Deadly Force audiobook

This is the wrenching story of Lawrence's family defending the gunning down of an innocent black man by two Boston cops in 1979, and wouldn't it be great to be able to say this sort of thing is history now, in the past? But as we all know, it's not. Will it ever be?Where to begin. I am rarely struck "keyless" in writing reviews but this book is so rich, so sad, such an indictment of America's dark soul, it left me in tears. But it is also autobiographical, not withstanding the tragic circumstances, about Lawrence's 'legal' family, the struggles of, the conflict between them, the sad truth about attorneys taking on cases strictly based on a desire to see moral justice, right a wrong, and maybe even move our country forward even a tiny bit, except there is no money in this. So why do it? That tension between his family, most of them attorneys, is ever present throughout the entire experience. It is also poignant and touching testimony to the family patriarch, his father. It is the "old man" who feels compelled to take on the case, against all odds, but even more courageous, to take on the crony cop culture of Boston during that time, many of those men, his friends. The "old man" is compelled by something higher, his own moral outrage about the killing of an innocent black man and the subsequent coverup by the very people that were supposed to protect him, us, citizens--the cops. It's been called "riveting" which it is. I could not put it down. For any aspiring criminal attorneys, it's recommended if for nothing else, to learn how the justice system works, or doesn't... There is a lot of legal detail but there had to be. This isn't a book where the author could "paraphrase", "summarize', "interpret" because Lawrence is presenting the case to US as readers. He tries the case in the book so you don't get generalizations and summaries--you get the actual depositions, the actual testimony, the actual lies. There is a certain amount of tedium in this because the process of trying these two murderers was and is TEDIOUS. Stick with it. Keep reading.I was reading this book when George Floyd was murdered. I was sitting on the edge of my bed reading, the T.V. on in the background, when I looked up from this book and saw Derek Chauvin having a casual conversation, hands in his pockets, as he was killing a black man, the black man pinned to the ground by Chauvin's knee. It was the same way I felt when Trayvon Martin was killed--inexplicable shock, disbelief, pain. I can't really describe that moment, looking at George Floyd, only "oh my God, not again" came out of my lips while tears burned my eyes. O'Donnell's book was written about the PAST. What is supposed to be the past. What's it going to take for real change?

Lawrence goes into a lot of "day in the life" detail in his narrative, which means you can read it for several purposes. The first is the personal tragedy that this story tells. Make sure your nerves are steady before you start this book. Secondly, is history. If you don't know Boston, and/or you don't know the 1970s, this book will connect many dots as to what that life was like. The third read is everything that Lawrence implied. He's careful in his wording, but makes you question why people acted like they did. And if you need a story in perseverance, several people in the handful of concurrent narratives had to go from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C to just keep on going with their lives. I am beyond glad that he wrote this book.For whatever reason, at one point I had thought Lawrence had written a sociology book, like a statistical compilation. This is definitely not a reference book on police brutality statistics. As sociology, it would have to be listed under qualitative data. I only mention this because I had spent many years mistaken as to this book's content.

So timely!I'm this time and circumstance, when the effect of policing on the lives of young black men has become a focus once again, this book described a case and trial from a few decades past. A lawyer makes a difference in the lives of a family of a young black man who was wrongfully killed in a botched police operation. It is a beautifully written book with a compelling truth. I highly recommend it to fans of Lawrence O'Donnell, to fans of the truth, for fans of justice, and for anyone who enjoys an uplifting read. The courtroom detail is mesmerizing.

DEADLY FORCE, though published in 1983, is at least as relevant today as it was thirty-eight years ago, perhaps more so, in light of all of the recent police killings of Black folks, so pervasive today.This is the story of a murder of an unarmed Black man in 1975, and the first of its kind civil rights action for wrongful death. To say more would give too much away, but I highly recommend this book. It is well written, detailed, and an education for the reader on so many levels.

I love watching The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, so recently I decided to buy copies of this book and his book about 1968.This book is about a police shooting of a black man that took place in Boston in 1975. One thing that gave me a little trouble with this book was keeping track of all the people involved and their roles.The incident includes many by now familiar aspects of police shootings: mistaken license plate number, planted gun, shooting starting within seconds of exiting the patrol car, tense levels of racial confrontation over busing in Boston, accusations of criminality of the victim, intimidation of the lawyer bringing the case (Lawrence O'Donnell's father, a former policeman), disparate stories by witnesses and police. I won't reveal the outcome of the trial so you won't be discouraged from reading it.The book is highly detailed about the case and has an index in case you get a little lost during the text. Two things I absolutely loved about this book were the dynamics and personalities of the O'Donnell family. I also loved the detail of the testimony in the courtroom.

I haven’t read something lately that has moved me the way this did. In the time we are living in it was such a relevant story to tell. But this is no story; this is a true account of a families pain and struggle to seek justice. Justice is not doled out in the land of the free and home of the brave as easily as people might think. This book took us through the grueling process of justice for a family more than deserving of it. Let us not sit on our hands, let us educate ourselves of the struggles in this country. People don’t like to talk about certain things, maybe they need to start reading about them. Here would be an excellent start.

It is frightening how familiar this story is to what is happening now between the black community and the police. However, the huge difference is that white communities allow murder so long as it's those people.

Enjoyed

I love O’Donnells writing style. This was a captivating and suspenseful quart room thriller, based on a very sad but true case of police brutality and murder.

One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. I’m a fan of his news show so listening to his voice was pleasant and riveting. Excellent.

I love Lawrence O'Donnell. The book was excellent, but a bit wordy

A fascinating true story of how Mr. O'Donnell's father prevented an innocent black man from death row. Great read!

Exceptionally detailed trial procedural. A fascinating 1983 study of an issue that is now getting the focus it should have always had: police shootings of black victims.

** spoiler alert ** How does an ex-Boston cop of Irish heritage wind up prosecuting two Boston cops in the late 80s for the murder of an innocent black man? Read this excellent book and find out. O'Donnell's father was the lawyer who brought the case against the then (and perhaps still) mostly Irish-American-populated Boston Police force, so the writer is well-equipped to give intimate details of how a family law firm took on the city of Boston's "not so finest" in one of their most egregious violations of a black man's civil rights. If you were heartened by the verdict in the George Floyd case, this is a book for you to delve into. There's much attention paid to the way a good, even great, lawyer can take on a larger defendant and, unlike in "A Civil Action," obtain some justice. Don't want to give away the ending, which is a real great moment of common sense triumphing over bland political platitudes.