A year on from George Floyd: how laws allow police to use fatal force

Around the world, professional codes allow officers to use lethal force even when their lives and those of others are not under threat, new research finds

Police departments in major cities across the world give their officers legal impunity to use lethal force even when their lives are not in danger, according to new research commissioned by the Guardian.

The study by the University of Chicago and its research partners found that not one police department of the cities surveyed had policies that were consistent with human rights guidelines set forth by the UN when it comes to use-of-force policies.