"When I watch the reporting of this incident, the storyline I tend to hear is that a racist cop arrested a black man and used excessive and unnecessary force when arresting him. (Spoiler alert: He did.) I saw the video of the incident and it looked like murder to me; as it did to the majority of people watching it. However, that was not the entire story. Hav ... Show More
Jun 2016
"I'm Not Black, I'm O.J.!"
For a long time, O.J. Simpson seemed to be running away from his race. "I'm not black, I'm O.J.!" he'd tell his friends. The he was charged with murder, and his defense team needed that jury to see O.J. as black. So, they had to get creative. Gene talks to Ezra Edelman, director ... Show More
19m 45s
Feb 2022
Who Else Is Culpable in George Floyd’s Death?
<p><i>This episode contains depictions of violence</i></p><p>Almost two years ago, a shocking nine-minute video was released showing a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, fatally kneeling on the neck of George Floyd.</p><p>Mr. Chauvin is now serving a long sentence for mur ... Show More
36m 3s
Jun 2018
“Charm City,” Part 5: What’s Behind the Black Box?
<p>The relatives of a Baltimore teenager think they know the name of the police officer who killed him. But when the police show his mother the surveillance video that captured his final moments, a new story emerges. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thed ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 2022
Why Are the Police So Bad at Solving Murders?
Today’s episode is about the story of the moment—gun violence. There’s been a surge of violent shootings, mass shootings, and gun-related murders in the last few years. Today, Derek investigates a mystery behind this surge of violence: Why are the police so bad at solving murders ... Show More
47m 25s
Jul 2017
A Police Video From Charlotte
This encore presentation goes deep on a case involving a white police officer and an unarmed black man in Charlotte, NC. Videos in police-involved shootings can add detail to these cases, but as our colleague Kelly McEvers of the Embedded podcast reports, what you see depends on ... Show More
44m 7s
Feb 2023
Putting An End To Toxic Cop Culture
When it comes to police reform, a retired NYPD detective argues that policing as a profession must evolve or go away completely.
The problem of police violence, and the excessive use of force in Black and Brown communities in particular, has spanned centuries and retired NYPD de ... Show More
17m 36s
Jun 2020
Into the Killing of Rayshard Brooks
<p>Another unarmed Black man was killed by police over the weekend, this time in Atlanta. His name was Rayshard Brooks and he was 27 years old.</p><p>The officer who shot Brooks has been fired, and the police chief has resigned, while across the country, protests against police b ... Show More
21m 16s