PHILADELPHIA – The Justice Department says poor training has left Philadelphia police officers with the mistaken belief that fearing for their lives alone is justification for using deadly force.
A federal assessment team says that's inconsistent with police policy and court ruling on police-involved shootings.
The team reviewed nearly 400 officer-involved shootings that killed 96 people in the city since 2007. The team offered 91 recommendations and says it'll issue reports on their implementation.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey requested an independent review after four straight days of police-involved shootings in May 2013. Three of those led to a suspect's death.
The assessment team found most suspects in Philadelphia's officer-involved shootings were armed. It found 81 percent of suspects and 34 percent of officers were black and 59 percent of officers were white.
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