Race, Gender, and Police Violence in the Shadow of Controlling Images.

This article analyzes the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender in police violence during investigatory stops in New York City from 2007 to 2014, using Patricia Hill Collins’s theory of controlling images to interpret disparities. The study finds that Black men and women experience higher rates of police violence than their White counterparts, with Black men facing the greatest risk, including potentially fatal force, while gender differences largely diminish in cases of potentially fatal violence except that Black men are slightly more likely than Black women to have guns drawn on them. Additionally, individuals stopped in the company of a Black man face elevated risks of police violence across racial and gender groups, disproportionately affecting Black women due to social proximity. The findings highlight how culturally embedded stereotypes shape police perceptions and actions, reinforcing systemic racial and gendered inequalities in state violence.