RantCrush Top 5: June 27, 2017

Last week, a white police officer shot and wounded an off-duty black officer who tried to help during an arrest in St. Louis. Apparently, the officer didn’t recognize his colleague when he shot him. The shooting occurred after officers tried to arrest three men who had stolen a car and then took off on foot. The off-duty officer heard the commotion from his house, grabbed his gun, and went outside to help out. Two officers initially asked him to lie down on the ground, but then recognized him and asked him to come over to them. When the third officer arrived, he saw the man in plainclothes and fired a shot that hit his arm, claiming he feared for his safety.

A lawyer for the black officers’ union said there was no description of any threat in the police report. “There is this perception that a black man is automatically feared,” he said. The police department said the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The incident has renewed the debate over police use of force in the St. Louis area.

Twice this week, the shooting of a black gun owner has made headlines.

Twice, the NRA has been silent https://t.co/Xch9IWokXS #BLM

— Everytown (@Everytown) June 23, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.