In recently published research, USC Political Science PhD candidate Edward Lawson, Jr, finds an association between the militarization of US police and the number of civilians police kill.  The new article contributes to the on-going public discussion and debate between elected officials, law enforcement representatives, and activists about the effects of militarization, which Mr. Lawson measures as use of the ‘1033’ military surplus program.  This program allows police departments to obtain military equipment from the Department of Defense, and became highly controversial after the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, MO.

Mr. Lawson was also invited to summarize his findings for the London School of Economics’ US Politics and Policy blog, and he was interviewed for a story about the article by NowThis News.