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US admits must ‘do better’ on police practices

On the sidelines of the review, Martinez Sutton gave an emotional account of last month’s acquittal of the white Chicago police officer who in 2012 killed his 22-year-old sister, Rekia Boyd, who was black.

“My sister was innocent, so why isn’t anybody paying for her death?” he asked reporters.

The questions from the 117 country representatives who took part in Monday’s review “showed broad global concern that the US criminal justice system has deep flaws that need to be promptly addressed, particularly with regard to racial disparities,” said Alba Morales of Human Rights Watch.

Cadogan said the country was facing the problem, and was intent on holding abusive officers to account.

The half-day review in Geneva came after the US justice department on Friday launched a federal civil rights investigation into whether police in Baltimore have systematically discriminated against residents, following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in police custody last month.

Six police officers have been charged in connection with Gray’s arrest and death. One faces a second-degree murder charge.

“When federal, state, local or tribal officials wilfully use excessive force that violates the US Constitution or federal law, we have authority to prosecute them,” Cadogan said, pointing to criminal charges brought against more than 400 law enforcement officials over the past six years.

Sutton, whose sister was killed by a Chicago officer, said he was not convinced.

Authorities “say the guilty should be punished, but I want them to show us, instead of tell us,” he said.

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