Interactions with police can sometimes end tragically, particularly when those sworn to protect and serve fail to act responsibly. Even more troubling is when the individuals harmed haven't committed any crime.

While it's important to acknowledge that most police encounters, even violent ones, don't result in fatalities. This highlights the professionalism and effective training of many officers. 

The stories presented here expose the tragic consequences that occur when training and policies are disregarded. These examples illustrate outcomes that could have been prevented, shedding light on officers who, unfortunately, lack the training, temperament, or accountability required for such critical public service roles.

1. Macomb, MI (2024) 

SITUATION: One of two officer responding to a domestic incident and fearing for his life after a naked and intoxicated man with a baby in arms and holding a knife enters living room; fires a single shot, striking the child in the head, and the man in the neck. The shooting happened approximately 16 seconds after forced entry.

OUTCOME: Both man and child died at the scene. Though this was a clear hostage situation where the offers completely failed to de-escalate the situation prior to deploying deadly force, a special prosecutor said he found no basis to charge the officers involved. After a brief stent of paid leave, both returned to standard duty.

2. Habersham County, GA (2014)

SITUATION: During a pre-dawn SWAT raid based on a tip from an informant about an alleged $50 drug sale, a 19-month-old toddler was severely burned after police tossed a flash-bang grenade into the child’s play pin. Police conceded that the incendiary device landed on the child’s pillow next to his face. Despite full awareness of the child’s injuries, the police lied to the mother to justify denying her access to her child by reassuring her he was fine.

OUTCOME: No drugs were found, and no arrest were made. The child spent weeks in the hospital in a medically induced coma. A grand jury declined to indict the officers responsible.  

3. Farmington, NM (2023)

SITUATION: Two officers responding to a domestic situation at 11:30 PM, arrived at the wrong address, and shot the one of the homeowner 12 times within second of the grandfather opening the door and observing the man had a handgun. The man’s wife began firing from an interior doorway not knowing who had shot her husband. Though the police fired back, no one else was harmed.

OUTCOME: The husband was pronounced dead at the scene. The wife along with two children were handcuffed and questioned despite the police knowing they had arrived at the wrong address and the man’s actions were reasonable. All three officers remain employed by the city and no charges have been filed. 

4. Seattle, WA (2023)

SITUATION: An officer fatally strikes a 23-year-old student, throwing her more 100 feet, while driving 74-mph in a 25-mph zone while responding to an overdose call. Subsequently, the officer’s own body cam captures him laughing on the phone with a police guild official who can be heard saying the deceased woman’s life had “limited value” and the city should “just write a check.”  

OUTCOME: The officer was fined $5,000 for negligent driving. No charges were filed. The officer was eventually fired from the department in January 2025. The police guild official was also fired in July 2024 for his insensitive comments. 

We All Share the Financial Burden

According to a 2020 study by the Cato Institute, the costs of police misconduct settlements and judgments in the United States from 2010 to 2020 found that related payments amounted to over $3 billion (or in excess of $300 million per year). This figure includes settlements, judgments, and legal fees associated with lawsuits filed against municipal law enforcement agencies.

Beyond the financial costs, poor decisions by police inflict tremendous harm on individuals, families, and entire communities, leaving lasting negative effects. Ultimately, the cumulative impact of these incidents erodes trust in law enforcement within the community. Unless there is a dedicated effort to identify effective solutions to easily rid departments of unfit officers, such occurrences will persist; ruining more lives and further burdening taxpayers.