ABSTRACT
This chapter contributes to the limited amount of research on the role of news media in the construction of police deviance in relation to new media materials and provides some insight into how institutions and claims makers respond to citizen-generated materials that document death as a result of police action. It focuses on the news media coverage of the death of Eric Garner. Police deviance encompasses a variety of behaviours. The most common behaviours include sleeping on duty and police brutality. Police deviance is a unique social problem, with numerous stakeholders including citizens, police agencies, oversight boards, and politicians. Social media materials have been shown to influence the public interpretation of police's use of force and have influenced the decision of police to use force. Materials discrediting of police on social media can include statements, images, and videos of on-duty and off-duty behaviours.
