Timothy L. O'Brien, Columnist

Crash Course: Warrior Cops vs. Responsible Policing

What lessons can be learned about police militarization after Tyre Nichols’ death?

February 14, 2023 at 10:00 AM UTC

Timothy L. O'Brien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”

A scene from Memphis.Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images North America

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U.S. police officers shoot and kill more than 1,000 people annually. According to a Washington Post study, half of those people are White, but Blacks are shot at more frequently, even though they represent just 14% of the population. They are also killed at more than twice the rate of Whites. The same is true of Hispanic Americans and Latinos. This is a collision of the rawest and most brutal sort and it raises myriad questions about safe streets and public safety; crime, racism and institutional violence; police training and the increased militarization of US police forces.