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Statistics show few officer-involved shootings result in charges

These numbers and the stories behind the killings are reasons why you see people marching in the streets chanting, holding signs and demanding justice.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Right now we are seeing thousands of people across the U.S. march for justice and against police brutality. Many people have been taking a stand for this for years.

Jordan Edwards, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Atatiana Jefferson, Alton Sterling and Breonna Taylor have all lost their lives as a result of police brutality. Some of these names you’ve heard before, others maybe not. 

These are just six people out of thousands killed by police within the last six years. 

Officer-involved shootings happen so often that different groups like the NAACP and Statista Research Department started to track the numbers.

Police departments were not required to report officer-involved killings until 2016 so numbers may vary.

Since 2005, about 100 non-federal police officers have been arrested in connection with fatal shootings while on the job. About 40 of these officers have been convicted of a crime. 

The number of them convicted of murder is only five.

These numbers and the stories behind the killings are reasons why you see people marching in the streets chanting, holding signs and demanding justice.

We have been seeing these demands for justice across the country including right here in Louisville in the Breonna Taylor case. 

For the Black community, it hits a little harder. Black people are more than three times more likely to be killed by police than white people.

Community activist and local Pastor Timothy Findlay, Jr. says something has to change.

“We constantly deal with the fact that our communities are under attack, are terrorized," said Findlay Jr. "This is the same conversation that we continue to have year in, year out as they look at social media and they see video clips of unarmed black men and women. That's the injustice of all of this is that we have to continue to relive these traumatic experiences because we have yet to see justice.”

Protesters here have been marching in honor of Breonna Taylor for more than 100 days. 

Contact reporter Kristin Pierce at kpierce@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook 

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