An attempt to put a number on the frequency of fatal encounters between police and the public

After reading this disturbing story over on Free North Carolina, I was heartened to see someone start up a site dedicated to documenting the frequency and circumstances of fatal encounters between the police and the citizenry.  

The idea:

This website is intended to help create a database of all deaths through police interaction in the United States since Jan. 1, 2000. The bulk of it will be based on public information request, but a large piece–the part that will make it sustain after the structure is built–will use crowdsourcing to update the database.

This site will remain as impartial and data-driven as possible, directed by the theory that Americans should be able to answer some simple questions about the use of deadly force by police: How many people are killed in interactions with law enforcement in the United States of America? Are they increasing? What do those people look like? Can policies and training be modified to have fewer officer-involved shootings and improve outcomes and safety for both officers and citizens?

After watching this video, I think both the public and the police could benefit from more information and more reflection on the use of deadly force.