After police shootings, officers are rarely prosecuted. But many are fired
A police officer shoots and kills a black man who probably never posed a threat. If prosecutors file charges, the cop goes on trial but is set free because a jury fails to reach a verdict or decides that the officer had reasonable - though mistaken - fear and was acting in self-defense.
That leaves the police department to decide whether to continue to employ the officer.
As more high-profile shooting investigations come to a close, a pattern has emerged: Departments are firing the officers or forcing their resignations. Even so, some officers win appeals or get policing jobs elsewhere.
The most recent example is the firing of Blane Salamoni, the white officer who shot Alton
