From award-winning journalist Jamie Thompson, Standoff offers a nuanced look at race and policing in America. On the evening of July 7, 2016, protesters gathered across the nation after police shot two black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. As officers patrolled a march in Dallas, a man carrying a rifle killed five officers and wounded eleven others. A small group of cops cornered the shooter, where a fierce gun battle was followed by a stalemate. Crisis negotiator Larry Gordon bonded with the gunman while his colleagues devised an unprecedented plan to bring the night to its dramatic end. Policing in America is biased against people of color. Black Americans in particular are much more likely to experience violence at the hands of police officers than white Americans. The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have renewed the call to improve policing practices in the U.S. In order to create a police system that works to protect all Americans, we must understand factors that lead to police violence against people of color. Here are eight books to help you understand the relationship between racism, racial bias, and policing in America. Note: This list reflects the dearth of nonfiction books about race and policing by authors who are not cis men.
