George Floyd

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A man who lost an eye after being struck by a tear gas canister police in Indiana fired during a May protest over George Floyd's death is suing the city and a police officer. Twenty-one-year-old Balin Brake's federal lawsuit contends the injury "has permanently changed his life." He's seeking damages from the city of Fort Wayne and the unidentified officer who fired the canister. The Journal Gazette reports that Brake's right eye had to be surgically removed after it was struck by a tear gas canister during the May 30 protest.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards will prosecute 50 people but drop charges against 45 others who were arrested after protests in Fort Wayne in late May and mid-June. She also announced Monday that five cases of “unreasonable force” have been forwarded to the Fort Wayne Police Department internal affairs office for review. About 140 protesters were charged, mostly on misdemeanor charges such as disorderly conduct, after Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Fort Wayne on May 29-30 and June 14.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A grand jury has indicted two Indianapolis police officers on battery and other charges following an investigation into allegations that they used excessive force while arresting demonstrators at a protest in May over the death of George Floyd. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mear announced Wednesday that a grand jury indicted Johnathan Horlock and Nathanial Schauwecker. Horlock faces three counts of battery, official misconduct, perjury and obstruction. Schauwecker faces four counts of battery and two counts of official misconduct.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Protesters who were met with tear gas and other weapons by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department while demonstrating against police brutality sued the city Thursday to halt the use of the chemical agents and projectiles. The federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Indy10 Black Lives Matter and individual protesters by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana. It argues that the use of chemical agents and projectiles for crowd control violates the First Amendment.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A white suburban Detroit police chief has been suspended for 30 days without pay and will undergo diversity training after calling in social media posts for “body bags” for “vicious subhumans” protesting the death of George Floyd. Shelby Township trustees voted 5-2 on Tuesday night on the punishment for chief Robert J. Shelide. He had been on administrative leave the past two weeks while township officials investigated posts made on a now-deleted Twitter account.

Monday, June 15, 2020 at 9 PM

This is the first in a month-long series of Monday night specials focusing on racial justice on 88.1 WVPE.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The head of the Indiana Supreme Court is calling for action to improve implicit bias and racial disparity in court systems. Chief Justice Loretta Rush issued a statement earlier this month amid protests and demonstrations following George Floyd's death. In it, she says the "gravity of the events" require a response from the judicial branch.

Friday night the Democratic Caucus members of the South Bend Common Council issued a lengthy letter. The five page document included pointed remarks for the city's mayor, media and police. 

Systemic racism has a huge impact on the health of African-Americans in the U.S. It's literally a problem from cradle to grave, affecting everything from infant mortality to life expectancy. And now, COVID-19 is taking a disproportionate toll on the community. Here's a sampling of Side Effects  stories highlighting the health care divide — and potential solutions.

The House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on racial profiling and policing following the killing of George Floyd. The hearings follow congressional Democrats unveiling legislation that would amount to major reforms for the nation’s police departments.

NPR will bring live coverage of the funeral for George Floyd, 46, who was killed by police in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. The service will be held at The Fountain of Praise in Houston.

ESCANABA, Mich.  — A city council member in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has apologized for jokingly suggesting shooting demonstrators who commit violence or vandalism during a July 4th celebration.

Indiana State Police say an Elkhart man has been charged after injuring a Trooper during protests in Fort Wayne on May 30. 

(You can read the ISP release below.)

Protesters continue to march against police violence in cities across Indiana. Indianapolis and Fort Wayne’s protests over the weekend resulted in police confrontation and vandalism. South Bend’s protest went largely without police intervention. 

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would require police to be trained on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques to minimize the use of force. Thursday's vote came more than a week after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which has sparked nationwide protests. The legislation would also mandate, starting in 2022, that officers complete annual continuing education. Michigan is among six states without such a requirement, according to a 2017 report.

The South Bend Common Council released a statement Thursday in response to the killing of George Floyd who died after a white Minneapolis Police Officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is calling for changes to prevent police abuses following the killings of George Floyd and other black people. She said Wednesday she's backing continuing education for officers in Michigan and legislation that would require training on implicit bias and deescalation techniques. She also wants law enforcement agencies to implement policies so officers intervene if they see a colleague doing something inappropriate or illegal.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors are charging a Minneapolis police officer accused of pressing his knee against George Floyd's neck with second-degree murder, and for the first time are leveling charges against three other officers. Bystander video showing Floyd's May 25 death has sparked violent protests nationwide and around the world. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was fired May 26 and initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers were also fired but weren't immediately charged.

Black Lives Matter protests continued in Indianapolis for the fifth night Tuesday and ended peacefully without police confrontation, despite many protesters marching well past a 9 p.m. curfew.

From mid-afternoon until about 10 p.m., two peaceful demonstrations started at Monument Circle and wound around downtown. Protesters and police encountered each other on the steps of the Statehouse, but there was no violence on either side. As protesters continued to march past the curfew, police waited at intersections, but purposefully did not block or arrest protesters.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — To those who knew former Indiana University football player Chris Beaty, it was no surprise that he would participate in a protest over the death of George Floyd. That a man they saw as a “gentle giant” who brought positivity everywhere he went would turn up dead in an alley after a peaceful demonstration turned violent was unfathomable. Michael Cranfill, a restaurant and craft beer taproom owner, says Beaty was someone ”who would take every opportunity he could to bring people together.” Beaty's body was found Saturday night not far from his apartment.

The University of Notre Dame has announced that Monday night an event was held in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

(Below is information from the university's press release.) 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Police in Terre Haute arrested eight people overnight amid a protest in the western Indiana city over the death of George Floyd and police treatment of African Americans. The Tribune-Star reports an 18-year-old man faces a charge of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury after he allegedly threw a water bottle that struck a woman during the Monday evening protest. Seven others were arrested on charges of obstruction of traffic. In Indianapolis, police walked with a crowd of protesters that had marched to the Indiana governor's residence on the north side.

South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski issued a lengthy public statement on the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests. Multiple protest events occurred in South Bend over the weekend. They all remained peaceful. 

Gov. Eric Holcomb says he’ll continue to work on his “to-do list” for addressing systemic racism and injustice in Indiana.

Holcomb Monday spoke about this past weekend’s protests over racial injustice and police brutality, particularly against black Americans.

He did not directly address the latter issue – he only praised what he calls “restraint” shown by law enforcement. There were multiple reports of police in Indiana using tear gas on peaceful protesters, before demonstrations became violent.

UPDATE: