More than 6,400 Latinos died in police confrontations or in police custody between 2000 and 2022. That’s according to La Raza Database Project, which seeks to uncover the true number of Latinos who have died in violent confrontations with police.
Still, the project’s researchers say that number is likely much higher. La Raza’s database shows Latinos are disproportionately affected by officials’ violence. Latinos are the second most likely demographic to be killed by law enforcement in the U.S. relative to their population.
Researchers said Latinos’ ethnicity is often misclassified or undefined in police reports and official documents following fatal encounters.
To address this, La Raza Database Project takes on the frequent improper demographic categorization of Latinos affected by police violence as “unknown,” “unidentified,” or even “white.” The project’s researchers said misclassification and incomplete data contribute to undercounting, and shed light on the systematic dehumanization of Latino victims of police violence.