Police Violence in America, 1869–1920

Police violence is not a new phenomenon. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, police officers in America assaulted or killed many ordinary citizens, often during improper detainments or arrests where no threat existed or no crime had been committed. Based on hundreds of newspaper accounts from 1869 through 1920, this history provides a chronological listing of interactions between police and unarmed citizens in which the citizens—some of them minors—were assaulted or killed. Police who committed such acts often lied to protect themselves, assisted by fellow officers and encouraging the media to demonize the victims. The author provides information on the prosecution and punishment of officers where available.

Cultural historian Kerry Segrave is the author of dozens of books on such diverse topics as drive-in theaters, lie detectors, jukeboxes, smoking, shoplifting and ticket-scalping. He lives in British Columbia.

Kerry Segrave
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 26 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6483-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2448-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents
Preface 1
Introduction 3
One • 1869–1879 7
Two • 1880–1889 18
Three • 1890–1899 44
Four • 1900–1909 77
Five • 1910–1920 156
Chapter Notes 203
Bibliography 218
Index 233