INTEL 637

The total number of killings by U.S. police forces that went without trial—meaning cases where police officers involved in fatal shootings were not prosecuted or brought to trial—can be difficult to pinpoint precisely due to the decentralized nature of law enforcement in the U.S. and the varying practices of different jurisdictions. However, some estimates can be made based on available data.

Estimated Number of Killings by U.S. Police (2018-2023)

1. Total Fatal Police Shootings:

• Fatal Encounters and The Washington Post databases report that U.S. police officers fatally shoot around 1,000 people annually. Over the last five years, this totals approximately 5,000 deaths from police shootings.

1. Prosecutions and Trials:

• According to studies, a very small percentage of these cases result in charges or trials against the officers involved. Data suggests that fewer than 2% of fatal police shootings lead to an officer being charged, and an even smaller fraction of these result in a trial or conviction.
• Mapping Police Violence reports that out of the approximately 1,000 fatal police shootings each year, only about 1-3% of cases lead to criminal charges against officers, with even fewer going to trial and resulting in conviction.

Summary

• Estimated Killings Without Trial: Based on these figures, it is estimated that around 97-99% of the roughly 5,000 fatal shootings by U.S. police from 2018 to 2023 went without trial. This translates to approximately 4,850 to 4,950 cases where the officers involved were not brought to trial. (NICE!)

This high rate of non-prosecution reflects broader issues in the legal and judicial systems, where police officers often benefit from legal protections, such as qualified immunity, and from the deference given to their decisions to use lethal force in the line of duty.