Facts about police violence in Texas

We've heard a lot from Texas Republican lawmakers about "protest violence" over the last few days. Well here are the facts about police violence in our state. 

• Texas has the second-highest total number of killings by police officers in the U.S., and the third-highest number of killings of Black people. (Jan. 2013- Dec. 2019)

• Of Texas cities, Austin, Arlington, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Garland had the highest rate of police killings per population, followed closely by Laredo, Dallas, and Houston. (Jan. 2013- Dec. 2019)

• Last year, 108 people were shot and killed by police in Texas. This number does not include other instances of police violence. (2019)

• The number of fatal shootings in Texas by a police officer in the line of duty continues to climb every year with 69 people in 2017, 85 people in 2018, and 108 people in 2019.

• In a comparison of 11 similar-sized cities across the U.S., “Fort Worth had the second-highest fatal police shooting rate per 100,000 people in 2019, and the third-highest such rate in 2018”

• Just this weekend, Austin police critically injured a black man during protests against police violence. Video also shows officers shooting at the people trying to get medical attention for the protester. (2020)

• Houston police have shot and killed six men since April 21, 2020.  Five of the people killed were black or Hispanic, and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo has still not released video from these incidents. (2020)

Black & Brown Texans who died at the hands of police in 2019 & 2020:

This list includes names we could find based on publicly available data, and is non-comprehensive. 

2020: Randy Roszell Lewis, Rayshard Scales, Adrian Medearis, Alfredo Delarosa, Nicolas Chavez, Michael Ramos, Nicholas Chavin, Jasman Washington, Dewayne Curtis Lafond, Maurico Hernandez, Carlos Delgado, Lebarron Ballard, Juanito Ovalle, Dung Nguyen, Jesus Bonito Garcia, Richard Rodriguez, Aaron Marcos Valdez, Darius Tarver, Drew Nichols Wallas-Flores.

2019: Treshun Symone Miller, Schaston Theodore Lamarr Hodge, Rodney Lassister, Patricia Spivey, Pamela Shantay Turner, Nicholas Walker, Michael Lorenzo Dean, Marcus McVae, Makeyvion Devonte Cannon, LeEdwards "Pete" Hopkins, Lawrence Thompson III, JaQuavion Slaton, James Scott Reed, Jamal Muhammad, Eric DeWayne Curtis, Detravian Allison, Derrick Edmond, Demetrius Williams, Daniel E. King, Brandon Bell, Atatiana Jefferson, Aric Rashaad Moody, Anthony Lonnie White, Amari Malone, Tomas Hernandez, Samuel Garcia, Raul Casas Campos, Paul Cantu, Mark Anthony Galvan, Mario Alberto Torres, Macario Hernandez, Luis Fino Nabarrette, Louis Jose Burrus, Leonardo Gallegos, Juan Moreno Jr., Juan Carlos Chapa, Jose Luiz "Cheeze" Orona, Jose Baca-Olivares, Jorge Albert Merino, Jeremy Ponce, Jason Xavier Salas, Jason Paul De La Rosa, Isaac Ray Ruiz, Gerardo Martinez Ramirez, Felipe Martinez, Emilio Mojica, Eduardo Munoz, Daniel Moncada, Christopher Michael Alderete, Christine Soto Venegas, Carlvon Mayo, Carlos Manuel Dodero, Augustine Gutierrez, Nil Hoeur.