Justice Department cites poor training for Philadelphia cops' justification for deadly force
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
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.