The Maine Press Association Saturday honored American Journal staff writer Chance Viles for investigating reporting.
Viles’ article, “Westbrook Police data shows disproportionate use of force on Blacks,” published in September 2020, received a third place award in the Investigative Report category for weekly newspapers in the state.
The article examined how, between 2016 and 2019, 14% to 17% of officers’ use of force involved Black people in a city with a Black population of just 2.3%. For the article, Viles also interviewed Black residents and Black city officials about their experiences with the police department.
Viles has covered Westbrook for the American Journal since June 2019. Prior to joining the American Journal, he worked for newspapers in Massachusetts. He is a graduate of UMass Amherst, where he studied journalism and political science.
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