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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Dave McKenna

Policing

Five Years After Peyton Ham’s Killing, Lawsuit Against State Trooper Who Shot Him Lives On

Israel Daramola

Life's Rich Pageant

Let’s Catch Up On The Hilarious Afroman Defamation Trial

Dan Schindel

Interviews

Filmmaker Ian Bell On ‘WTO/99’ And The Legacy Of The Battle In Seattle

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

A screenshot of a graphic including a photo of Sam Nordquist, a Black transgender man with a moustache, wearing a backwards cap and staring at the camera. The top of the graphic says "Gone But Not Forgotten" with two doves on either side. And the rest of the image states: Sam Nordquist. Canandaigua, NY. Last seen: January 1, 2025. Age: 24

Politics

Who Gets To Determine A Hate Crime?

Patrick Redford

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 7: Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a home on January 7, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Climate

The Future Of Fire Cannot Look Like Its Present

Mounted police officers remove the riot gear from their police horse outside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN, site of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Defector Up All Night

They Defunded The Ponies

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

Michigan Wolverines players fly a flag prior to a brawl between players from both teams following a 13-10 Michigan win against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

College Football

Police Pepper Spray Players During Michigan-Ohio State Postgame Fight

Samer Kalaf

A Miami-Dade police officer grabs Tyreek Hill from behind during his detainment

Body Cam Footage Shows Miami-Dade Police Unnecessarily Escalating Tyreek Hill’s Traffic Stop

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Aaron Pierre's character in Rebel Ridge, surrounded by police

Arts And Culture

‘Rebel Ridge’ Is As Sharp As Revenge Thrillers Get

Tyreek Hill does a fake arrest celebration during the Dolphins' Week 1 game, hours after being detained by Miami-Dade police

Tyreek Hill Had A Hell Of A Day

Peyton Ham, a 16-year-old from Leonardtown, Md, stands next to his grandfather, Keith Raley, while doing tree clearing work. Two days after this photo was taken Ham was shot and killed by a Maryland State Police trooper.

Federal Appeals Court Questions Handling Of Case Against Cop Who Killed Peyton Ham

Counter protesters attack pro-Palestinian protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment set up on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as clashes erupt, in Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. Clashes broke out on May 1, 2024 around pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of California, Los Angeles, as universities around the United States struggle to contain similar protests on dozens of campuses. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP)

UCLA Chooses Violence Over Divestment

Dan Berger teaches at the University of Washington Bothell and writes about activism, Black Power, and the carceral state. His latest book is Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power Through One Family’s Journey.

Dan Berger

Capital

In The Fight For Justice, The Police Can Only Be On One Side

Giri Nathan

Report: Memphis Cops Dragged Their Feet On Investigating Ja Morant’s Altercations

Keanu Reeves as John Wick, holding a handgun, with the text "Check Out the JW Collection" and a "shop now" button

The Gunplay Of ‘John Wick’ Is A Bit Too Real For Comfort

ATLANTA, USA - JANUARY 21: Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an Atlanta police vehicle was set on fire during a "Stop cop city" protest in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on January 21, 2023. Multiple buildings were vandalized and an Atlanta police vehicle was set on fire as multiple arrests were made. (Photo by Benjamin Hendren/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Cop City Is A Step Toward Cop Nation

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Georgia Cops Attempt Futile Drug Bust On Delaware State Lax Team, Then Lie About It

This December 13, 2012 photo shows Maryland State Troopers in their vehicle during an event at the US Department of Transportation in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo by KAREN BLEIER / AFP) (Photo by KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

Witnesses To Killing Of Peyton Ham By Maryland Cop Come Forward, Call It Murder

42 Seconds After This Photo Was Taken, Police Shot Peyton Ham Dead

A Teen With A Toy Was Killed By Police, And Few Want To Talk About It

Lauren Theisen

NYPD officers patrol before the Queer Liberation March

It Is Unconscionable That The Gay Community Has Ostracized Me Simply Because I Was Born A Cop

Barry Petchesky

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 15: Chicago Police officers guard the front entrance the their headquarters building during a rally on April 15, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The rally is held in protest of the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago Police officer on March 29th. The video of the fatal shooting was released on Thursday to the general public by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability more than two weeks after the incident took place. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)

Journalismism

Police Say A Lot Of Things

Spot competes at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Showcases Cutting Edge In Artificial Intelligence

Science

Boston Dynamics: Robot Cop Dog Should Not Be Used To Intimidate

An image of football player Chad Wheeler as he is talking to reporters and standing in front of his locker.