“Family Trouble”: The 1975 Killing of Denise Hawkins and the Legacy of Deadly Force in the Rochester, NY Police Department

Denise Hawkins was killed by Rochester, NY police officer Michael Leach on November 11, 1975. The ripples caused by her death are heavy and tragic. The reform sparked by her death was deficient. As late as 2021, Hawkins’ name was still being called out on the streets and in court filings. But who is Denise Hawkins?