From NBC MIAMI:

The U.S. Justice Department is launching a civil investigation into the policies and training involving deadly force in the Miami Police Department following the deaths of seven black men in officer-involved shootings.

The “pattern and practice” probe will focus on whether systemic flaws made the shootings, which occurred over an eight-month period between July 2010 and February 2011, more likely.

Thomas E. Perez, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, and Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer, are expected to announce the investigation at a news conference Thursday, according to the Miami Herald.

WATCH NBC MIAMI’s REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION HERE:

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NBC Miami: Emotional meeting over Miami police shootings

Of the seven shootings, all but one is still being investigated by the State Attorney’s Office and police.

Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder in August asking for a Justice Department investigation into the force. Regalado’s request came several months after similar requests from groups like the ACLU and NAACP, as well as individuals like U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson and Reverend Al Sharpton.

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