WSU Spokane Research Gaining Worldwide Attention

Lois James is a Research Assistant Professor in our Sleep and Performance Research Center. The Center and our Criminal Justice program have worked with the Spokane Police Department on a number of studies and trainings.

James conducted research last year that showed racial disparities in police confrontations. Her research showed that participants in the study hesitated longer to shoot when confronted with black suspects compared to white and hispanic suspects.

This research was timely, since the nation is currently in an ongoing debate regarding police shootings in the wake of the deadly shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

As one might expect, this research has received considerable attention from around the world. Here’s a rundown of some of the coverage James’ research has garnered so far:

WSU study finds local officers slower to fire at black suspects [The Spokesman-Review]

Are Police Bigoted? [New York Times]

Preparing police for confrontation [Anderson Cooper 360]

Cops Under Fire [CNN]

Cops are MORE hesitant to shoot armed black suspects than whites, study finds [Daily Mail]

Study Claims Cops Are More Willing to Shoot White People Than Black People [Vice News]

The real racial bias: Cops more willing to shoot whites than blacks, research finds [Washington Times]

Cops More Likely To Kill Unarmed Whites Than Unarmed Blacks [Before it’s News]

Crime up after Ferguson and more police needed, top St. Louis area chiefs say [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

Study: People Faster to Shoot White Suspects Than Black Suspects [Reason.com]

Cops hesitate more, err less when shooting black suspects, study finds [PoliceOne.com]

Holder announces federal probe into death of Eric Garner, but to what end? [Examiner]