pastor helped McCain, but Trump ‘was not going to listen’, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Baker Hughes cuts employee pay 5 percent through furloughs, Houston Chronicle
Texas braces for budget cuts as economy, Medicaid, spending decisions collide, The Dallas Morning News
Quote to Note
"My culture is a very dominant culture. It is imposing, and it's causing problems. If you don’t do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner."
— Marco Gutierrez, founder of Latinos for Trump
News From Home
• The Texas Tribune wants you to join our Reddit chat and ask us your questions about police shootings in Texas. Join former police chief Howard Williams and the Tribune for a live Reddit discussion about Texas police shootings this Friday at 1 p.m. CDT.
Trib Events for the Calendar
• San Antonio & the Legislature: The Election and Beyond on Sept. 14 at University of Texas at San Antonio – Downtown Campus
• The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23-25 at the University of Texas at Austin
• The Washington Post's Politics & Pints with Chris Cillizza: TTF Edition on Sept. 24 at Scholz Garten
• TribFeast: A Dinner To Support Nonprofit Journalism on Sept. 24 at the University of Texas at Austin's Etter-Harbin Alumni Center
• A Conversation with state Reps. Four Price and John Smithee on Oct. 4 at Amarillo College in Amarillo
• A Conversation with state Reps. Andrew Murr and Jason Isaac on Nov. 14 at Schreiner University in Kerrville
Information about the authors
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