A West Virginia police chief responsible for the hiring of a former Cleveland officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 has stepped down.

A former Cleveland officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 has resigned from a police force in West Virginia.

A Michigan police officer has been charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head as the Black man was on the ground.

Before Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and other Black people died at the hands of white police officers or self-appointed vigilantes, there was Martin Lee Anderson.

Trayvon Martin was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida, when the 17-year-old Black teen was fatally shot Feb. 26, 2012, during a confrontation with George Zimmerman.

The Justice Department says it will not reopen the federal investigation into the 2014 death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot to death by Cleveland police.

A suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for a Taser was led away in handcuffs Thursday after a jury found her guilty of manslaughter in the death of Black motorist Daunte Wright.

The Justice Department is sending a strong signal about its priorities these days.

The fatal shooting of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant as she swung a knife toward another girl has raised questions about why the Ohio officer chose to fire his weapon.

Calls have grown for federal investigations into police killings across the nation since President Joe Biden took office and said he believes racial disparities in policing must change.

The family of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot by Cleveland police in 2014, is asking the Justice Department to reopen the case into his death after it was closed near the end of the Trump administration.

Some such lawsuits end up in court where a jury can award massive settlements that are whittled down on appeal. Taylor was shot to death by officers acting on a no-knock warrant. McDonald’s family sued for $16 million — a million for every bullet — but settled for $5 million. AdGray’s family agreed to a $6.4 million settlement with the city in September 2015. Castile’s mother reached a $3 million settlement and his girlfriend was paid $800,000 by the city of St. Anthony and others.

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2020, file photo, Joe Prude, right, brother of Daniel Prude, and Daniel's nephew Armin, stand with a picture of Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y. Prude said Wednesday that videos recorded by Rochester Police officers' body cameras after they caught up with Daniel Prude, naked on a frigid night last March, are irrefutable proof of a crime. The officers’ attorneys said Daniel Prude’s use of PCP, which caused irrational behavior, was “the root cause” of his death. AdThe attorney general also called for communities to minimize or eliminate police responses to mental health calls. Nathaniel McFarland, one of Daniel Prude's five children, said he was not surprised that the officers weren't charged.

The case has spurred outrage as the latest example of law enforcement mistreatment of Black people, and one that shows even Black children are not exempt. Research shows Black children are often viewed as being older than they are, and are more likely to be seen as threatening or dangerous. Advocates have long said that leads to police treating them in ways they wouldn’t dream of treating white children. A study published in the journal Pediatrics in late 2020 found Black children and teenagers were six times as likely to die from police gunfire as white children. New York isn't the only place where police treatment of Black children has been a flashpoint.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The life of Andre Hill was commemorated Tuesday morning as family and lawmakers called for justice to be brought against the white Columbus police officer who fatally shot the 47-year-old days before Christmas. Dozens gathered at the First Church of God in the city’s southwest side — clad in their Sunday best and Black Lives Matter masks — to honor Hill’s life. Sharpton saluted Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and other city officials for ordering the firing of Coy less than a week after he shot Hill. Scarcely three weeks later, Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy can be seen in bodycam footage fatally shooting Hill early Dec. 22 as Hill emerged from a garage holding a cellphone in his left hand with his right hand obscured. Hill's daughter, Karissa Hill, broke down in tears while speaking about her father on stage.

To bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officer’s actions willfully broke the law and are not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. Neither of two witnesses who either saw part of the encounter or reported hearing gunshots said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department. In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann “repeatedly and consistently stated” that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said. Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir “multiple commands to show his hands before shooting” and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon.

To bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officer’s actions willfully broke the law and are not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. Neither of two witnesses who either saw part of the encounter or reported hearing gunshots said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department. In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann “repeatedly and consistently stated” that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said. Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir “multiple commands to show his hands before shooting” and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon.

The NBA painted “Black Lives Matter” on the courts inside their Orlando, Florida, “bubble" and social justice messages were emblazoned on the backs of jerseys. Paul met with NBA players, and they decided awareness wasn’t enough anymore. “Black Lives Matter” also was featured prominently on the league’s courts. Wallace, the only full-time Black driver at the NASCAR national level, first began speaking out against racial injustice in America in the spring. His car featured a “Black Lives Matter” paint scheme.

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2020, file photo, Naomi Osaka, of Japan, holds up the championship trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. Osaka has been selected by The Associated Press as the Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)With tennis, like so much of the world, shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Naomi Osaka found herself with time to read and think. LeBron James was announced Saturday as the AP Male Athlete of the Year. I cannot be more excited.”___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Protesters hold signs spelling the name of Casey Goodson Jr., a Black man fatally shot Dec. 4 by a white Ohio sheriff's deputy, on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. Marshal Peter Tobin said he made statements based on “insufficient information” he received before the beginning of an official investigation into the Dec. 4 killing of Casey Goodson J r. by a Franklin County Sheriff's deputy. Messages were left for Meade's attorney and for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. Hundreds walked from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office south of downtown to the Statehouse and a few blocks north Friday night. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office does not provide officers with body cameras, and the deputy’s SWAT vehicle did not have a dash-mounted camera.

HOUSTON – A traveling memorial honoring more than 200 Black Americans from Martin Luther King Jr. to George Floyd arrived in Houston on Monday. Houston rapper, activist and philanthropist Trae The Truth led the effort to bring the “Say Their Names” exhibit to his hometown, which was set up and unveiled Monday evening at Emancipation Park. “What we’re doing with things like this, we’ll be able to spark a whole new wave of helping people understand why we say their names across the world,” Trae The Truth said. The exhibition began in Portland, Oregon, on Juneteenth 2020, established by the group “Say Their Names Memorial.” The exhibit has traveled to 25 cities so far, most recently in Dallas. The memorial will be open from Tuesday through October 13, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.For more information, go to www.saytheirnamesmemorials.com.

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during the women's singles final against Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in New York. Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday, Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit. By the end, Osaka pulled away to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall. But Osaka regained control, breaking to start a match-ending run of three games, covering her face when the final was over. Osaka and her coach have said they think the off-court activism has helped her energy and mindset in matches.

Exactly one month ago, George Floyd spoke his final words I can't breathe and changed the course of history, Pelosi said. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is perhaps the most ambitious set of proposed changes to police procedures and accountability in decades. After the GOP policing bill stalled this week, blocked by Democrats, Trump shrugged. The two parties are instead appealing to voters ahead of the fall election, which will determine control of the House, Senate and White House. Senate Democrats believe Senate Republicans will face mounting public pressure to open negotiations and act.

In this June 1, 2020, photo, people gather near the Cup Foods grocery store where George Floyd died in Minneapolis. And for George Floyd, it was an accusation he used a fake $20 bill at a grocery store. The Movement for Black Lives is behind a push for local communities to defund police departments nationwide, and reinvest in struggling black communities to address economic inequality and disparities in education and health care. That is a big piece that I think we need to focus on.Last week, Floyds family forwarded their pleas for racial justice to the United Nations. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer and former president of the Minneapolis NAACP, said the demand that black lives are valued like white lives must begin at the community level.

Or a beloved Catholic peace activist who was the victim of police brutality in Buffalo, New York? In the video, an officer is seen shoving Gugino, who falls to the sidewalk, hitting his head. Martin has a passion for social justice, said Mark Colville, who runs Amistad Catholic Worker in New Haven, Connecticut, and has known Gugino for years. After the 2014 killing of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African American boy who was shot by a police officer, Gugino traveled to Cleveland to meet with Rices parents. He is also active with the Western New York Peace Center and PUSH Buffalo, a coalition working on affordable housing.

Ava DuVernay has sifted through hours of horrific footage while making films which highlight racial inequality. In Mondays episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, DuVernay, who is behind such films as 13th, Selma and When They See Us, shared why Floyds death brought me to my knees and what shes now doing to further help fight racial injustice. So, it was really shocking to me why the George Floyd video just brought me to my knees." See more on DuVernay and other celebrities and filmmakers supporting the Black Lives Matter movement below. RELATED CONTENT:Jennifer Lopez, YG, Madonna & More Protest George Floyd's DeathJennifer Aniston Donates Nearly $1 Million to Racial Justice CharitiesBeyonc Hopes for 'Real Change' In Moving Commencement Speech

FILE - In this March 5, 2019 file photo Ohio House minority leader Emilia Sykes delivers the Democrat's response to the Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's Ohio State of the State address at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. As of August 2018, at least 16 states had passed use-of-force laws, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures. Other laws created task forces to set new standards, boosted training or improved tracking of officers' use of guns and deadly force. Police unions have often resisted attempts to restrict officers' use of deadly force and are politically potent in most states. In 2015, the board adopted statewide standards limiting use of deadly force by police officers to defending themselves or others from serious injury or death.