Criminal Justice
Order Description
You are the chief of police in the city of Felonious, Illinois. Your city has about 100,000 residents. Founded and inhabited by Black Americans in 1883, the In the past ten years, Blacks have migrated away from Felonious and were replaced by Native Americans who now comprise 70% of the population in Felonious. The remaining residents are 15% Black and 5% various races.
Your department has 200 officers, all of whom are members of the FOP. The racial makeup of your department is 95% Black, 3% White, 1% Native American and 1% Oriental.
With the great migration occurring in Felonious, there is little identification between the police and the residents. In fact, tensions have become pretty high, with the Native Americans claiming that your officers single them out for harassment and mis-treatment, a charge you vehemently deny
Over the past five years, crime has risen in your city at an alarming rate. While crime nation wide has been on the decrease, your crime rate rises about 23% each year, with violent crime up 44% this year alone.
To combat the rise in crime, you have adapted the “Broken Windows” theory of crime reduction. This has caused much resentment from the community. Assaults against your officers have gone up at an alarming rate of 250% this year. Additionally, your officers have been involved in six shootings this year with Native Americans, which resulted in three of them being wounded and four killed by your officers.
Last Friday night, one of your officers, Lucy Looser who is a petite, 4’11” tall, yet effective six-year veteran officer encountered three teenaged members of the community, Knowno Troof, Ripu Orf and Uzse Less who were spray painting the wall of a grammar school. Officer Looser yelled to them to stop. After an encounter, Use Less ended up shot dead with multiple gunshot wounds, and Officer Looser ended up in the hospital with a fractured nose. The events leading up to the encounter have two entirely different versions, depending on whom you ask.
Knowno Troof and Ripu Orf both say that they were just standing there in the school yard with their friend Uzse, they weren’t spray painting, when they saw a marked squad car approach. Troof then said he was walking with Less when the officer confronted them and drew her weapon.
“She (the officer) shot again and once my friend felt that shot, he turned around and put his hands in the air,” said Knowno Troof, a friend of Uzse Less. “He started to get down and the officer still approached with her weapon drawn and fired several more shots.”
Ripu Orf told News 4 that Less was shot once by the officer and then an additional nine times as he lie in the street. Police have not confirmed that account.
“It was around 1:40, two o’clock. We were walking through the schoolyard next to the empty street. We were just walking down, minding our business. We’re both headed home, and the officer’s approaching us, and as she pulled up on the side of us, she didn’t say ‘freeze,’ ‘halt,’ or nothing like we were committing a crime. She said, ‘Get the f*** on the sidewalk!’ I told the officer we were not but a minute away from the destination.”
“Less never once attempted to grab for this officer’s weapon.”
“The first car I see, I ducked behind for cover because I feared for my life. I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t understand why this officer is shooting his weapon at us.”
“My friend stopped running, his hands went immediately in the air and he turned around towards the officer, face-to-face. He started to tell the officer he was unarmed and that you should stop shooting me. Before he can get his second sentence out, the officer fired several more shots into his head and chest areas.”
“It was definitely like being shot like an animal. It was almost putting someone execution.”
“He was a good kid. He didn’t live around here,” said Neverwatch Harris, grandmother of the victim. “He came to visit me and they did that to him for no reason.”
The Officer gave quite a different version of events:
The altercation on August 9 began after Police Officer Lucy Looser rolled down her window to tell Less and a friend to stop spray painting the school wall.
When Looser tried to get out of her cruiser, Less first tried to push the officer back into the car, then punched her in the face and grabbed for her gun before breaking free after the gun went off once.
Looser pursued Less and his friend, ordering them to freeze, according to the account. When they turned around, Less began taunting Looser, saying she would not arrest them, and then ran at the officer at full speed.
Looser then began shooting. The final shot was to Less’s forehead, and the teenager fell two or three feet in front of Looser, said the caller, who identified herself as the officer’s friend.
But other accounts of exactly what happened when Looser stopped Less vary widely.
Witnesses said they saw a scuffle between the officer and Less at the police car before the young man was shot. Several witnesses said Less raised his hands and was not attacking the officer.
Piggly Whiggly said she was sitting in her home when she witnessed the shooting. She captured video of the aftermath, including images of Less’s body lying in the middle of the street.
Whiggly said Less was running away from police and then turned around. She said that was when Less was shot.
Police provided a different narrative, saying Less struggled with the officer and reached for his weapon.
“So she goes in reverse back to them. She tries to get out of her car. They slam her door shut violently. I think she said Uzsle [Less] did. Then she opens her car again and tries to get out and as he stands up Uzsle just bum rushes him, and just shoves her back into her squad car, punches her in the face and then of course Lucy grabs for her gun and Uzsle grabs the gun. At one point she’s got the gun totally turned against her hip and then she shoves it away and the gun goes off.”
“The genesis of this was a physical confrontation,” Ragged County Police Chief Jon Stinkus said.
Looser tries to exit her vehicle but Less pushes her back into the car, according to the preliminary investigation, Stinkus said.
Less physically assaults the police officer and there is a struggle over the officer’s gun, Stinkus said.
A shot is fired inside the police car.
Police called for assistance from Ragged County and nearby municipalities as large, emotional crowds gathered at the scene. In all more than 100 officers from 15 departments responded to the area. Tactical teams in riot gear were also called to quell the riot. A section of West Florissant Avenue near the scene was closed for a time on Saturday evening.
Through Saturday afternoon and evening some among the crowds were yelling profanities at police demanding justice. At one point gunshots rang out in the area as investigators gathered evidence. That prompted numerous police canine units to move in and move the crowds back.
The Ragged County Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) says they have launched their own an investigation and plan to “get to the bottom of what has occurred and will work to ensure that justice is served for all victims involved.”
The BIA also released a statement saying: “We are hurt to hear that yet another teenaged boy has been slaughtered by law enforcement. “
“It could have been one of your kids,” Charles Staton, 35, yelled at police officers, the Dispatch Review, a local newspaper reported. “Protect and serve. They aren’t protecting.”
Television footage showed people standing on police cars, vandalizing vehicles and taunting officers clad in riot gear, the Dispatch reported. Some were seen looting a QuikTrip and a Wal-Mart, according to the Post-Dispatch. People also looted a check-cashing store, a boutique and a small grocery store, making off with goods, including bottles of alcohol. And at least one fire was reported.
WAKO-TV reported police called in 60 additional officers as well as officers from other jurisdictions to contain the crowd. Then, just after midnight, the station reported police were using tear gas to curb violence.
Thousands of people from all over the country have come to IL to support and sympathize with the Native Americans. Riots have broken out all over town. Many businesses are ablaze.
The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs is sending lawyers to calling it “an investigation into the murder of a child.” The federal officers are calling for the arrest and conviction of Looser, the complete overhaul of the police department making it have many more Native American Officers, and your firing. You do not want to loose your job
Tensions are very high right now. A quarter of your town is on fire from arson. You do not know how to stop the riot. The only physical evidence that you have is Less’s autopsy report. (ATTACHED)
What should you do? Why? How can you accomplish this?
6059 N. Hanley Road
Felonious Ill 63134
Ragged County
COUNTY
HEALTH
Office: 555-555-0800
Fax:555-555-0955
Office of the Medical Examiner
TTY:
LESS, UZSE 2014-5143
Exam Case
Post-Mortem Examination
External Examination: The body is clothed in a pair of yellow socks with black leafs, brown shorts with pockets, blue underwear, a gray short sleeved t-shirt (with defects), and a black cloth belt. The appearance of age is approximately as stated. The body weight is 289 pounds and the body length is 77 inches. The state of preservation is good in this unembalmed body. Rigor mortis is well developed. The body is heavier than ideal weight base upon height (BMI 34.2 kg/m2 . Lividity is difficult to access due to natural skin pigmentation. There is no peripheral edema present. Personal hygiene is good. No unusual odor is detected as the body is examined. There is no abnormal skin pigmentation present. There is no external lymphadenopathy present. The hair is black. This represents the apparent natural color. The hair is worn short to medium length. There is a goatee present on the face. The body hair is of normal male distribution. The pupil of the left eye is round, regular, equal and dilated. The scleral and conjunctival surfaces of the left eye are unremarkable. The right eye cannot be accessed due to an acute traumatic injury (gunshot wound). The iris of the left eye is brown. The teeth are in a fair state of repair. The gums are normal in appearance. The oral cavity is normal in appearance. There are no injuries of the tongue. The nose is symmetrical and bloody fluid is present within the air passages. The external ears are normal in appearance and without injury. The neck is symmetrical and without masses or unusual mobility. The male breasts are normal in appearance. The abdomen is slightly protuberant with the presence of stretch marks. Prior to the acute injury of the chest, the chest and back were symmetrical with normal conformation. Prior to the acute injuries of the right arm, the upper and lower extremities were symmetrical throughout. The hands are covered with brown paper bags. There is a scar present near the left chest that measures 0.2 em in greatest dimension. There is a scar present near the right upper abdomen that measures 0.5 em in greatest dimension. There is a scar present near the
elbow joint of the right arm that measures 1.0 em in greatest dimension. There is a scar present near the right thigh that measures 0.3 em in greatest dimension. There is a scar present near the right knee that measures 1.0 em in greatest dimension. There are scattered scars present near the left knee that range in size from 0.5- 1.0 em in greatest dimension. There are two scars present near the lower left leg that range in size from 0.2- 4.0 em in greatest dimension. There are tattoos present on the body: right shoulder (“Kelle”) right forearm (“Big Mike”) and left forearm (“Dre”). The acute gunshot injuries of the right arm , chest and head are described below. The injuries of the external body surfaces are described below.
Injuries: There is a gunshot entrance wound of the vertex of the scalp. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the central forehead. There is a gunshot exit wound of the right jaw. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the upper right chest. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the lateral right chest. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the upper ventral right arm. There is a gunshot exit wound of the upper dorsal right arm. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the dorsal right forearm. There is a gunshot exit wound of the medial ventral right forearm. There is a tangential (graze) gunshot wound of the right bicep. There is a tangential (graze) gunshot wound near the ventral surface of the right thumb. There is a gunshot related defect present near the right eyebrow that measures 4.0 x 2.0 em. There is a gunshot related defect present near the right eyelid that measures 3.0 x 1.0 em. There is an abrasion present near the right forehead that measures 7.0 em in greatest dimension. There is a dried abrasion present near the lateral right face that measures 3. 5 em in greatest dimension. There is an abrasion present near the upper right cheek that measures 3. 0 em in greatest dimension. There are scattered abrasions present near the lateral right surface of the lower lip that range in size from 0.1-0.2 em in greatest dimension. There is an abrasion present near the upper right chest that measures 2.5 em in greatest dimension. There is an area of abrasions present near the right hip that measures
1.0 x 0.2 em. There is a dried abrasion present near the left thumb that measures 0.2 em in greatest dimension. There is an abrasion present near the dorsal surface of the left wrist that measures 2.0 x 1.5 em. There is a focal area of discoloration present near the dorsal surface of the 5th left finger that measures 0.2 em in greatest dimension. There is a linear abrasion present near the ventral surface of the left forearm that measures 3.5 em in greatest dimension. There are scattered post mortem abrasions present on the hands.
Detailed Description of Specified Injuries:
# 1. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the vertex of the scalp. This wound is located 20.0 em above the level of the right external auditory meatus and near midline of the vertex of the head. The hole measures 10 mm x 8 mm. It is round with level edges. The edges focally show an abrasion ring measuring up to 1 mm in greatest dimension and is most prominent near the superior edge of the wound. No powder stipple is identified. No soot is identified. The wound track shows deeper hemorrhage. A bullet, seen on x-rays, is found within the soft tissue of the right face and is recovered and submitted as evidence. There is internal beveling of the defect in the parietal bone of the skull. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an entrance wound. The path of this shot is downward and rightward. The track of this bullet has been traced to pass via the scalp, soft tissue, parietal bone of the skull, right parietal lobe of the brain, right temporal lobe of the brain, right temporal bone of the skull to rest within the soft tissue of the lateral right face. Passage of the bullet through the head created fractures of the calvarial and basilar bones of the skull. Pneumocephalus is present (confirmed on post-mortem x-ray examination). Subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage is present on the convexities of the brain. There are small, punctate contusions present within the white matter of the brain near the path of the gunshot injury. The gunshot injury path, through the brain, is approximately 12 em in length.
# 2. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the central forehead. This wound is located 7.0 em above the level of the right external auditory meatus and 2.0 em right of the anterior midline of the head. The hole measures 15 mm x 10 mm. It is oval with slightly inverted edges. The edges show an abrasion ring
measuring up to 3 mm in greatest dimension and is most prominent near the superior edge of the wound. No powder stipple is identified. No soot is identified. The wound track shows deeper hemorrhage. X-rays show small bullet fragments associated with this wound however due to their small size they are not recovered as evidence. This wound pairs with the wound of the right jaw described immediately below which is an exit wound. The path of the shot is downward, slightly backward and rightward. The track of this bullet has been traced to pass via the skin, soft tissue, right eye, inferior right orbital bone, soft tissue of the face to exit the skin of the right jaw. Passage of the bullet through the head/face created fractures of the facial bones. There are irregular, gunshot related defects associated with the passage of the bullet through the head/face that are present near the right eyelid and right eyebrow. The dimensions of these gunshot related defects have already been described above.
# 3. There is a gunshot exit wound of the right jaw. This wound is located 5.5 em below the level of the right external auditory meatus 11.0 em right of the anterior midline of the head. The hole measures 15 mm x 9 mm. It is irregular with clean edges. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an exit wound. This wound pairs with the wound of the central forehead described immediately above which is an entrance wound.
# 4. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the upper right chest. This wound is located 16.0 em below the level of the right external auditory meatus and 9.0 em right of the anterior midline of the chest. The hole measures 15 mm x 10 mm. It is oval with level edges. Edges show an abrasion ring measuring up to 2 mm in greatest dimension and is most prominent near the superior/inferior borders of the wound. No powder stipple is identified. No soot is identified. The wound track shows deeper hemorrhage. A bullet, seen on x rays, is found within the soft tissue of the right chest and is recovered and submitted as evidence. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an entrance wound. The path of this shot is slightly downward and backward. The track of this bullet has been traced to pass via the skin, soft tissue, right clavicle, upper lobe of the right lung, to rest near the soft tissue of the posterior 3rd right intercostal space. The passage of the bullet through the upper lobe of the right lung created a 2 em defect.
# 5. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the lateral right chest. This wound is located 20.0 em below the level of the right external auditory meatus and 22.0 em right of the anterior midline of the chest. The hole measures 12 mm x 12 mm. It is round. The edges show an abrasion ring measuring up to 1 mm in greatest dimension and is most prominent near the lateral edges of the wound. No powder stipple is identified. No soot is identified. The wound track shows deeper hemorrhage. A bullet, seen on x-rays, is found within the soft tissue of the lateral right back and is recovered and submitted as evidence. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an entrance wound. The path of this shot is downward and backward. The track of this bullet has been traced to have passed via the skin, soft tissue, and 8th right rib to rest within the soft tissue of the lateral right back. The passage of the bullet near/through the gth right rib created a fracture of the same and subsequently created a boney defect that punctured the lower lobe of the right lung. The puncture wound within the lower lobe of the right lung measures 0.5 em in greatest dimension.
# 6. There is gunshot entrance wound of the upper ventral right arm. This wound is located 20.0 em below the level of the right shoulder and 1. 0 em right of the anterior midline of the upper right arm. The hole measures 10 mm x 10 mm. It is oval. The edges do not definitively show an abrasion ring. There is a focal area of contusion found around the wound edge that measures up to 1 mm in greatest dimension. No powder stipple is identified. No soot is identified. The wound track shows deeper hemorrhage. X-rays show no lead or bullet fragments associated with this wound. This wound pairs with the wound of the upper dorsal right arm described immediately below which is an exit wound. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an entrance wound. The path of this shot is slightly upward, backward and leftward. The track of this bullet has been traced to pass via the skin, soft tissue to exit the skin of the upper dorsal right arm.
# 7. There is gunshot exit wound of the upper dorsal right arm. This wound is located 19.0 em below the level of the right shoulder and 7.0 em left of the posterior midline of the right upper arm. The hole measures
18 mm x 10 mm. It is elongated with clean edges. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an exit wound. This wound pairs with the wound of the upper ventral right arm described immediately above which is an entrance wound.
# 8. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the dorsal right forearm. This wound is located 16.0 em below the level of the right elbow and 2. 0 em right of the posterior midline of the right forearm. The hole measures
11 mm x 10 mm. It is oval with slightly inverted edges. The edges show an abrasion ring measuring up to 1 mm in greatest dimension and is most prominent near the lateral edge of the wound. No soot is identified. No powder stipple is identified. The wound track show deeper hemorrhage. X-rays show small bullet fragments associated with this wound however due to their small size they are not recovered and submitted as evidence.
Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an entrance wound. This wound pairs with the wound of the medial ventral right forearm described immediately below which is an exit wound. The path of this shot is slightly upward, forward and leftward. The track of this bullet has been traced to have passed via the skin, soft tissue, right ulna, soft tissue, to exit the ventral medial right forearm. Passage of the bullet through the right ulna created a fracture of the same.
# 9. There is a gunshot exit wound of the medial ventral right forearm. This wound is located 15.0 em below the level of the right elbow and 5.0 em to the left of the anterior midline of the right forearm. The hole measures 20 mm x 20 mm. It is irregular with clean edges. There is slight extrusion of soft tissue from the wound edge. Evaluation of this wound indicates that it is an exit wound. This wound pairs with the wound of the dorsal right forearm described immediately above which is an entrance wound.
# 10. There is a tangential (graze) gunshot wound of the right bicep. This wound is located 6.0 em above the level of the right elbow and 2. 0 em left of the anterior midline of the upper right arm. The wound measures
3.0 x 1.0 em. It is oriented, approximately, in a 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock position. It is flat/shallow in depth and elongated in shape. The edges are dried and discolored. No powder stipple is identified. The exact directional path of the gunshot wound cannot be easily determined.
# 11. There is a tangential (graze) gunshot wound near the ventral surface of the right thumb. This wound is located 5.0 em below the level of the right wrist and 4.0 em right of the ventral midline of the right hand. The wound measures 5.0 x 2.0 em. It is oriented, approximately, in a 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock position. It is elongated with dried edges and associated with skin tags. The skin tags point towards the tip of the right thumb. The path of the track is upwards. No powder stipple is identified. There is a focal area of discoloration near the ventral surface of the base of the right thumb.
Body Cavities: The body is opened with the usual Y-shaped thoracoabdominal and bitemporal scalp incisions. The anterior thoracic musculature and subcutaneous region show hemorrhage to match the previously described gunshot wounds. The peritoneal cavity shows no abnormalities. The left pleural cavity is unremarkable. The right pleural cavity contains 400 ml of blood. The retroperitoneum is unremarkable. The pericardia!cavity is not remarkable.
Neck Organs: The soft tissue of the neck is free of hemorrhage. The hyoid bone is intact and is cartilaginous. The glottis, laryngeal and tracheal airways are patent and contain patchy areas of hemorrhage. The larynx is normal and the larynx is well cartilaginous. The thyroid gland is pale in appearance. The parathyroids are not identified.
Mediastinum: There is a residual amount of fatty thymic tissue present that is white tan and weighs 10 gm. The mediastinum is normal in appearance.
Heart: The heart weighs 400 gm. The left ventricular wall thickness measures 1.4 em and the right ventricular wall thickness measures 0.3 em. The surface of the heart is smooth, glistening and transparent. The wall is of normal consistency. There is a normal amount of subepicardial fat tissue present. The size and contours of the heart are normal. The endocardium, cardiac valves and chambers are not remarkable. The coronary arteries are thin-walled and of normal diameter throughout. The cut surface of the myocardium is a pale reddish brown color.
Vascular System: The aorta and arterial system are not remarkable. The systemic veins are normal in appearance.
Lungs: The acute injury of the right lung has already been described above. The lungs together weigh
600 gm. The lung surface is gray-brown and red. The lung tissue throughout is spongy and crepitant. The air passages are lined by smooth, pink mucosa and focally contain patchy areas of blood. The cut surfaces of the lungs show areas of intraparyenchymal hemorrhage present near the previously described areas of gunshot injury and rib fracture. The remaining areas of pulmonary parenchyma are unremarkable. The pulmonary artery and veins are free of emboli and thrombi.
Liver: The liver weighs 1250 gm. It is pale red-brown and of normal consistency. The cut surface of the liver is normal except for the pale color of the liver parenchyma.
Biliary Tract: The gallbladder and biliary tract are normal and free of stones. Pancreas: The pancreas is normal in consistency and in appearance.
Gastrointestinal Tract: The entire gastrointestinal tract is examined and found normal. The stomach contains scant gastric contents. There are focal areas of hyperemia present on the mucosal surface of the stomach.
Spleen: The spleen weighs 150 gm and is normal on the surface and cut section. Lymphatic System: The lymph nodes are normal in size and appearance.
Bone Marrow: The bone marrow is normal.
Adrenals: The adrenals are well supplied with lipoid material and are free of hemorrhage, inflammation, and primary and secondary neoplasm. The medullary portions are not remarkable.
Kidneys: The kidneys appear grossly of normal configuration and together weigh 300 gm. The cortex measures 0. 7 em in thickness. The renal capsules strip with ease to reveal a normally smooth surface. The surface is a pale reddish brown color. There is a small simple cyst within the medullary region of the left kidney that measures 1.0 em in greatest dimension. The cysts contain brownish colored fluid. The remaining areas of the kidney parenchyma show no abnormalities. The papilla and ureters are not remarkable.
Bladder: The bladder contains 40 ml of yellow urine. The wall is entirely normal.
Male Genital System: There is foreskin present near the head of the penis. The remaining male genitalia system is unremarkable.
Cranial Cavity: The acute gunshot injuries of the head have already been described above. The reflected scalp shows hemorrhage to match the previously described gunshot wounds. The gunshot related fractures of the calvarium and bones at the base of the skull have already been described above. The dura mater is normal in appearance except for the previously described gunshot. The weight of the unfixed brain is 1350 gm. The areas of subarachnoid hemorrhage and subdural hemorrhage present within the intracranial cavity have already been described above. Cut sections reveal that prior to the acute injury there were essentially normal structures throughout. The focal, punctate contusions present within the white matter have already been described above. The cerebrovasculature is free of atherosclerosis. The pituitary gland is grossly normal. The pineal gland is not identified.
Spinal Cord: The upper spinal cord as viewed from the cranial cavity is not remarkable.
Special Studies/Specimens Obtained: Urine, vitreous humor, chest blood, liver and brain are sent for toxicology. The previously described recovered bullets, blood stain card, fingernail clippings, fingernail scrapings, fingernail clippers, swabs of the hands, clothing and leafy green substance are submitted to the St. Louis County Police Department as evidence.
Comment: The histology examination will be issued as a supplemental report.
Tissue fragment: Sections of the tissue fragment from the exterior surface of the police officer’s motor vehicle are consistent with a fragment of skin overlying soft (connective) tissue. There are features of desiccation/drying artifact present within the soft tissue. There is a granular present. Focally lightly pigmented keratinocytes are present within the basal layer of the stratified squamous epithelium.
M.D. Assistant Medical Examiner