After a nearly two-week preliminary hearing, Judge Neil Candelaria said there was probable cause for a murder case to proceed against Officer Dominique Perez and former Detective Keith Sandy.

The charges were filed against the two officers in the killing of 38-year-old James Boyd, who, authorities say, had schizophrenia. He was shot March 16, 2014, during a confrontation in which police accused him of camping illegally.

Video of the shooting shows Boyd appearing to surrender before Perez and Sandy open fire. Defense lawyers say Boyd threatened officers with two knives.

Seven police officers around the country have faced murder charges for on-duty incidents since 2010. One was convicted of manslaughter and assault after a second-degree murder count was dropped. The rest are still in court proceedings.

Boyd’s death prompted protests against the Albuquerque Police Department, which a federal probe determined had a history of using excessive force against civilians. The city’s justice system is undergoing an overhaul and is subject to federal monitoring.

Violence against homeless Americans has been on the rise, reports have shown.

The criminalization of behaviors that are virtually impossible for homeless people to avoid — such as sleeping and eating in public or loitering — causes them to be “regularly cycled through prisons and jails, which exacerbates discrimination, exclusion and violation,” according to a 2014 National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report on crime.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press

After a nearly two-week preliminary hearing, Judge Neil Candelaria said there was probable cause for a murder case to proceed against Officer Dominique Perez and former Detective Keith Sandy. The charges were filed against the two officers in the killing of 38-year-old James Boyd, who, authorities say, had schizophrenia. He was shot March 16, 2014, during a confrontation in which police accused him of camping illegally. Video of the shooting shows Boyd appearing to surrender before Perez and Sandy open fire. Defense lawyers say Boyd threatened officers with two knives. Seven police officers around the country have faced murder charges for on-duty incidents since 2010. One was convicted of manslaughter and assault after a second-degree murder count was dropped. The rest are still in court proceedings. Boyd’s death prompted protests against the Albuquerque Police Department, which a federal probe determined had a history of using excessive force against civilians. The city’s justice system is undergoing an overhaul and is subject to federal monitoring. Violence against homeless Americans has been on the rise, reports have shown. The criminalization of behaviors that are virtually impossible for homeless people to avoid — such as sleeping and eating in public or loitering — causes them to be “regularly cycled through prisons and jails, which exacerbates discrimination, exclusion and violation,” according to a 2014 National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report on crime. Al Jazeera and The Associated Press

After a nearly two-week preliminary hearing, Judge Neil Candelaria said there was probable cause for a murder case to proceed against Officer Dominique Perez and former Detective Keith Sandy. The charges were filed against the two officers in the killing of 38-year-old James Boyd, who, authorities say, had schizophrenia. He was shot March 16, 2014, during a confrontation in which police accused him of camping illegally. Video of the shooting shows Boyd appearing to surrender before Perez and Sandy open fire. Defense lawyers say Boyd threatened officers with two knives. Seven police officers around the country have faced murder charges for on-duty incidents since 2010. One was convicted of manslaughter and assault after a second-degree murder count was dropped. The rest are still in court proceedings. Boyd’s death prompted protests against the Albuquerque Police Department, which a federal probe determined had a history of using excessive force against civilians. The city’s justice system is undergoing an overhaul and is subject to federal monitoring. Violence against homeless Americans has been on the rise, reports have shown. The criminalization of behaviors that are virtually impossible for homeless people to avoid — such as sleeping and eating in public or loitering — causes them to be “regularly cycled through prisons and jails, which exacerbates discrimination, exclusion and violation,” according to a 2014 National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report on crime. Al Jazeera and The Associated Press

After a nearly two-week preliminary hearing, Judge Neil Candelaria said there was probable cause for a murder case to proceed against Officer Dominique Perez and former Detective Keith Sandy. The charges were filed against the two officers in the killing of 38-year-old James Boyd, who, authorities say, had schizophrenia. He was shot March 16, 2014, during a confrontation in which police accused him of camping illegally. Video of the shooting shows Boyd appearing to surrender before Perez and Sandy open fire. Defense lawyers say Boyd threatened officers with two knives. Seven police officers around the country have faced murder charges for on-duty incidents since 2010. One was convicted of manslaughter and assault after a second-degree murder count was dropped. The rest are still in court proceedings. Boyd’s death prompted protests against the Albuquerque Police Department, which a federal probe determined had a history of using excessive force against civilians. The city’s justice system is undergoing an overhaul and is subject to federal monitoring. Violence against homeless Americans has been on the rise, reports have shown. The criminalization of behaviors that are virtually impossible for homeless people to avoid — such as sleeping and eating in public or loitering — causes them to be “regularly cycled through prisons and jails, which exacerbates discrimination, exclusion and violation,” according to a 2014 National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report on crime. Al Jazeera and The Associated Press