Organizational Failures: Fatal Interactions Between Unarmed Black Individuals and the Police

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

While any fatal interaction between police officers and citizens can be considered serious, the fatal interactions involving unarmed black individuals require explicit attention. In order to address the cause of these situations, this project examines police organizational failure. The considered literature explores bureaucracy, Black Lives Matter, the current issues with protest policing, Normal Accident Theory, and theories of administrative failure. After outlining each theoretical background, an investigation of four fatal interactions is included. The cases involving George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner were selected based on the fatal nature of the situation, existence of subsequent protests, and availability of documentation. Academic journals and mainstream news articles were used to collect information on the police organizational failures that occurred during each incident. Using a variety of sources helped to comprehensively understand each fatal interaction, protest, and police response. After analyzing each case, the results show multiple levels of police organizational failure. Both the existence of bureaucracy and the acceptance of normal accidents seem to negatively influence police interactions with unarmed black individuals and protestors. Each understanding gathered from the analysis is used to contextualize the issues and provide possible solutions.

Author

• Andrew Martone, Sam Houston State University