FRONTLINE, The Associated Press, and the Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism host events featuring web interactive, “Lethal Restraint” and film, “Documenting Police Use of Force” 

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

EVENT: THU APR 25 

Reporters and data journalists from The Associated Press, The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and FRONTLINE will lift the curtain on an unprecedented investigation into why more than 1,000 people across the U.S. died after police subdued them with force that wasn’t meant to kill. The journalists will be joined by a nationally recognized expert from Georgetown University whose work focuses on the causes and consequences of law enforcement that results in negative consequences. The collaborative investigation by AP, FRONTLINE and the Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland and Arizona State University was prompted by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and was three years in the making. AP already has begun rolling out stories. 

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

• Ron Nixon: Vice President, News and Head of Investigations, Enterprise, Partnerships and Grants, Associated Press (Moderator)
• Sean Mussenden: Data Editor, Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
• Dr. Andrea Headley: Asst. Professor, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University criminology 
• Ceoli Jacoby: Government Reporter, Frederick News Post
• Reese Dunklin: Reporter, Associated Press
• Serginho Roosblad: Director, “Documenting Police Use of Force” FRONTLINE PBS

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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

 On Tuesday, April 9, Arizona State University  hosted a discussion about the unprecedented, multi-platform investigation “Lethal Restraint: An investigation documenting police use of force.”

Three years in the making, the project is a major collaboration between The Associated Press global investigations team, the Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University and the University of Maryland, and FRONTLINE (PBS).

Every day, police across the country use physical restraints, Tasers, takedowns and other tactics in encounters that are not supposed to be fatal. But sometimes, what is known as “less-lethal force” can still end in death. The federal government has struggled for years to count these types of deaths, and the little information it collects is incomplete. That’s where this project comes in. “Lethal Restraint” documents 1,036 non-shooting deaths involving law enforcement from 2012 through 2021. The joint reporting project created an unprecedented interactive story and database of these cases, which are now available to the public.

At the event, the reporters and editors behind “Lethal Restraint” shared about the challenges of documenting police use of force and holding departments and officers accountable, especially in encounters with police that don’t involve a gun.

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

• Ron Nixon: Vice President, News and Head of Investigations, Enterprise, Partnerships and Grants (Moderator)
• Serginho Roosblad: Director, “Documenting Police Use of Force” FRONTLINE PBS

The program took place at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, First Amendment Forum.

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Explore the “Lethal Restraint” web interactive here.

“Documenting Police Use of Force” will broadcast on April 30th.