Police violence Archives

Rescue efforts continue for more than 500 miners trapped in South Africa

January 14, 2025

Efforts to rescue more than 500 workers trapped in one of South Africa’s deepest mines continued Tuesday, Jan. 14. More than 100 miners reportedly died from dehydration and starvation so far.

The workers have been inside the mile-and-a-half deep mine just southwest of Johannesburg for months, with some miners being underground as far back as July or August of 2024.

In November 2024, authorities tried to force workers out amid a tense standoff with police, locals and the miners.

Law enforcement said the miners could come out but refused to. However, human rights groups disputed that notion. The groups accused authorities of cutting off food and water supplies to the workers to force them out of the mine.

Activists said many of the miners are dying of starvation or unable to climb out because the mine is too steep and the pulley system was removed.

At least 18 bodies have been retrieved from the mine and 26 survivors have been rescued, officials said.

Illegal mining is reportedly rampant in parts of South Africa where gold is abundant. Many people enter closed down mines for months in search of leftover gold deposits.

A South African cabinet minister said in November that the government would not help illegal miners because it considered them criminals.

Instead, the government suggested authorities “smoke them out.”

‘Pizzagate’ gunman dies after being shot by police during traffic stop

January 10, 2025

The man who fired a gun inside a Washington, D.C. restaurant in 2016 allegedly motivated by a conspiracy theory called “pizzagate” is dead. Authorities said he police in North Carolina killed him on Saturday, Jan. 4.

Officials said the shooting happened in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Police said they pulled over a car in which Edgar Maddison Welch was the passenger.

One of the officers said they noticed the vehicle belonged to Welch. Officers said they’d arrested Welch in the past. He also had an outstanding warrant out for his arrest for a felony probation violation.

When officers went up to the car to arrest Welch, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at one of the officers, according to authorities.

Officers said they shouted orders for Welch to drop the handgun. However, he refused and was shot.

Welch died a couple of days later from his wounds. No other people were hurt in the shooting, according to police.

Law enforcement confirmed on Thursday, Jan. 9, that Welch is the same person sentenced to four years in prison for the “pizzagate” incident.

In 2016, Welch fired his gun inside Comet Ping Pong, a Washington D.C. pizza shop, after a slew of false internet claims accused the pizzeria of holding children as sex slaves as part of a child-sex abuse ring led by Hillary Clinton.

Police said that Welch drove six hours from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. to investigate the unfounded allegations, bringing several guns with him.

As Welch entered the restaurant armed, people fled from the scene. Welch then reportedly shot at a locked closet. After he realized no children were being held captive, he surrendered to police.

Welch pleaded guilty to gun-related charges and assault with a deadly weapon in 2017.

The judge who sentenced Welch to four years in prison at the time was now-Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The shooting death of Welch is under investigation and the officers involved in the incident are on administrative leave as part of protocol, according to North Carolina officials.

Ky. man sues police, says they arrested him for shouting at them from balcony

January 9, 2025

A Kentucky man is suing his local police department, claiming officers violated his First Amendment right to free speech and his Fourth Amendment right, which protects against unreasonable searches by the government.

According to the lawsuit, on the night of June 8, 2024, Brandon Rettig was sitting on the balcony of his girlfriend’s apartment when Newport police officers responded to an unrelated incident. Rettig said he could see the officers’ activity from his location.

Rettig claims he made a statement directed at the officers. “I initially said, ‘Go get ‘em boys,’” Rettig told WCPO News.

One officer, Ronald Lalumandier, allegedly responded by warning Rettig that if he continued, he would be taken to jail. The officer also reportedly told Rettig he had keys to the private apartment complex.

The lawsuit states that the officers appeared to be agitated by Rettig’s comments and decided to enter the building using a key card that Lalumandier had retained from his previous tenancy at the same apartment complex.

Officers approached Rettig’s girlfriend’s apartment and eventually made contact with him in the hallway outside the unit. Police body camera footage captured the exchange.

“Here’s the thing, we know it was you,” Officer Lalumandier said to Rettig.

“No you don’t,” Rettig replied.

“Do you want to make a bet? I can find out real quick,” Lalumandier said.

“There’s no cameras in here,” Rettig said.

“I used to live here, I know there is,” Lalumandier responded. “I lived here for two years, I know there’s cameras here.”

The officers then asked Rettig how much he had to drink, with one officer stating he could smell alcohol.

Officer Lalumandier informed Rettig that he was under arrest and placed him in handcuffs. The officers claimed Rettig was arrested for public intoxication, citing that the hallway was open to the public.

Rettig’s lawsuit asserts that the apartment hallway is private property and that Lalumandier had no lawful right to access the building or to arrest Rettig within the private confines of the complex.

Rettig’s attorney, Robert Thompson, stated that his client did not commit any crime.

“Speaking from a balcony isn’t a crime,” Thompson told WCPO News. “Drinking a beer in your living room isn’t a crime. And just because a cop was offended by some language doesn’t give them the power to arrest you.”

Rettig is seeking a jury trial, along with compensatory damages, nominal damages, attorney fees, costs, and punitive damages.

It is unclear when the case will be tried.

More than 5,600 people killed, nearly 1,500 kidnapped in Haiti in 2024: UN

January 8, 2025

The United Nations said more than 5,600 people were killed and nearly 1,500 were kidnapped in Haiti last year. The deaths reported on Tuesday, Jan. 7, mark a more than 20% increase from 2023 as a U.N.-backed security mission struggles to quell gang violence.

One of the worst gang massacres in recent history occurred in December 2024. Officials said more than 200 people were murdered after a gang leader ordered their executions over allegations of witchcraft.

The U.N. said 315 gang members or people allegedly associated with gangs were hanged by law enforcement or locals, and another nearly 300 were killed in “alleged summary executions” at the hands of police officers.

Gang violence has reportedly forced more than 700,000 Haitians to flee their homes in recent years, with many staying in unsanitary makeshift shelters.

Most Haitians are unable to leave the country because all commercial flights have been halted. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration recently extended a ban on commercial flights into Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince until at least March 12 after gangs hit several commercial jets with gunfire in November 2024.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for more money and international help for a thinly stretched multinational security force led by Kenya to help bring Port-au-Prince back under control.

Currently, gangs reportedly control around 85% of the Haitian capital.

Around 550 international police officers are involved in the security mission backed by the U.N. However, those numbers are far below the 2,500 officers promised.

Turk also recommended the U.N. continue its arms embargo against Haiti to keep them from getting “in the hands” of gang members.

In addition to the deaths in 2024, the U.N. said more than 2,200 were injured in Haiti last year.

Mozambique prison riot leads to nearly 3 dozen deaths, more than 1,500 escapes

December 26, 2024

Authorities say a prison riot in Mozambique’s capital on Wednesday, Dec. 25, killed at least 33 people and left at least 15 other individuals injured. The riot comes as violence continues to rise following October’s disputed election.

Mozambique’s top court confirmed the victory of long-ruling party Frelimo in the election on Tuesday, Dec. 24, which ignited new nationwide protests by demonstrators who say the election results were rigged.

The country’s police blame the protests outside the prison for encouraging the riot and eventual prison break.

However, Mozambique’s justice minister disputed that notion, saying the incident began inside the prison and is unrelated to the protests.

The South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) reported the prisoners overpowered guards and stole AK-47s during the riot.

Officials say more than 1,500 prisoners escaped during the riots but 150 have since been caught. Authorities believe crime and violence will rise over the next two days as a result of the prison break.

Police also say there were two different prison break attempts at two other facilities on Wednesday.

The prison break follows civil unrest after the top court’s decision on Tuesday confirming the election results, which reportedly led to 21 people being killed, including two police officers.

Before Tuesday, a civil society monitoring group reported at least 130 people killed in clashes with police since the Oct. 9 election.

Gang leader in Haiti orders killings of at least 110 over alleged witchcraft

December 9, 2024

Gang violence wracked Haiti over the weekend, leading to the deaths of reportedly nearly 200, including more than 100 elderly people, after a gang leader accused them of causing his child’s sickness through witchcraft. According to the National Human Rights Defense Network, gang members rounded people up who they suspected of practicing voodoo and executed them with machetes and knives in an impoverished western area of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.

The killings took place on Friday, Dec. 6, and continued on Saturday, Dec. 7, after the gang leader’s son reportedly died from his illness.

The United Nations says in total at least 184 people died in gang-related violence in Port-au-Prince over the weekend and the latest numbers bring the death toll to 5,000 people this year.

This is the largest mass killing in the country since October, when at least 115 people were reportedly murdered in a farming community by gang members. Authorities say the victims were targeted for forming a vigilante group to fight off gangs in the region.

Officials estimate gangs now control 85% of the Haitian capital. A U.N.-backed security force has been working to quell gang violence since 2022 but is vastly undermanned and underfunded.

The U.N. is attempting to turn the mission into a peacekeeping effort. However, its efforts reportedly face opposition from China and Russia.

Georgian opposition leader arrested as mass protests enter 6th day

December 4, 2024

A tense scene occurred in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi as police arrested the leader of one of the country’s opposition parties. Police allegedly knocked the leader of the Georgia’s Coalition for Change Party unconscious during the physical altercation.

The confrontation between police and the opposition leader occured on Wednesday, Dec. 4, as Georgian authorities reportedly raided the offices of opposition party members.

Critics say the crackdown is meant to snuff out mass protests gripping the nation for nearly a week. The demonstrations follow Georgia’s ruling party’s decision to suspend negotiations on European Union membership last week.

Hundreds of protesters have reportedly been detained by police during the demonstrations, and more than 100 people have been hurt.

The Georgian prime minister, who is part of the ruling party, known as the Georgian Dream Party, denied the police raids on Wednesday were repression and claimed they only targeted those encouraging violence during the mass protests.

The Dream Party retained control of the Georgian Parliament after elections on Oct. 26, which the opposition and Georgian president have called fraudulent.

The Georgian president is calling on Western powers this week to support the “national movement” among protesters and accusing the ruling party of using pro-Russian tactics to suppress free speech.

The United States has condemned violence against Georgian protesters, and the EU noted it has “serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding of the country.”

Georgia’s violent protests continue for 5th day as president pleads for help

December 2, 2024

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili pleaded with Western powers on Monday, Dec. 2, to back what she called “a national movement” in support of the country becoming a member of the European Union (EU). The protests come after a tense parliamentary election.

Zourabichvili’s plea came shortly before protesters and police reignited clashes on Monday that have raged for five days straight since Georgia’s lawmakers decided to suspend talks to join the European Union last week, and questions over October’s parliamentary election results remain.

The EU has expressed concerns over giving Georgia membership status, citing the country’s recent adoption of pro-Russian authoritarian laws such as restrictions on “foreign agents.” The body also passed a resolution criticizing the results of the Georgian elections and called for new elections to be held.

Zourabichvili told Reuters that Western allies need to send a “very clear message” that they view the election results as illegitimate. The Georgian president accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of using Russian tactics to suppress freedom of speech, and of rigging the elections in October.

Zourabichvili’s time as president is set to end in January. However, she has vowed to stay in office until a “legitimate Parliament” can choose a new president.

Meanwhile, Russia denies interfering in Georgia, and Georgia’s ruling party contends that the results of the elections were legitimate.

However, thousands of Georgians apparently do not see it the same way as they once again assembled outside Parliament on Monday night with police firing water cannons and protesters throwing fireworks.

Dozens of people have reportedly been injured during the civil unrest and hundreds of protesters have been arrested.

The U.S. State Department has condemned what it says is excessive force on behalf of Georgian authorities against activists, and European diplomats have reportedly stepped down in protest over the allegedly violent crackdown by police and the Georgian government.

56 killed in Guinea soccer stampede during military tribute tournament

December 2, 2024

A stampede at a soccer match in southern Guinea left 56 people dead and several others injured, government officials confirmed. The tragedy occurred during the final of a tournament held to honor Guinea’s military leadership in Nzerekore, one of the country’s largest cities.

The incident began Sunday, Dec. 1, after a disputed penalty led to clashes between fans. Stones were thrown, and security forces used tear gas, causing panic and a crush as spectators tried to escape. Footage shared online showed people scrambling over walls and victims, including children, lying on the ground.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine responsibility. Communications Minister Fana Soumah said regional officials are working to restore order. Several injured victims remain in critical condition at a local hospital.

The tournament, held in honor of Guinea’s military leader Mamadi Doumbouya, has drawn criticism from opposition groups.

The National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy accused the government of using the event to bolster political support ahead of a promised transition to civilian rule.

Guinea has been under military leadership since a 2021 coup ousted President Alpha Conde. The country joins other West African nations, including Mali and Burkina Faso, where military regimes have delayed transitions to civilian governance.

Doumbouya has defended the military’s rule, citing a need to prevent instability, while his government has faced criticism for unmet promises and rising tensions.

Thousands protest in Tbilisi as Georgia suspends EU membership talks

November 29, 2024

Police clashed with protesters in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Thursday, Nov. 28, after the country’s ruling party announced it paused talks on joining the European Union (EU) until the end of 2028. Nearly 50 protesters were reportedly arrested, and three police officers were injured in the protests.

Police in riot gear reportedly fired a water cannon and launched teargas as protesters tried to force their way into parliament.

As thousands of pro-EU activists blocked the streets, the country’s outgoing pro-EU president accused the government of declaring “war” on its own people and questioned whether the police were loyal to Georgia or Russia.

The government’s decision came after the European Parliament rejected the results of Georgia’s parliamentary elections in October 2024 and passed a resolution calling for new elections under international supervision.

Many Georgians called the results of the elections fraudulent, and a global research and data firm declared the results “statistically impossible.”

Official results gave Georgia’s ruling party nearly 54% of the vote. The opposition party has refused to take their seats due to concerns over election integrity.

Georgia’s relationship with the EU has become tense recently. Brussels accused the Georgian government of taking pro-Russian stances, which Georgia’s ruling party denies.

Ruling party officials accused the EU of using accession talks to spur a “revolution in the country,” citing this as the reason Georgia has decided to end talks about EU membership until 2028. Polls show around 80% of Georgians want the country to join the EU.

Meanwhile, domestic and foreign critics accuse Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party of steering the country back towards Moscow with recently passed laws, including one requiring any non-commercial person or organization receiving more than 20% funding from a “foreign power” register as a foreign agent or face significant fines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the so-called foreign agent’s law. The EU gave Georgia candidate status in 2023 but noted that a number of the country’s “Russian-inspired” laws passed, including the foreign agent’s legislation, were obstacles to membership.

Georgia gained independence from Russia in 1991 and has no formal diplomatic relationship with Moscow since a war with the country in 2008.