US House probes Justice Department's handling of police killings
A US congressional committee is probing a move by the administration of President Donald Trump to curtail the federal government's role in scrutinizing fatal shootings by police.
The US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Tuesday requested documents and updates on how the US Justice Department has addressed shootings and other cases of excessive police force since Trump took office in 2017.
The request was made through a letter to US Attorney General William Barr by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and other committee Democrats.
The lawmakers in the lower chamber of Congress gave Barr until June 5 to comply with their request.
The lawmakers cited statistics that show nearly 1,000 people were shot and killed by police in 2018 and that at least 265 others have met with the same fate this year.
The numbers include cases of unarmed shooting victims that have drawn international criticism.
"Despite continuing concerns from civil rights and community-based organizations, the department has sharply curtailed its statutory role in identifying and eradicating civil rights abuses by law enforcement," the lawmakers' letter said.
Among the documents sought by the Democratic lawmakers are memos written by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who implemented policies that critics say sharply curtailed the ability of Justice Department civil rights attorneys to curb police brutality.
There are nearly 18,000 police departments in the United States, which include college campus police, sheriff departments, local police, and federal agencies.
The fatal shooting of blacks by police has sparked massive protests across the US in recent years.
US police killed nearly 1,000 people in 2018, about three a day, according to a database by The Washington Post newspaper.
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