Today’s New York Times reports that seven African-American men have been shot and killed by Miami police officers over an eight month period. One officer, who has since been discharged for unrelated misconduct, was responsible for two of the shooting incidents over a span of just days.

Each shooting should be scrutinized on its own merits. The circumstances of each incident matters. However, one question concerns the aggressive culture often found in police “tactical” units, which too often enagage in a reckless style of police work. Since 2009, the Times reports, more than 100 officers have been added to Miami’s tactical units. Another question is whether the Miami police department should be the agency investigating these cases. An impartial investigation into these shootings needs to be conducted.

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