The killings last year of unarmed black men by white police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, and in New York City touched off a national debate over police conduct that has continued with the recent deaths of black men at the hands of law enforcement in North Charleston, South Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here are some recent developments.
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DETROIT-AREA OFFICER CHARGED IN VIDEOTAPED BEATING
A prosecutor filed charges Monday against a police officer who pulled a man from his car during a Detroit-area traffic stop and beat him.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said public confidence in law enforcement is "eroded" when officers abuse citizens.
Inkster officer William Melendez, who was recently fired, is charged with mistreatment of a prisoner and assault. Melendez has said "there are always two sides to every story."
Floyd Dent, 57, was bloodied by repeated punches to the head during the January traffic stop, which came to light in March when a TV station obtained the police dashcam video.
Meanwhile, no charges will be filed in a separate videotaped incident involving officers from Grosse Pointe Park and Highland Park. Carjacking suspect Andrew Jackson was kicked and punched while on the ground during an arrest in Detroit.
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TULSA SHERIFF: VOLUNTEER DEPUTY'S TRAINING RECORD NOT FALSIFIED
Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz said Monday he doesn't believe training records for a volunteer deputy were falsified.
Insurance executive Robert Bates, 73, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Eric Harris, who was shot April 2 after running from officers during a sting investigation. Bates mistook his handgun for a stun gun.
Glanz also said action will be taken against two deputies at the scene, including one caught on video cursing at Harris as he lay dying. The sheriff didn't specify what that action may entail.
Glanz said he's known Bates for about 25 years. He added the FBI had determined Bates didn't violate Harris' civil rights.
Harris' family has questioned whether Bates was adequately trained. The Tulsa World newspaper, citing unnamed sources, has reported some of Bates' supervisors were told to certify him after he failed to meet some qualifications. Bates has disputed those reports.
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ACTIVISTS SEEK ANSWERS, ACCOUNTABILITY IN BALTIMORE
About 50 people gathered outside Baltimore City Hall on Monday to protest police actions in the case of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man who died Sunday, one week after he was rushed to the hospital with spinal injuries following an encounter with four officers.
Gray was stopped April 12 by officers on bike patrol. Police have said Gray tried to run away, but was arrested and placed in a transport van. About 30 minutes later, Gray was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, according to police. Civilian video showed Gray being loaded into the van, but not the entire encounter.
Baltimore's activist community has called for increased transparency and accountability of the police department, which last year volunteered for a U.S. Justice Department review of its policies and procedures.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and police officials promised accountability and transparency on Sunday, as well as "real answers" to such questions as how Gray was injured and whether proper procedures were followed.
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