ABSTRACT
That the police have historically controlled the narrative reporting of incidents in which they become involved, particularly use of force and deadly force incidents, had been a fait accompli for law enforcement until the early 1990s, when police saw their recitations of events involving the use of force begin to be challenged. The Department of Justice has entered into consent decrees with dozens of police departments nationwide since that time, after federal investigations determined that “pattern-or-practice” violations of the Constitution, and civil rights and civil liberties protections of individuals and groups were occurring. The current administration in Washington D.C. has publicly disavowed these agreements and the accompanying federal oversight of local law enforcement.
