A Living Record of Protest

On August 30, 2025, Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, a 37-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by an Aurora Police officer following a traffic stop that escalated into a fatal confrontation. The shooting occurred on the sixth anniversary of the death of Elijah McClain, another high-profile Aurora police brutality case. Belt-Stubblefield was pulled over for speeding but fled, crashing into two vehicles before coming to a stop at a Sinclair gas station near 6th Avenue and Billings Street. Body camera footage shows the officer approaching Belt-Stubblefield's vehicle with his gun drawn. Belt-Stubblefield exited his car saying "Don't shoot me," then tossed a handgun onto the sidewalk as he walked toward the officer. He repeatedly told bystanders to "get that," referring to the gun, while advancing toward the officer. The officer backed away approximately 50 feet down the sidewalk, repeatedly ordering Belt-Stubblefield to get on the ground and warning "I'll shoot you." The officer then fired three times, the final shot striking Belt-Stubblefield in the head. Belt-Stubblefield's 18-year-old son was in a car behind his father and witnessed the shooting, screaming "He just shot my dad. He had no gun." Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the family, who called the shooting a "murder" and an "execution." The officer, identified by local activists as Matthew Neely, had been involved in 10 prior uses of force during his career with Aurora Police. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain defended the shooting as necessary self-defense, but the family and critics noted that less-lethal options were available. The autopsy revealed Belt-Stubblefield had a blood alcohol content of .274 at the time of the incident. The case has renewed calls for police reform in Aurora, a department already under scrutiny following the Elijah McClain case and a state attorney general finding of "pattern and practice of racially biased policing."

On August 3, 2025, Donald Taylor, a 32-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by Hollywood Police officers in Miramar, Florida. Police initially claimed they were "forced to fire" because Taylor was armed and refused to follow commands. However, security camera footage obtained by the family's attorneys contradicts this account, showing Taylor walking away from officers with his arms extended to his sides, appearing unarmed, when an officer fired a single shot into his back. Taylor had an active arrest warrant as a suspect in a string of armed robberies throughout Hollywood and Miramar in the days prior to the shooting. His family stated that he had "recently begun to suffer debilitating symptoms of a mental health crisis." The Whitehouse Law Group, a Black-owned Miami law firm representing the family, released the video and stated that "Donald Taylor posed NO THREAT to the officers or the public at the time of this shooting." The Hollywood Police Department has refused to release body camera footage, has not confirmed whether such footage exists, and has not identified the officer who fired the fatal shot. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation. Police claimed a gun was recovered at the scene, but the video shows Taylor's hands empty and raised as he walked away. The family's attorneys emphasized that regardless of any alleged crimes, Taylor was entitled to due process and that "police should not, and do not have the authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner."

On June 23, 2025, Jabari Peoples, an 18-year-old Black man and recent high school graduate, was shot and killed by a Homewood Police officer in the parking lot of the Homewood Soccer Complex in Homewood, Alabama, an affluent suburb of Birmingham. According to police, the officer approached a vehicle where Peoples and his girlfriend were parked after smelling marijuana and noticing a handgun in the driver's side door pocket. Police claimed that during an attempted arrest for marijuana possession, Peoples grabbed the gun and the officer fired in self-defense. However, an independent autopsy commissioned by the family and conducted in Atlanta revealed that Peoples was shot in the back with no exit wound. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, stated that this finding contradicted the police narrative. Peoples' girlfriend maintained that he was unarmed and complied with the officer's commands. The family demanded release of body camera footage, which authorities initially withheld. Peoples' father, William Peoples, stated at a press conference: "Show us the video." On August 1, 2025, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency completed its investigation and turned over bodycam footage to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. On August 6, 2025, District Attorney Danny Carr announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the officer, stating that the video showed Peoples grabbing a weapon from the car door before being shot. The DA confirmed Peoples was shot in the back as he fell to the ground while still holding the gun. The officer's identity has not been publicly released. The case drew comparisons to other high-profile police shootings of unarmed Black individuals and sparked community protests in Aliceville, Peoples' hometown.

On May 12, 2025, Rashaud Terrelle Johnson, a 32-year-old Black man and stand-up comedian, was shot and killed by Aurora Police Officer Brandon Mills at The Parking Spot, a parking lot near Denver International Airport. Johnson, who was unarmed and experiencing a mental health crisis, had been walking barefoot around the parking lot for over two hours. Employees called 911 five times reporting that Johnson appeared to be under the influence, was pulling on car doors, and had tried to fight employees. Officer Mills arrived alone and attempted to communicate with Johnson, who did not respond to questions and rushed toward the officer. Mills swung his baton and fired his Taser before the two ended up on the ground in a struggle. After separating, Mills drew his firearm and ordered Johnson to get on the ground. Johnson stood still momentarily, then slowly began walking toward Mills with his hands at his sides. Mills shot him twice in the chest from approximately 15 feet away, about 45 seconds after the physical altercation ended. Body camera footage shows that after the shooting, Mills held Johnson at gunpoint as he bled on the ground, waiting approximately five minutes for another officer to arrive without attempting to render aid. When backup arrived, Mills told the officer that Johnson was unarmed. Johnson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Aurora and Officer Mills, with attorneys calling it "the worst Aurora police killing since Elijah McClain." The Aurora Police Department, already under scrutiny for its history of excessive force against Black residents, faces its second lawsuit in 2025 for unlawful use of deadly force.

On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was shot and killed by Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson inside her home near Springfield, Illinois. Massey had called 911 to report a possible prowler outside her residence. When deputies Grayson and Dawson Farley arrived, they searched the area and found nothing. They then entered Massey's home to obtain her identification. During the encounter, Grayson noticed a pot of water boiling on the stove and asked Massey to move it. As she picked up the pot, Massey said, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Grayson drew his weapon, threatened to shoot her in the face, and opened fire as Massey ducked behind her kitchen counter, striking her in the head. Grayson was fired from the Sheriff's Office and charged with three counts of first-degree murder on July 17, 2024. His employment history revealed a troubling pattern: he had worked for six law enforcement agencies in four years, had two DUI convictions, and had been discharged from the U.S. Army for "misconduct (serious offense)." Previous employers had documented issues with insubordination, failure to follow orders, and poor report writing. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell retired in August 2024 amid questions about why Grayson had been hired. On October 29, 2025, after a seven-day trial, a jury found Grayson guilty of second-degree murder rather than first-degree murder, determining that while his fear was unreasonable, he honestly believed he was in danger. On January 29, 2026, Grayson was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison. Massey's family reached a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County, and Illinois enacted the "Sonya Massey Law," requiring more thorough background checks before hiring police officers. The U.S. Department of Justice also reached an agreement with the county to implement de-escalation training and develop a mental health response program.

The Buffalo Tops massacre of May 14, 2022, was a racially motivated mass shooting in which an 18-year-old white supremacist killed ten Black people and wounded three others at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in the predominantly Black East Side neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. The gunman, Payton Gendron, traveled approximately 200 miles from his hometown of Conklin, New York, specifically targeting this location because of its large Black population. He livestreamed the first two minutes of his attack on Twitch before the platform shut down the broadcast. Armed with a Bushmaster XM-15 rifle illegally modified to accept high-capacity magazines, wearing body armor and a military helmet with a camera, Gendron first shot four people in the parking lot, killing three, before entering the store and killing seven more. Retired Buffalo police officer Aaron Salter Jr., working as the store's security guard, fired at Gendron and struck his body armor, but the bullet failed to penetrate. Salter was then killed. Gendron surrendered to police after being confronted by officers outside the store. He became the first person in New York State history charged with domestic terrorism motivated by hate. On February 15, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole on state charges after pleading guilty to murder and hate-motivated domestic terrorism. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in a separate federal case. Payton Gendron was born on June 20, 2003, and grew up in Conklin, New York, a small town approximately 200 miles from Buffalo. In his 180-page manifesto posted online before the attack, he described how he was radicalized on 4chan while "bored" during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in early 2020. His primary inspiration was Brenton Tarrant, the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand, who had also livestreamed his attack. When researchers analyzed Gendron's manifesto through plagiarism software, they found that entire paragraphs had been copied from 4chan threads, racist websites, and Tarrant's manifesto. The document also included a 673-page Discord diary where Gendron posted multiple times daily between November 2021 and May 12, 2022—two days before the attack. Gendron embraced the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory—a white supremacist ideology claiming that white people are being systematically replaced by non-white populations through immigration and demographic changes, often with alleged Jewish orchestration. This racist conspiracy theory, popularized by French writer Renaud Camus in 2011, has motivated numerous mass shootings including Christchurch. After approximately two years of exposure to this ideology, Gendron came to believe it was his purpose to commit a violent attack to prevent what he perceived as an "uprising" against white people. At approximately 2:30 p.m. on May 14, 2022, Gendron arrived at the Tops supermarket wearing body armor, a military helmet, and tactical gear. He had researched the location specifically because the surrounding ZIP code had the highest percentage of Black residents within a reasonable driving distance. Before opening fire, his livestream captured him saying "just got to go for it." He shot four people in the parking lot, killing Roberta Drury, Heyward Patterson, and Aaron Salter Jr., while wounding Zaire Goodman in the neck. Goodman, a 20-year-old store employee who was collecting carts, was the only Black victim to survive. Inside the store, Gendron continued his rampage, shooting eight more people. He killed Ruth Whitfield (86), an 86-year-old grandmother who had just visited her husband at a nursing home; Pearl Young (77), who ran a food pantry for 25 years; Katherine Massey (72), a lifelong civil rights activist who had recently written a letter to the Buffalo News advocating for gun control legislation; Celestine Chaney (65), a breast cancer and brain aneurysm survivor shopping for strawberries to make shortcake; Geraldine Talley (62), who was about to become a first-time grandmother; Margus Morrison (52), a school bus aide buying snacks for movie night with his wife; and Andre Mackneil (53), who was purchasing a birthday cake for his 3-year-old son. Among those wounded were Jennifer Warrington (50), a pharmacist at the store who suffered a scalp wound from shrapnel, and Christopher Braden (55), who was shot in the leg and required surgery for an open fracture to his tibia and fibula. Both Warrington and Braden are white; the shooter spared some white victims he encountered, according to witness accounts. Police confronted Gendron as he exited the store. He put his rifle to his own neck but surrendered after negotiation. He was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, domestic terrorism motivated by hate, and other offenses. On November 28, 2022, Gendron pleaded guilty to all state charges. On February 15, 2023, Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan sentenced him to life in prison without parole, telling him "there is no place for you or your beliefs in a civilized society." He was the first person convicted under New York's domestic terrorism statute. The massacre prompted widespread mourning and calls for action against white supremacist radicalization online. President Biden visited Buffalo and met with victims' families. Governor Kathy Hochul announced $2.8 million in funding for victims and families and later committed $5 million toward a permanent memorial, "Seeing Us," designed by Jin Young Song and Douglass Alligood. In March 2024, a New York state judge ruled that Reddit and YouTube must face lawsuits alleging they played a role in Gendron's radicalization. Families of victims have also sued social media platforms including Meta and Snapchat.

Marvin David Scott III was a 26-year-old African American man who died while in the custody of law enforcement at the Collin County Jail in McKinney, Texas. On March 14, 2021, Scott was restrained by multiple officers inside the jail after being detained for a misdemeanor offense. During the restraint, Scott experienced medical distress and later died. Seven law enforcement officers involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave pending investigation. The Texas Ranger Division initiated an independent criminal investigation into Scott’s death. On April 29, 2021, the Collin County Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide. The official cause of death was determined to be “fatal acute stress response in an individual with previously diagnosed schizophrenia during restraint struggle with law enforcement.” Scott’s death drew national attention to the treatment of individuals with mental illness in carceral settings, the use of restraint by law enforcement, and the broader pattern of deaths occurring in custody involving Black Americans.

In February 2021, a posthumous letter written by Ray Wood, a former undercover officer with the New York City Police Department, was made public by his family. In the letter, Wood claimed that he had been instructed by his superiors to arrest key members of Malcolm X’s security detail in the days leading up to the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X, leaving him vulnerable at the Audubon Ballroom. Wood alleged that the operation was part of a broader pattern of surveillance and disruption involving the NYPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, though the letter did not provide direct evidence of coordination in the assassination itself. His claims echoed long-standing concerns about federal and local law enforcement targeting Black political leaders through infiltration, intimidation, and destabilization tactics during the civil rights era. The letter reignited public scrutiny of Malcolm X’s killing and contributed to renewed calls for transparency and accountability, reinforcing a persistent theme in African-American protest history: the demand to confront state power, suppressed records, and unresolved truths surrounding political violence.

In February 2021, Jaylin Rice, a 20-year-old Black man, was critically wounded while sitting in a vehicle at a gas station in Fort Wayne, Indiana during a dispute. Another man left the scene and then returned armed, opening fire. Rice was unarmed at the time and survived after being hospitalized in serious condition. The attack also killed two other young men, Anderson Retic and Joshua Cooper, both 19, drawing local grief and national attention to everyday gun violence in Black communities. In 2023, the shooter was convicted on multiple counts including murder and sentenced to an effective 190 years in prison, highlighting the severity of the crime and the punishment imposed by the justice system. Rice’s survival and recovery became part of community remembrance and discussions about gun violence, safety, and the value of Black life in spaces where people expect normal daily interactions, not deadly conflict.

In February 2021, Joshua Cole Cooper, a 19 year old Black man, was shot and killed while sitting inside a vehicle at a gas station in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The shooting occurred after an argument, when another man left the scene and later returned armed, opening fire on multiple people at the location. Cooper was one of two young men killed in the attack, alongside Anderson Retic. The violence unfolded in an everyday public space, underscoring how routine environments can become sites of sudden and irreversible loss for Black youth. In 2023, the shooter was convicted on multiple counts, including murder, and sentenced to an effective 190 years in prison. Joshua Cole Cooper’s death became part of local remembrance and broader conversations about gun violence, accountability, and the disproportionate impact of such violence on Black communities.

In February 2021, Anderson Retic, a 19 year old Black man, was shot and killed while sitting inside a vehicle at a gas station in Fort Wayne. The shooting followed an argument after another man left the scene and later returned armed, firing on multiple people at the location. Retic was killed alongside Joshua Cole Cooper, while a third victim, Jaylin Rice, was critically wounded and survived. The attack highlighted the vulnerability of Black youth to gun violence in ordinary public spaces. In 2023, the shooter was convicted on multiple counts, including murder, and sentenced to an effective 190 years in prison. Anderson Retic’s death became part of community remembrance and ongoing discussions about gun violence, accountability, and the lasting impact such violence has on families and neighborhoods.

In September 2020, Kurt Andras Reinhold, a 42 year old Black man, was shot and killed by Orange County sheriff’s deputies during a stop for alleged jaywalking in San Clemente. According to authorities, a struggle occurred after deputies attempted to detain Reinhold, during which he was shot multiple times. The incident raised widespread concern about the use of deadly force during minor civilian encounters and the escalation of routine stops involving Black individuals. In 2022, then Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced that the deputy who fired the fatal shots would not face criminal charges, citing self defense. In 2023, Orange County agreed to a 7.5 million dollar civil settlement with Reinhold’s family, acknowledging the severity of the loss even as the deputy avoided criminal accountability. Reinhold’s death became part of broader protests and conversations about policing, racial bias, and the disproportionate risks Black people face during low level law enforcement encounters.

On the evening of June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black father of four, was shot and killed by Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe in a Wendy's parking lot in South Atlanta. Brooks had been celebrating his daughter's birthday at an arcade earlier that day. Officers were called to investigate reports of a man asleep in a car blocking the drive-through lane. Body camera footage showed officers having a calm, cooperative conversation with Brooks for nearly 40 minutes as they conducted field sobriety tests. When a breathalyzer showed Brooks was over the legal limit, Officer Rolfe told him he was under arrest. A struggle ensued as officers tried to handcuff Brooks. During the scuffle, Brooks grabbed Officer Brosnan's taser and fled through the parking lot. Video footage captured Brooks turning and pointing the taser at Rolfe as he ran. Rolfe fired his gun three times, striking Brooks twice in the back. An autopsy confirmed Brooks died from two gunshot wounds to the back. The shooting occurred less than three weeks after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and reignited protests across Atlanta. The Wendy's restaurant was burned down the following night. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned the day after the shooting. District Attorney Paul Howard initially charged Rolfe with felony murder and ten other charges, including five counts of aggravated assault. However, in May 2021, the Civil Service Board reinstated Rolfe with back pay, finding the city had not afforded him due process. In August 2022, special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis announced all charges against Rolfe and Brosnan would be dropped, stating the officers "committed no crimes" and their use of force was justified. The city of Atlanta later paid $1 million to Brooks's family to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.

In May 2020, Tony McDade, a 48 year old Black transgender man, was shot and killed by police in Tallahassee. Police stated that officers were responding to reports of a stabbing when they encountered McDade and that he was shot during the encounter. McDade’s killing occurred just days before the murder of George Floyd and received comparatively little national attention, prompting criticism from activists who pointed to the marginalization of Black transgender people within broader conversations about police violence. Questions were raised about the use of lethal force, the handling of mental health and crisis situations, and the lack of transparency following the shooting. Tony McDade’s death became a focal point for protests addressing the intersection of race, gender identity, policing, and visibility, reinforcing demands that Black transgender lives be recognized, protected, and remembered within movements for justice and accountability.

In May 2020, George Floyd, a 46 year old Black man, was killed by police in Minneapolis after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit twenty dollar bill. During the arrest, a police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd was restrained on the ground and repeatedly said he could not breathe. Video of the killing spread globally and sparked one of the largest protest movements in United States history, with millions of people demanding accountability, police reform, and an end to racialized state violence. In 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter, a rare outcome in cases involving police use of lethal force. George Floyd’s death became a defining moment in contemporary protest history, reshaping global conversations about policing, systemic racism, and the value of Black life, and inspiring sustained activism across music, art, and cultural expression.

On May 23, 2020, Maurice Gordon, a 28-year-old Black man from Jamaica living in Poughkeepsie, New York, was shot and killed by New Jersey State Trooper Randall Wetzel on the Garden State Parkway in Bass River. Gordon, a chemistry student at a community college, had been exhibiting erratic behavior in the hours before the fatal encounter. Friends had called 911 expressing concern after he left a home in Poughkeepsie "looking panicked." In the five hours before his death, Gordon had multiple encounters with police after his car ran out of gas and he was ticketed for speeding. Trooper Wetzel stopped Gordon at approximately 6:15 AM after clocking him driving over 100 mph. Dashcam footage showed that after Gordon's car died on the highway, Wetzel attempted to assist him. Over the course of the stop, Gordon twice attempted to get into the trooper's patrol car. During the second attempt, according to the state's account, Gordon tried to take Wetzel's handgun and drive away with the police vehicle. Wetzel fired six shots, killing Gordon. Gordon was unarmed. Maurice Gordon's death occurred two days before the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked worldwide protests against police racism. In May 2022, a state grand jury declined to file criminal charges against Trooper Wetzel. Attorney William Wagstaff, representing Gordon's family, called the decision "not a surprise," noting data showing that New Jersey police use force against Black people eight times more than against white people in similar scenarios. The family filed a federal civil lawsuit alleging violations of Gordon's constitutional rights.

On April 22, 2020, Joshua Johnson, a 35-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by an undercover member of the Gulf Coast Task Force in La Marque, Texas. Johnson had been watching a neighbor's home on East Ritter Circle while she was in the hospital. At the same time, unbeknownst to Johnson, an undercover deputy was staking out the area for a murder suspect from Dallas County. At approximately 6:00 AM, Johnson approached the unmarked vehicle with the flashlight on his phone turned on and a BB gun in his hand. According to officials, words were exchanged, Johnson lowered his flashlight, raised his BB gun at the deputy, and the deputy fired at least two shots from inside his vehicle, killing Johnson. Johnson's parents have maintained that their son may have been killed in a case of mistaken identity. They pointed out that Johnson was simply trying to protect a neighbor's property and had no way of knowing that the person sitting in an unmarked car was law enforcement. The sheriff's office stated that the BB gun looked like a Glock handgun. Neither a body camera nor a dash camera was used by the deputy because he was working undercover. The family, alongside Congressman Al Green, made renewed pleas for the case to go to a grand jury. They released surveillance video that they claimed showed the deputy driving away after the shooting instead of calling for help. The family attorney stated they could not obtain the ballistics report and complained of a lack of transparency in the investigation. As of the available information, the case remained under review, with Johnson's family continuing to seek answers and accountability for his death.

On April 25, 2020, Joel Acevedo, a 25-year-old man, died six days after being placed in a chokehold by off-duty Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Mattioli during a party at Mattioli's home. On the night of April 19, 2020, Acevedo was at a gathering at Mattioli's residence when an altercation occurred. According to Mattioli, he caught Acevedo going through his pants pockets and when he confronted him, Acevedo shoved him and punched another guest in the face. Mattioli wrestled Acevedo to the ground, called 911, and held him in a chokehold until police arrived. The first responding officer reported that Mattioli was holding Acevedo in a "chokehold." When the officer checked on Acevedo, he was not breathing and had no pulse. Mattioli had held Acevedo in the chokehold for 11 minutes and 20 seconds. Acevedo was transported to the hospital but never regained consciousness. He died on April 25, 2020. Mattioli was charged with first-degree reckless homicide. He resigned from the Milwaukee Police Department in September 2020. The trial was delayed multiple times over three years. The medical examiner testified that she certified Acevedo's cause of death as homicide. However, another expert testified that Acevedo died from "prone restraint cardiac arrest" rather than from being choked, and ruled the manner of death "indeterminate." On November 10, 2023, after five hours of deliberation, a jury found Mattioli not guilty of reckless homicide. The Acevedo family subsequently pursued a federal civil lawsuit against Mattioli, alleging violations of Joel's Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

On March 23, 2020, Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man from Chicago, was restrained by Rochester, New York police officers and died seven days later from asphyxiation. Prude's family had called 911 seeking help for him during a mental health crisis. Officers found Prude naked and kneeling in the street at approximately 3:15 AM in freezing temperatures. After Prude complied with commands to lie on his stomach and was handcuffed, he began spitting at officers. Police placed a "spit hood" over his head, a mesh bag designed to protect officers from bodily fluids. Body camera footage showed officers restraining Prude by pushing his head into the pavement and pressing a knee into his back for more than three minutes. Prude can be heard saying he could not breathe. He stopped moving and was later found to have no pulse. Emergency responders removed the spit hood and performed CPR. Prude was taken to the hospital, where he was placed on life support. His family took him off life support on March 30, 2020, and he died. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, caused by "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint," with excited delirium and PCP intoxication as contributing factors. The case remained hidden from the public for nearly six months until body camera footage was released in September 2020. The revelation sparked protests in Rochester and calls for police reform. Mayor Lovely Warren suspended seven officers involved. Amnesty International condemned the use of spit hoods, noting they are particularly dangerous for people in distress. A grand jury declined to indict any officers in February 2021. Prude's death highlighted critical failures in using police to respond to mental health emergencies, becoming a key example in calls for alternative crisis response systems.

In March 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26 year old Black woman, was shot and killed inside her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, when plainclothes police officers executed a late night search warrant as part of a drug investigation. Taylor was asleep when officers forced entry into the home. Her boyfriend, believing intruders had broken in, fired a single warning shot in self defense. Officers returned fire, discharging dozens of rounds into the apartment. Breonna Taylor was struck multiple times and died at the scene. The warrant was later revealed to be based on outdated information, and no drugs were found in the apartment. The use of a no knock warrant and the lack of clear identification by police became central points of public concern. In the aftermath, no officers were charged directly in connection with Taylor’s death, though one officer was later indicted for endangering neighboring residents. The case sparked sustained protests in Louisville and across the United States, with demonstrators demanding accountability, transparency, and an end to no knock warrants. Breonna Taylor’s killing became a defining moment in contemporary protest history, particularly in highlighting how aggressive policing tactics place Black women at risk within their own homes. Her name was widely invoked alongside calls for police reform, legislative change, and recognition of the often overlooked role of Black women in movements against racialized state violence.

Ahmaud Marquez Arbery (May 8, 1994 – February 23, 2020) was a 25-year-old African American man who was murdered while jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia. Three white men—Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan—pursued Arbery in pickup trucks, blocked his path, and confronted him. Travis McMichael shot Arbery three times with a shotgun at close range after a brief struggle. Bryan recorded the killing on his cell phone. Despite the video evidence, no arrests were made for more than two months as local prosecutors declined to charge the killers, citing Georgia's citizen's arrest law. The case only gained national attention after Bryan's video was leaked and went viral on May 5, 2020. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested the McMichaels on May 7 and Bryan on May 21. Arbery's killing, along with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, became a focal point of the nationwide protests against racial injustice in the summer of 2020. All three men were convicted of murder in Georgia state court in November 2021 and convicted of federal hate crimes in February 2022. The case prompted Georgia to enact its first hate crime law in June 2020 and to repeal its Civil War-era citizen's arrest law in May 2021—becoming the first state in the nation to do so. Ahmaud Arbery was born on May 8, 1994, in Brunswick, Georgia, the youngest of three children born to Marcus Arbery Sr. and Wanda Cooper-Jones. Known by the nicknames "Maud" and "Quez," he was remembered as humble, kind, and well-mannered, with a smile that would light up a room. He graduated from Brunswick High School in 2012, where he played football as a linebacker on the Brunswick Pirates team. Though slender for a football player, his coach Jason Vaughn recalled that "his speed was amazing." Arbery wore jersey #21, passed down from his older brother Marcus Jr., and dreamed of playing in the NFL. After high school, Arbery attended South Georgia Technical College in Americus, Georgia, pursuing a career as an electrician like his uncles. He worked at McDonald's and at his father's car wash. Running became a daily practice to help keep his head clear—he would jog from his mother's house down toward Fancy Bluff Road, along oak-lined streets draped with Spanish moss. On the afternoon of February 23, 2020, Arbery was jogging through the Satilla Shores neighborhood when Gregory McMichael, a former Glynn County police officer and former investigator for the Brunswick District Attorney's office, spotted him from his front yard. McMichael later told police he believed Arbery resembled a suspect in recent neighborhood break-ins—though no evidence supported this claim. McMichael called to his son Travis, and the two armed themselves and pursued Arbery in a pickup truck. Their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan joined the chase in his own vehicle. For several minutes, the three men pursued Arbery through the neighborhood, using their trucks to block his path as he tried to escape. After finally cutting him off, Travis McMichael exited his truck with a shotgun. A brief struggle ensued, and Travis shot Arbery three times at close range. Arbery collapsed in the street and died. Bryan recorded the final confrontation and shooting on his cell phone. When police arrived, Gregory McMichael told officers they had attempted a "citizen's arrest" because they suspected Arbery of burglary. The initial investigation was overseen by Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson, who recused herself because Gregory McMichael had worked as an investigator in her office. The case was then assigned to Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill, who wrote a letter to police arguing the shooting was justified under Georgia's citizen's arrest law. Barnhill also recused himself after Arbery's family pointed out conflicts of interest. No arrests were made for 74 days. On May 5, 2020, Bryan's cell phone video was leaked to a local radio station and quickly went viral on social media. The graphic footage—showing white men chasing and shooting a Black man in broad daylight—drew national outrage and comparisons to a lynching. On May 7, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case and arrested Gregory and Travis McMichael. Bryan was arrested on May 21. Former DA Jackie Johnson was later indicted on charges of violating her oath of office and hindering a law enforcement officer. Prosecutors alleged she showed "favor and affection" to Gregory McMichael and directed that Travis McMichael should not be arrested. Phone records showed 16 calls between Johnson and Gregory McMichael in the days after the shooting. Johnson lost her re-election bid in November 2020. On November 24, 2021, a jury in Glynn County Superior Court found all three defendants guilty of murder. Travis and Gregory McMichael were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. William Bryan was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. On February 22, 2022, a federal jury convicted all three men of hate crimes and attempted kidnapping. Prosecutors presented evidence including social media posts, text messages, and videos showing the defendants held "longstanding prejudice" against Black people. On August 8, 2022, U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood sentenced Travis McMichael to life plus 10 years, Gregory McMichael to life plus 7 years, and William Bryan to 35 years in federal prison. On November 14, 2025, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld all three hate crime convictions. Arbery's murder prompted significant legislative changes in Georgia. In June 2020, Governor Brian Kemp signed the state's first hate crime law, mandating additional penalties for crimes motivated by bias based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, sex, national origin, or disability. On May 10, 2021, Kemp signed legislation repealing Georgia's citizen's arrest law—originally enacted in 1863, possibly to help capture enslaved people fleeing to join the Union Army. Georgia became the first state in the nation to repeal such a law. On February 2, 2022, the Georgia General Assembly designated February 23 as Ahmaud Arbery Day. Georgians are encouraged to run 2.23 miles on that day to advocate for racial justice and reflect on how Arbery's life was cut short while jogging.

On October 12, 2019, at approximately 2:28 a.m., Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman, was shot and killed by Fort Worth Police Officer Aaron Dean while inside her mother's home. Jefferson was babysitting her 8-year-old nephew, Zion Carr, and was shot through a bedroom window after Dean entered the backyard without identifying himself as police. Dean was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison. Earlier that evening, Jefferson and her nephew had been playing video games. After Zion burned some hamburgers he was cooking, they opened the front door to air out the house. At approximately 2:38 a.m., a concerned neighbor, James Smith, called 911 to report that the front door had been open for several hours—unusual for that time of night. The call was dispatched as an "Open Structure" call (typically related to potential burglary) rather than a welfare check. Officers Dean and Carol Darch responded but did not park near the home, knock on the door, or identify themselves as police at any point. Dean entered the backyard with his flashlight and weapon drawn. Jefferson, hearing noises outside and seeing a flashlight in the backyard, retrieved her legally owned handgun to investigate. When Dean saw Jefferson through the bedroom window, he shouted "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" and fired a single shot through the window within seconds—before Jefferson could comply or understand who was outside. Jefferson died at the scene. Her nephew witnessed the shooting. Police later confirmed Jefferson had every right to arm herself when hearing unknown intruders in her backyard. Dean admitted during trial that his actions constituted "bad police work," including firing without seeing her hands or what was behind her, failing to tell his partner he saw a gun, and rushing into the home without ensuring it was safe. Fort Worth Police Chief Ed Kraus stated that Dean resigned before he could be fired for violating departmental policies on use of force, de-escalation, and unprofessional conduct. On December 15, 2022, after more than 13 hours of deliberation, a jury found Dean not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. On December 20, 2022, he was sentenced to 11 years, 10 months, and 12 days in prison. Dean is currently incarcerated at the Ramsey Unit in Rosharon, Texas. The City of Fort Worth approved a $3.5 million settlement for Zion Carr, who witnessed his aunt's killing. A civil lawsuit by Jefferson's estate against Dean and the city is ongoing, with Dean seeking qualified immunity.

In August 2019, Elijah McClain, a 23 year old Black man, died after an encounter with police in Aurora. McClain was walking home from a convenience store when police stopped him following a 911 call reporting a person wearing a ski mask. McClain, who was unarmed and had committed no crime, was listening to music and walking home when officers confronted him. During the encounter, officers restrained McClain and placed him in a carotid control hold, a maneuver that restricts blood flow to the brain. McClain lost consciousness. Paramedics were then called to the scene and administered ketamine, a powerful sedative, while McClain was still restrained. Shortly thereafter, he went into cardiac arrest. McClain was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brain dead and later removed from life support. Initial investigations did not result in criminal charges, and the case drew limited attention until protests in 2020 prompted renewed scrutiny and public outrage. Following a reopened investigation, multiple officers and paramedics were charged in connection with McClain’s death. The case raised urgent questions about police use of force, the medicalization of restraint, and the role of emergency responders in law enforcement encounters. Elijah McClain’s death became a defining moment in contemporary protest history. His story highlighted how policing practices, combined with chemical restraint, can place vulnerable individuals at extreme risk. His killing intensified national calls for accountability, reforms in use of force policies, and the reevaluation of police involvement in mental health and medical emergencies.

On May 13, 2019, Pamela Turner, a 44-year-old African American woman, was fatally shot by Baytown Police Officer Juan Delacruz in the parking lot of the apartment complex where both resided. Delacruz approached Turner to arrest her on outstanding misdemeanor warrants for criminal mischief and assault. The encounter was captured on both bystander video and the officer's body camera. During the encounter, Turner asked the officer, "Why are you harassing me?" and stated, "I'm actually walking to my house." A struggle ensued, and Delacruz deployed his Taser (an X26P model), which failed to incapacitate Turner. She grabbed the Taser, and Delacruz fired his weapon five times while Turner was on the ground. Three shots struck Turner fatally. Just prior to the shooting, Turner said, "I'm pregnant," though the police department later confirmed she was not pregnant. Turner had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had worked as a healthcare worker for nearly 20 years. Her family stated that Officer Delacruz was aware of her mental health condition, and neighbors confirmed he "had arrested her many times" before. According to Turner's family, she had "several bad experiences" with the officer, who routinely patrolled the area.

On May 10, 2019, Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old Black barber from Monroe, Louisiana, died following a violent arrest by Louisiana State Police troopers after a high-speed chase. For nearly two years, state police told Greene's family that he had died from injuries sustained when his car crashed into a tree during the pursuit. This account was contradicted when body camera footage, suppressed for over two years, emerged showing troopers stunning Greene with a taser while he was still in his car, then beating him, choking him, and dragging him face-first by his ankle shackles while he was handcuffed. Greene can be heard on the video saying "I'm scared! I'm scared!" as troopers shocked and beat him. The footage showed that after subduing Greene, officers left him face-down and unresponsive for approximately nine minutes without rendering medical assistance. The initial coroner's report listed Greene's death as a motor vehicle accident, and the state police crash report omitted any mention of troopers using force. A trooper was recorded bragging that he "beat the ever-living f--- out of" Greene. One of the most culpable officers, Chris Hollingsworth, died in a single-vehicle crash in 2020, hours after learning he would be fired. In December 2021, five Louisiana law enforcement officers were charged with state crimes ranging from negligent homicide to malfeasance. However, no officer received jail time. In October 2024, trooper Kory York, who faced the most serious charges after video showed him dragging Greene, pleaded no contest to reduced misdemeanor battery charges and received one year of probation instead of prison. The U.S. Department of Justice opened a sweeping civil rights investigation into the Louisiana State Police amid mounting evidence that the agency tolerated beatings of mostly Black men. The case exposed a culture of impunity within the state police, with investigators documenting at least a dozen similar cases over the preceding decade.

In September 2018, Botham Jean, a 26 year old Black man, was shot and killed inside his own apartment in Dallas, Texas, by Amber Guyger, an off duty Dallas police officer. Guyger entered Jean’s apartment, which was located directly below her own, and claimed she believed it was her residence and that Jean was an intruder. Jean was unarmed and was eating ice cream when he was shot. Investigators later determined that Guyger had parked on the wrong floor and entered the apartment without signs of forced entry. The case drew national attention as details emerged about how a routine mistake by a police officer escalated into a fatal use of force against an innocent resident in his own home. In 2019, Guyger was convicted of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison, a rare outcome in cases involving the killing of a civilian by a police officer. The trial, sentencing, and public response generated widespread discussion about police accountability, racial bias, and the boundaries of reasonable use of force. Botham Jean’s death became a significant moment in contemporary protest history, highlighting how ordinary Black life can be rendered vulnerable by assumptions of threat and authority. His killing intensified calls for accountability and reform while underscoring the ongoing risks faced by Black individuals even within the presumed safety of their own homes.

On March 18, 2018, Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by two Sacramento police officers in the backyard of his grandmother's house. Officers Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet had responded to a 911 call about someone breaking car windows in the neighborhood. A police helicopter spotted Clark and directed officers to his location. After a brief foot pursuit, Clark ran into his grandmother's backyard, where officers confronted him. Believing he was holding a gun, officers fired 20 rounds at Clark. He was struck eight times, primarily in his back. The object in Clark's hand was an iPhone. Clark's death sparked massive protests in Sacramento, with demonstrators blocking traffic and disrupting a Sacramento Kings basketball game. His brother Stevante Clark interrupted a Sacramento City Council meeting, demanding accountability. The case drew national attention to police use of force against unarmed Black men and the split-second decisions that often prove fatal. On March 2, 2019, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announced that the officers would not face criminal charges, stating they had probable cause to stop Clark and were legally justified in using deadly force. Federal authorities also declined to file civil rights charges. In September 2019, California adopted a new law restricting police use of deadly force to situations where it is "necessary in defense of human life," one of the most significant police reform measures in the state's history.

On February 13, 2018, Ronell Foster, a 33-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by Vallejo, California police officer Ryan McMahon following a pursuit that began as a stop for riding a bicycle without a light at night. Foster, who did not own a car, frequently rode his bicycle around his hometown, often with his teenage son and 5-year-old daughter. When McMahon attempted to stop him, Foster fled on foot into a nearby backyard. McMahon chased him, cornered him, tased him, and struck him repeatedly with a flashlight. During the struggle, Foster grabbed McMahon's flashlight. McMahon then fired seven shots, striking Foster once in the head, four times in the back, and twice on the left side of his body. An internal review later noted that "Officer McMahon failed to recognize his safety and the safety of the suspect Ronell Foster outweighed apprehension for a minor traffic/pedestrian violation." McMahon's decision to pursue Foster alone, without backup, increased the danger to both himself and Foster. The Solano County District Attorney ruled the shooting justified, stating prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that McMahon's use of deadly force was unjustified. However, the Vallejo Police Department later fired McMahon, finding he had violated department policies by "engaging in unsafe conduct and neglect for basic firearm safety." The city eventually settled with Foster's family for $5.7 million. Court testimony later revealed a disturbing practice within the department: after McMahon killed Foster, another officer bent the tip of McMahon's badge, inducting him into a secretive clique of officers who had killed in the line of duty. This "badge-bending" ritual had existed within the department since 2003.

On September 16, 2016, Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby while standing near his stalled SUV in North Tulsa. Crutcher's hands were raised when he was shot. The killing was captured on police dashcam and helicopter footage, the latter piloted by Shelby's husband, and sparked protests in Tulsa and across the nation. Tulsa Police Chief confirmed that Crutcher had no weapon on him or in his SUV. Shelby had been responding to an unrelated domestic disturbance call when she encountered Crutcher's stalled vehicle in the roadway on 36th Street and Lewis Avenue. According to Shelby, Crutcher was non-compliant with her commands. Video footage showed Crutcher walking at a measured pace with his hands raised toward his vehicle, with officers following several feet behind. When Crutcher reached his SUV and placed his hands on top of the vehicle, Officer Tyler Turnbough deployed his Taser while Shelby simultaneously fired her service weapon, striking Crutcher. Audio from the police helicopter captured a voice saying, "That looks like a bad dude too. Probably on something." An autopsy later revealed PCP in Crutcher's system, though no weapon was found. Approximately two minutes after the shot, an officer checked Crutcher's pockets; aid was offered approximately 45 seconds after that. Crutcher died at the hospital later that day. Six days after the shooting, on September 22, 2016, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler charged Shelby with first-degree manslaughter—the first time in Tulsa history that a police officer was indicted for an on-duty shooting. On May 17, 2017, after nine hours of deliberation, a jury acquitted Shelby. In a letter made public through the courts, the jury foreman stated that despite the acquittal, many jurors "had reservations about Shelby's judgment and ability to perform as an officer" and took particular issue with her decision to use her firearm instead of a Taser. Following the trial, Shelby resigned from the Tulsa Police Department on August 3, 2017, and joined the Rogers County Sheriff's Office. She subsequently began teaching classes to other officers on surviving public scrutiny following police shootings. The U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights probe but later determined no federal charges would be filed. The Crutcher family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2017 seeking police reforms and damages, but in April 2024, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit based on qualified immunity. The case is currently on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Terence's twin sister, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, left her medical career in Alabama to return to Tulsa and founded the Terence Crutcher Foundation, which advocates for police violence reforms and operates community programs.

On September 1, 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem before a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers, joined by teammate Eric Reid. The protest, which began weeks earlier when Kaepernick sat during the anthem, was a demonstration against police brutality and racial injustice in America. Kaepernick's action sparked a nationwide movement of athlete protests, intense public debate, and significant personal consequences for his career. Kaepernick had first sat during the anthem on August 14, 2016, but went unnoticed. On August 26, journalist Jennifer Lee Chan photographed him sitting during the anthem before the team's third preseason game, and the image spread on social media. When asked to explain, Kaepernick stated: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color." He had previously commented on social media about the police killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Charles Kinsey, and Freddie Gray. The decision to transition from sitting to kneeling came after former Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer wrote an open letter in the Army Times on August 30, 2016. Boyer, who acknowledged his own anger at the protest but respected Kaepernick's right to it, met with Kaepernick and Reid on August 31 at a hotel in San Diego. During a 90-minute conversation, they arrived at the compromise of kneeling. As Boyer later explained: "Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother's grave, you know, to show respect." The protest quickly spread across the NFL and other sports. By September 11, 2016, other players began kneeling or raising fists during the anthem. President Obama defended Kaepernick's "constitutional right to make a statement," while then-candidate Donald Trump suggested protesters should "try another country." The 49ers finished the 2016 season 2-14, and Kaepernick played his final NFL game on January 1, 2017. He opted out of his contract in March 2017 and was not signed by another team. In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against NFL owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league. In February 2019, Kaepernick and Reid reached a confidential settlement with the NFL, reportedly less than $10 million. Despite being effectively blacklisted from the NFL, Kaepernick continued his activism. In October 2016, he founded Know Your Rights Camp with his partner Nessa, inspired by the December 2015 police killing of Mario Woods in San Francisco. The organization educates Black youth ages 12-18 about their legal rights when encountering police. In September 2018, Nike featured Kaepernick in an advertising campaign with the slogan: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." Kaepernick has received numerous honors for his activism, including Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award (2017), GQ's Citizen of the Year (2017), the ACLU Roscoe Pound Award (2017), and Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award (2018). The photograph of Kaepernick and Reid kneeling on September 1, 2016, is now preserved in the collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

On August 5, 2016, Jamarion Robinson, a 26-year-old Black former college football player, was shot and killed by members of a U.S. Marshals task force serving an arrest warrant at his girlfriend's apartment in East Point, Georgia. Robinson, who had played football at Clark Atlanta University and Tuskegee University, had no criminal convictions. His family said officers knew he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had not been taking his medication. When the 16-member task force knocked on the door and Robinson failed to answer, they broke down the door and opened fire with submachine guns and pistols. Cell phone video from outside captured nearly three minutes of gunfire. Robinson was shot 76 times. A private detective hired by Robinson's mother later uncovered evidence of gunshots fired straight into the ground where his body was lying, suggesting officers continued shooting after Robinson was already down. There was no body camera footage of the incident because federal policy at the time prohibited U.S. Marshals and local officers working with them from wearing body cameras. In October 2021, a grand jury indicted two officers: U.S. Marshal Eric Heinze and Clayton County police officer Kristopher Hutchens. They were charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary, and making false statements. A third officer who was to face charges died of cancer before he could be indicted. The case has been delayed by legal motions, and as of 2024, Robinson's mother Monteria Robinson continues to advocate for justice for her son, who was killed nearly nine years ago. The case has drawn national attention as an example of alleged excessive force by federal law enforcement and the challenges families face in seeking accountability.

On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights. Castile, a beloved school nutrition services supervisor, was pulled over for a broken brake light while driving with his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter. When Castile calmly informed Officer Yanez that he was licensed to carry a firearm and had a gun in the car, Yanez drew his weapon and fired seven shots into the vehicle within 40 seconds of the stop beginning. Castile was struck five times. What made the case sear into national consciousness was what happened next. Diamond Reynolds, with remarkable composure, began streaming the aftermath on Facebook Live while her daughter sat in the back seat. The video, viewed millions of times, showed a dying Castile slumped in his seat, Reynolds narrating the scene while Yanez continued pointing his weapon at the car. Castile can be heard moaning that he was not reaching for his gun. He died at a nearby hospital. Officer Yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. On June 16, 2017, after five days of deliberation, a jury acquitted Yanez of all charges. He was immediately fired by the City of St. Anthony. The City of St. Paul settled with Castile's family for nearly $3 million, and Reynolds reached a separate settlement for $800,000. In 2020, when Yanez applied for a teaching license, the Minnesota licensing board denied his application, citing his racial profiling of Castile and the lasting harm to Castile's family. Castile's death became a rallying point for discussions about the dangers Black Americans face from police, even when following the law and doing everything "right."

On July 5, 2016, at approximately 12:35 a.m., Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by Baton Rouge Police Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Mart where Sterling regularly sold CDs. The killing, captured on multiple videos including body camera footage and bystander recordings, sparked protests in Baton Rouge and across the nation. Sterling's death, occurring just one day before the killing of Philando Castile in Minnesota, intensified national outrage over police violence against Black Americans. Police responded to a 911 call at approximately 12:30 a.m. from a caller who reported that a Black man in a red shirt selling CDs had threatened him with a gun. When officers arrived, they ordered Sterling to put his hands on a car hood. The situation escalated quickly. Within seconds of the confrontation beginning, Officer Salamoni threatened to "shoot [Sterling] in the fucking head" if he moved. Officers deployed a Taser on Sterling, then tackled him to the ground. Sterling was pinned by both officers—one kneeling on his chest, the other on his thigh—while they attempted to control his arms. Someone shouted "he's got a gun," and Salamoni fired six shots, striking Sterling in the heart, lung, esophagus, and liver. Sterling died at the scene. Officers retrieved a loaded .38 caliber revolver from Sterling's front pants pocket. The store owner, Abdullah Muflahi, later confirmed that Sterling had only begun carrying a gun a few days earlier after hearing about robberies of other CD vendors. The U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation but announced in May 2017 that it found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges. On March 27, 2018, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced his office would not bring state charges against the officers, stating they acted in a "reasonable and justifiable manner." However, on March 30, 2018—the same day body camera footage was publicly released—Officer Salamoni was fired for violating use-of-force policies and failing to maintain command of his temper. Officer Lake was suspended for three days for losing his temper. Neither officer faced criminal charges. Sterling was known locally as "CD Man" and was well-regarded in his community. NBA player Glen Davis, who grew up in Baton Rouge, said he had known "Big Alton" for years and described him as a "great guy, big personality" whose CD sales helped support his family. Sterling was raised by his aunt Sandra Sterling after his mother died when he was 10 years old. He is survived by five children: Alton Sterling Jr., Josiah Williams, Journee Williams, Cameron Sterling, and Na'Quincy Pierson. In 2021, Sterling's family accepted a $4.5 million settlement from the City of Baton Rouge, to be paid over five years to provide for his children.

On December 26, 2015, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Chicago Police Officer Robert Rialmo shot and killed two people while responding to a domestic disturbance call: 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier and 55-year-old Bettie Jones, an innocent bystander who had simply opened the door for the officers. Jones, a mother of five and grandmother who lived downstairs from the LeGrier family, was shot once in the chest and killed. The shooting became one of the most divisive in Chicago Police Department history, ultimately resulting in Rialmo's firing nearly four years later. LeGrier, a Northern Illinois University student apparently experiencing mental health problems, had made three 911 calls claiming someone was threatening his life. Shortly after, his father Antonio LeGrier called 911 reporting that his son was trying to break down his bedroom door and was armed with a baseball bat. Antonio asked his downstairs neighbor, Bettie Jones, to open the door for police when they arrived. Jones opened the door and directed officers Rialmo and Anthony LaPalermo upstairs. As they reached the stairway, LeGrier came down the stairs holding an aluminum baseball bat. Rialmo fired seven to eight shots, striking LeGrier multiple times and hitting Jones once in the chest. Jones was pronounced dead at 4:51 a.m. at the hospital. Key evidence contradicted Rialmo's account: his partner LaPalermo stated he did not see LeGrier swing the bat, and investigators concluded Rialmo was farther from LeGrier than he had claimed. Rialmo was not carrying a Taser the night of the incident, violating department policy requiring him to maintain certification to use the weapon. In late 2017, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) found the shooting unjustified. However, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson disagreed in March 2018, declaring the shooting justified. Rialmo took the unconventional step of suing LeGrier's estate, blaming the teen for the shooting and claiming it emotionally traumatized the officer—a lawsuit that drew significant criticism. On October 17, 2019, nearly four years after the shooting, the Chicago Police Board voted 7-0 to fire Rialmo. The board determined that "Rialmo had an obligation to tactically reposition himself" to protect innocent bystanders and that he "could have repositioned himself to avoid having to shoot." In June 2018, the City of Chicago reached a $16 million settlement with Bettie Jones's estate—one of the largest settlements in a Chicago police shooting case. The LeGrier family received no compensation from their lawsuit. Bettie Jones had just celebrated Christmas with 15 family members in her apartment the day before she was killed.

On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Black woman from Illinois, was pulled over by Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia for failing to signal a lane change near Prairie View A&M University—her alma mater, where she was due to start a new job as a community outreach coordinator on August 3. Three days later, on July 13, 2015, Bland was found dead in her Waller County jail cell. Her death was ruled a suicide by hanging, but the circumstances of her arrest and detention sparked national outrage and became a rallying point for the #SayHerName movement highlighting police violence against Black women. The traffic stop, captured on dashcam video, a bystander's cell phone, and Bland's own cell phone, showed the encounter rapidly escalating. When Bland refused Encinia's order to put out her cigarette, he demanded she exit her vehicle. When she questioned why, Encinia opened her car door, brandished his Taser, and said, "I will light you up!" Bland was forcibly removed from the car, and Encinia later claimed she kicked him during the arrest. She was charged with assaulting a police officer and taken to Waller County Jail with bail set at $5,000. During her intake interview, Bland disclosed that she had previously attempted suicide following the loss of a baby the year before. On the morning of July 13, after declining breakfast at 6:30 a.m., Bland requested to make a phone call from her cell but did not complete one. Around 9:00 a.m., jailers found her hanging in her cell, having allegedly fashioned a noose from a plastic trash bag liner. An autopsy found her death consistent with suicide, with no defensive injuries on her hands. However, questions about jail protocol violations and the rapid escalation of the traffic stop fueled widespread skepticism and protests. On December 21, 2015, a grand jury declined to indict anyone for Bland's death. However, on January 7, 2016, Trooper Encinia was indicted on a perjury charge for falsifying his report about the arrest and was subsequently fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The perjury charge was later dropped in June 2017 in exchange for Encinia permanently surrendering his law enforcement license. In September 2016, Bland's family settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $1.9 million, with the agreement including jail reforms and de-escalation training requirements. In 2017, the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 1849, known as the Sandra Bland Act, which mandated racial profiling and de-escalation training for police officers and created new procedures for county jails regarding inmates with mental health or substance abuse issues.

Myra Singleton Thompson (1955 – June 17, 2015) was a devoted educator, Bible study teacher, and head of the trustee board at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 59 years old, Thompson had been leading Bible study for the first time that evening after weeks of careful preparation. She had been re-licensed to preach just hours before the attack. The lesson she prepared was Mark 4—a parable told by Jesus about a farmer who scatters seed that falls in many places. Myra Thompson's early life was marked by hardship. With two less-than-present parents, she and her siblings were separated among relatives, an orphanage, and foster families. Myra was eventually placed in the permanent care of a neighboring family, the Coakleys. Despite these challenging beginnings, she went on to earn a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees, driven by her love of learning. Thompson devoted her career to education, working as an English teacher and guidance counselor in local public schools. During the 1980s and 1990s, she taught at Brentwood Middle School—now called Meeting Street Elementary School at Brentwood—in North Charleston. In 1994, she earned her Master of Education in Reading Education from The Citadel Graduate College. Her passion for teaching was matched by her dedication to her students, particularly those who faced difficulties. At one of the worst schools in South Carolina, where students would curse and disrespect teachers, Thompson won the respect of her students by going to their homes and getting their parents involved. When she later earned a master's degree in counseling, the school had to hire a second counselor because so many students sought her guidance. Thompson grew up attending Emanuel AME Church and remained devoted to it throughout her life. She served as head of the church's trustee board. By 2015, she had overseen Lent services and began moving toward ordained ministry, delivering her trial sermon during the Christmas season of 2014. On the day of her death, she was re-licensed to preach. On June 17, 2015, Thompson led Bible study for the first time—a lesson she had carefully and thoughtfully prepared over several weeks. When Dylann Roof opened fire during the closing prayer, Thompson was among the nine killed. She left behind three children, 11 brothers, three sisters, a large extended family, and her husband, Reverend Anthony Thompson. Her husband, Rev. Anthony Thompson, publicly forgave Roof at his bond hearing. In 2019, he published "Called to Forgive: The Charleston Church Shooting, a Victim's Husband, and the Path to Healing and Peace," sharing his journey toward forgiveness and healing.

Reverend Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (1969 – June 17, 2015) was an assistant pastor at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a speech and language pathologist, and the head girls' track and field coach at Goose Creek High School who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 45 years old, she was a mother of three who touched the lives of students and colleagues throughout the Charleston area. Her son Chris Singleton, a Charleston Southern University baseball player, inspired the world the day after her death by declaring on the baseball field: "Love is always stronger than hate." Sharonda Coleman-Singleton was born in Newark, New Jersey, and graduated from Vailsburg High School in 1987. She attended South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, where she ran track and field. She later returned to New Jersey to earn her master's degree in communication sciences and disorders. Coleman-Singleton worked as a speech and language pathologist at Goose Creek High School, in a Charleston suburb, since 2007. She also served as the school's head girls' track and field coach, drawing on her own experience as a collegiate athlete. The Berkeley County School District described her as someone "who touched the lives of students and colleagues alike." Beyond her work in education, Coleman-Singleton served as an assistant pastor at Emanuel AME Church, where she was an active member of the congregation. She dedicated herself to ministry alongside her professional career. She was a mother of three children: Christopher, Carmyn, and Caleb. Her eldest son, Chris Singleton, was a sophomore baseball player at Charleston Southern University at the time of the tragedy. On June 17, 2015, Coleman-Singleton attended the Wednesday night Bible study at Emanuel AME Church when Dylann Roof opened fire. She was among the nine worshippers killed. Her funeral was held on June 25, 2015, at Emanuel AME Church alongside the funeral of Ethel Lee Lance, attended by political figures and civil rights leaders. The day after his mother's murder, Chris Singleton stood on the baseball field at Charleston Southern University and delivered a message that resonated worldwide: "Love is always stronger than hate." Those words are now engraved on a memorial outside the Sharonda Coleman-Singleton Baseball Complex at Charleston Southern University, dedicated in her memory. Nine palmetto trees representing the nine victims stand at the memorial. Chris Singleton has continued his mother's legacy of love and forgiveness, becoming a speaker and author sharing her message.

Reverend Daniel Lee Simmons Sr. (1941 – June 17, 2015) was a retired pastor, Vietnam War veteran, and Purple Heart recipient who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 74 years old, Simmons was a fourth-generation preacher known as "Dapper Dan" for his penchant for shiny shoes, crisp suits, and fine hats. He was the only victim to survive the initial attack long enough to reach a hospital, but died during surgery. He was hailed as a hero for attempting to reach Pastor Clementa Pinckney, who was the first to fall from Roof's volley of gunfire. Daniel Simmons Sr. graduated early from high school in Mullins, South Carolina, attending Palmetto High School. He worked his way through college, eventually earning a Bachelor's degree from Allen University, a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Seminary. He was accustomed to reaching his goals. Simmons served in the Vietnam War and received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. After his military service, he pursued his calling to ministry. He was a fourth-generation preacher and served as pastor at multiple Charleston-area churches. From 2004 to 2009, he was pastor of Greater Zion AME Church in Awendaw, where parishioners remembered him as a talented teacher and compassionate leader. By the time of his death, Simmons was retired from his own pulpit but continued to serve at Emanuel AME Church, assisting the overstretched pastor Clementa Pinckney. At 74, he still led Bible study most Wednesdays, putting his heart into the weekly lessons. He was known as a gentle, dependable man with an easy smile and good sense of humor. Throughout his career, Simmons harbored ambitions of becoming a bishop—a prestigious post in the national AME hierarchy. Every four years, he put himself up for election, but this goal eluded him. On June 17, 2015, Simmons was leading Bible study at Emanuel AME Church when Dylann Roof opened fire. After being shot, Simmons attempted to reach Pastor Pinckney to help him. He was the only victim to survive long enough to be transported to a hospital, but he died during surgery. He was the last of the nine victims to be buried, on July 2, 2015. The documentary "One Last Breath: The Daniel Simmons Story" explores his life, from his rural upbringing to his decades of service as a pastor. To preserve his legacy, the Simmons family launched the nonprofit Hate Won't Win Movement to unite society and bridge differences. His daughter, Rose Simmons, became a national advocate for faith-based healing and gun violence prevention.

Tywanza Kibwe Diop Sanders (November 9, 1988 – June 17, 2015) was a recent college graduate, licensed barber, and aspiring entrepreneur who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 26 years old, he was the youngest of the nine victims. In his final moments, Sanders confronted the gunman, reportedly trying to talk Roof out of shooting the others, and was shot while attempting to shield his 87-year-old great-aunt Susie Jackson. As he lay dying, he reached out to try to help her. Tywanza Sanders was born on November 9, 1988, in Charleston, South Carolina, the youngest child of Tyrone and Felicia Sanders. From an early age, he displayed an entrepreneurial spirit gleaned from his parents—his mother owned a local beauty salon. While in elementary school, he opened a lemonade stand outside his mother's salon. In partnership with his father, he began selling homemade car fresheners. During middle school, he worked as a barbering assistant. Sanders attended Ferndale Baptist School for elementary and middle school before graduating from James Island Charter High School in 2006. In high school, he played football, participated in Future Business Leaders of America, and filmed basketball games for the journalism team. After high school, he enrolled at Denmark Technical College, where he earned a diploma in Applied Science of Barbering. In 2014, he graduated from Allen University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. During college, he juggled classes, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities including the National Black MBA Association and the National Association of Black Accountants. After graduation, Sanders returned to Charleston and worked as a licensed barber at Smitty's Super Seven Barber. He was known for his broad, ready smile and positive outlook on life. At the time of his death, he had been accepted to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, to pursue a degree in Media and Communication, scheduled to begin in fall 2015. He was also preparing to make his acting debut in a local stage play and was in the process of publishing his own book of poetry. He aspired to be a rapper as well. On June 17, 2015, Sanders attended Bible study with three family members: his mother Felicia Sanders, his great-aunt Susie Jackson, and his 11-year-old niece. When Dylann Roof opened fire, Sanders confronted him, reportedly trying to talk him out of continuing the massacre. He was the first person shot after stepping in front of his elderly aunt. As he lay dying, he reached toward Susie Jackson to help her. Both were killed. His mother and niece survived by playing dead. The Tywanza Sanders Legacy Foundation was established to continue his spirit of empowerment and education. The foundation's Camp Wanza program grew out of Sanders' practice of offering makeshift summer camps at his parents' house, where he taught his cousins lessons in math and reading, encouraged outdoor sports activities, and gave piano lessons. An annual race honoring Sanders raises funds for Charleston students.

Reverend DePayne Vontrese Middleton-Doctor (December 15, 1965 – June 17, 2015) was an ordained minister, school administrator, and choir member at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 49 years old, she was a mother of four daughters whose voice was described as "so angelic it could move the very depth of your heart." DePayne Middleton-Doctor was born on December 15, 1965, in South Carolina, the middle child of three daughters born to Reverend Leroy and Frances Middleton. She grew up attending an AME church west of Charleston, where her father served as a minister. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Columbia College in 1989 and a master's degree in organizational management from Southern Wesleyan University in 1994. Middleton-Doctor had a distinguished career in public service and education. She worked as a former manager at the U.S. Department of Commerce and served as Charleston County's director of the Community Development Block Grant Program before retiring in 2005. In that role, she helped administer grants aimed at assisting the county's poorest residents with problems they couldn't otherwise afford, such as roof repairs. She later worked as an admissions coordinator for Southern Wesleyan University's Charleston learning center. She also served as an experienced grant writer, consulting with local school districts, and worked as a data manager and analyst for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Her calling to ministry was fulfilled when she became an ordained minister, first serving at Mt. Mariah Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston. She joined Emanuel AME Church in March 2015, just three months before her death, where she ministered and sang in the church choir. On June 17, 2015, Middleton-Doctor attended the Wednesday night Bible study at Emanuel AME Church when Dylann Roof opened fire, killing her and eight other worshippers. She left behind four daughters: Gracyn, Kaylin, Hali, and Czana Doctor. She was a resident of Hollywood, South Carolina. In 2020, Middleton-Doctor was honored in the South Carolina African American History Calendar, designed by the South Carolina Department of Education to identify African American role models for educators, parents, and students.

Ethel Lee Lance (September 25, 1944 – June 17, 2015) was the sexton of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and a lifetime member of the congregation who was assassinated along with eight other worshippers during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 70 years old, Lance was described as the "heart of her family"—a woman known for her big smile, snazzy style, love of gospel concerts, and devotion to her church. Security cameras had captured her dancing as she vacuumed the historic building she helped maintain. Ethel Lee Lance was born on September 25, 1944, and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. She raised five children in West Ashley and lived to see seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was a cousin of fellow victim Susie Jackson. Lance began working as a custodian in 1968 at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium shortly after its opening and remained there until her retirement in 2002 after more than 30 years. In her role, she took pride in being the model of discretion. James Brown, Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King Jr., and other celebrities had been in the rooms she kept tidy, but she never went into details about what she may have witnessed. She had served as Emanuel AME Church's sexton for the five years before her death, taking loving care of the historic building. Known for her personality as much as her dedication, Lance was quick with a joke, adored the opera *Porgy and Bess*, loved gospel concerts, and occasionally enjoyed a little gambling. Her daughter, Rev. Sharon Risher, remembered her as always wanting to help others. On June 17, 2015, Lance was at Emanuel AME for the Wednesday night Bible study when Dylann Roof—a white stranger who had been welcomed by the congregation—opened fire. Lance was among the nine killed. Her funeral was held on June 25, 2015, at Emanuel AME Church, alongside the funeral of Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and was attended by several political figures and civil rights leaders.

Susie Jackson (1928 – June 17, 2015) was a longtime member of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 87 years old, she was the oldest of the nine victims killed that night. Her great-nephew Tywanza Sanders, 26, who was also killed in the attack, died trying to protect her—stepping in front of the gunman and attempting to shield her from the bullets. Susie Jackson was a Burke High School graduate and had been a dedicated member of Emanuel AME Church for many years, where she sang in the choir. She lived on Alexander Street in Charleston for more than 50 years, deeply rooted in the community she called home. On the evening of June 17, 2015, Jackson attended the Wednesday night Bible study with three members of her family: her niece Felicia Sanders, her great-nephew Tywanza Sanders, and Felicia's 11-year-old granddaughter. During the attack, Tywanza confronted Dylann Roof, reportedly trying to talk him out of shooting the others. When Roof opened fire, Tywanza was the first person shot after stepping in front of his aunt. As he lay dying, he reached out to try to help Susie Jackson. Both perished in the attack, while Felicia Sanders and her granddaughter survived by playing dead. In 2019, the City of Charleston renamed a portion of Alexander Street—where Jackson had lived for over five decades—as Susie Jackson Way. The city also announced plans for the Susie Jackson Freedom Memorial Garden to honor all nine victims. That garden opened in 2023, located adjacent to the Charleston County Public Library at 68 Calhoun Street and running along Alexander Street. In 2024, nearly a decade after the tragedy, bronze busts of all nine victims, including Susie Jackson, were unveiled at Allen University in Columbia.

Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd (June 21, 1960 – June 17, 2015) was a beloved librarian and community leader in Charleston, South Carolina, who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 54 years old, Hurd had devoted 31 years to the Charleston County Public Library system and was guided by her conviction that "libraries are always inclusive, never exclusive." She was killed four days before her 55th birthday. Cynthia Graham Hurd was born on June 21, 1960, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Melvin and Henrietta Johnson Graham. A lifelong resident of Charleston's North Central community, she received her early education at Immaculate Conception School, James Simons Elementary School, and the High School of Charleston. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Clark Atlanta University and in 1989 completed her Master's degree in library and information science at the University of South Carolina. Hurd began her library career in 1984 and served the Charleston community for 31 years. Since 1990, she had worked as branch manager of the John L. Dart Library in downtown Charleston, and since 2011 she had been manager of the St. Andrews Regional Library. She also worked part-time at the Robert Scott Small Library and Addlestone Library at the College of Charleston since the 1990s. Known for her dedication to public service, she believed deeply in the library's role as a welcoming space for all community members. Beyond her library work, Hurd served on the board of the Housing Authority of the City of Charleston for over twenty years and on the board of the nonprofit Septima P. Clark Corporation. She was a devoted member of Emanuel AME Church and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. After her mother's death fifteen years prior, she became a mother figure to her younger brother Malcolm Graham, a former North Carolina state senator. On June 17, 2015, Hurd attended the Wednesday night Bible study at Emanuel AME Church when Dylann Roof opened fire, killing her and eight other worshippers. Her death sparked an outpouring of tributes from the library community and beyond, with colleagues and patrons remembering her warmth, dedication, and commitment to serving others. Multiple institutions have honored Hurd's legacy. The College of Charleston renamed its Colonial Scholarship to the Cynthia Graham Hurd Memorial Scholarship. The University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science established the Cynthia Graham Hurd Endowed Fellowship Fund. Springer Nature offers an annual Cynthia Graham Hurd Memorial Scholarship to librarians. The St. Andrews Library branch, where she served as manager, was renamed in her honor. In 2021, she was featured in the South Carolina African American History Calendar. The Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation continues her legacy through literacy programs and scholarships.

Reverend Clementa Carlos Pinckney (July 30, 1973 – June 17, 2015) was the senior pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and a South Carolina State Senator representing District 45 who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 41 years old, Pinckney was specifically targeted by the gunman, who asked for him by name upon entering the church. Roof later confessed that he targeted Emanuel AME because of its historical significance and Pinckney's prominent role in the African American community. Pinckney had spent earlier that day campaigning with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Charleston before leading the evening Bible study where he was killed. Clementa Pinckney was born on July 30, 1973, in Beaufort, South Carolina, the middle child in a family with six siblings. He demonstrated an early calling to ministry, beginning to preach at age thirteen and becoming an ordained pastor at age eighteen. Ministry ran deep in his family—four generations on his mother's side had served as pastors in AME churches. Pinckney graduated magna cum laude from Allen University in 1995, earned a Master's degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina in 1999, and completed his Master of Divinity at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 2008. In 1996, at age twenty-three, Pinckney became the youngest African American ever elected to the South Carolina General Assembly when he won a seat in the State House of Representatives. In 2000, at twenty-seven, he became the youngest African American elected to the State Senate. He represented District 45, which included portions of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper counties. In the legislature, Pinckney worked closely with Congressman Jim Clyburn and helped secure federal stimulus funding for South Carolina following the 2008 economic collapse. He also advocated for police body camera legislation following the April 2015 killing of Walter Scott in North Charleston. Pinckney became pastor of Emanuel AME Church—one of the oldest Black congregations in the Southern United States, with roots dating to 1816—in 2010. In this role, he oversaw seventeen churches in the Charleston area. He viewed his ministry and political work as complementary, following in the tradition of AME leaders like Reverend Richard H. Cain who combined pastoral duties with political activism. On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof entered Emanuel AME Church and was welcomed by the congregation to join their Bible study. After sitting with the group for nearly an hour, Roof opened fire during the closing prayer. He shot Pinckney first, then continued firing more than 70 rounds. Pinckney's wife Jennifer and their daughter survived by hiding in a room adjacent to the fellowship hall. On June 24, 2015, Pinckney became the first African American to lie in state at the South Carolina State House. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at Pinckney's funeral on June 26, 2015, at the College of Charleston's TD Arena before approximately 5,000 attendees, memorably leading the congregation in singing "Amazing Grace." On August 8, 2019, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recognized Pinckney and the Emanuel Nine as martyrs on their liturgical calendar and declared June 17 a day of repentance.

On the evening of June 17, 2015, a white supremacist gunman killed nine Black worshippers during a Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The massacre was a racially motivated act of domestic terrorism targeting one of the oldest and most historically significant Black churches in the South. Among the victims was the church's senior pastor and South Carolina State Senator Clementa C. Pinckney, who had recently led rallies following the police killing of Walter Scott and advocated for police body camera legislation. The gunman, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, entered the church and was welcomed by congregants to join their Wednesday night Bible study. He sat with the group for nearly an hour before pulling out a .45-caliber Glock pistol at the close of the session while members were in prayer. Roof fired more than 70 shots, killing nine people. He later confessed that he wanted the murders to start a race war and had specifically targeted the historically Black congregation, which was founded in 1816 and had a history of civil rights activism dating back to Denmark Vesey's planned slave uprising in 1822. Roof fled the scene but was captured the following morning in Shelby, North Carolina, 243 miles away. On June 19, 2015, at his bond hearing via video conference, family members of the victims addressed Roof, and several publicly forgave him—a moment that drew national attention. Roof was charged with nine counts of murder and a firearms charge. On July 7, 2015, he was indicted on federal hate crime and civil rights violation charges. On December 15, 2016, he was found guilty on all 33 federal counts. On January 10, 2017, Roof was sentenced to death on the federal charges, becoming the first person sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. On April 10, 2017, he was sentenced to nine consecutive life sentences without parole on the state charges. The massacre sparked nationwide protests and renewed calls for removing Confederate monuments and symbols. On July 10, 2015, the South Carolina General Assembly voted to remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds, where it had flown since 1961. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at Reverend Pinckney's funeral on June 26, 2015, at the College of Charleston's basketball arena before approximately 5,000 attendees, memorably leading the congregation in singing "Amazing Grace." Prior to the funeral, Pinckney's body lay in state at the South Carolina State House—the first African American to receive this honor. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a multi-million dollar settlement with plaintiffs who alleged the FBI was negligent in failing to prevent Roof from purchasing the firearm used in the attack.

On April 12, 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black man, was arrested by Baltimore Police in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood after he fled from officers on bicycles. Officers found a knife on Gray and placed him in a police transport van. Over the course of approximately 45 minutes and multiple stops, Gray sustained a fatal spinal cord injury while in the van. He was not secured with a seatbelt, contrary to department policy implemented just six days earlier. Gray arrived at the Western District police station unconscious and was taken to the hospital, where he died on April 19, 2015, after spending a week in a coma. Gray suffered three fractured vertebrae, injuries to his voice box, and his spine was 80% severed at his neck. Medical experts determined that his injuries were consistent with those of a person who dives into a shallow pool and hits their head on the bottom. Commissioner Anthony Batts acknowledged that officers failed to buckle Gray in the transport van and failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner despite multiple requests. Gray, who was asthmatic, had requested an inhaler but was denied medical support. The media suggested Gray may have been subjected to a "rough ride"—a form of police brutality where a handcuffed prisoner is placed without a seatbelt in an erratically driven vehicle—though this was never proven in court. On May 1, 2015, Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced criminal charges against six officers after the medical examiner ruled Gray's death a homicide. The officers charged were: Officer Caesar Goodson (van driver, charged with second-degree depraved-heart murder), Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero, Lieutenant Brian Rice, and Sergeant Alicia White. Charges ranged from misconduct in office to involuntary manslaughter to second-degree murder. All officers pleaded not guilty. Officer Porter's trial ended in a mistrial. Officers Nero, Goodson, and Rice were acquitted at bench trials. In July 2016, Mosby dropped charges against the three remaining officers, resulting in zero convictions. On September 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would not bring federal civil rights charges, finding insufficient evidence. Gray's death sparked massive protests in Baltimore and nationwide. Peaceful demonstrations began while Gray was hospitalized. After his funeral on April 27, 2015, civil unrest intensified near Mondawmin Mall, with looting, fires, and burned businesses including a CVS pharmacy. Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and deployed the Maryland National Guard. A 10 p.m. citywide curfew was imposed. Protests also erupted in Boston, Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington D.C. A subsequent DOJ investigation found that Baltimore Police had engaged in unconstitutional stops, searches, arrests, and racial discrimination, leading to a federal consent decree in 2017.

On April 4, 2015, at approximately 9:30 a.m., Walter Scott, a 50-year-old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager following a traffic stop for a non-functioning brake light. Scott was shot in the back as he ran away from the officer. Bystander Feidin Santana captured the shooting on his cell phone, and the video directly contradicted Slager's initial account of the events, leading to murder charges and ultimately a federal conviction. Officer Michael Slager, a 33-year-old white officer who had served with the North Charleston Police Department for five years, pulled over Scott's 1991 Mercedes in the parking lot of an auto parts store at 1945 Remount Road for a non-functioning third brake light. When Slager returned to his patrol car, Scott exited his vehicle and fled on foot. Slager chased Scott and fired his Taser at him. The chase continued into a lot behind a pawnshop at 5654 Rivers Avenue, where the two men got into a physical altercation. Slager fired his Taser again, but Scott broke free and ran away. Slager then drew his handgun and fired eight rounds at Scott's back as he fled. Five rounds struck Scott—three in the back—killing him. Bystander Feidin Santana recorded the shooting on his cell phone. Santana initially did not share the video out of fear of retribution, but he became angered when the police report differed from what he had witnessed. He shared the video with Scott's family and local news media. The video showed Slager shooting Scott in the back as Scott ran away, directly contradicting Slager's claim of self-defense. Slager was arrested on April 7, 2015, and fired the following day. A grand jury indicted him for murder on June 8, 2015. Slager's 2016 state murder trial ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked, though eleven of twelve jurors favored conviction. On May 2, 2017, Slager pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation. In exchange for the plea, state murder charges and two other federal charges were dismissed. On December 7, 2017, U.S. District Judge David Norton sentenced Slager to 20 years in federal prison after finding that he had committed second-degree murder and obstruction of justice by lying to investigators about Scott trying to grab his Taser. The City of North Charleston agreed to pay $6.5 million to Scott's family in an October 2015 settlement. As of 2025, Slager remains incarcerated at FCI Englewood, with his earliest possible release date of August 16, 2032.