The Hillsborough Cover Up

In what became known as the Hillsborough Disaster, 96 football (or soccer, for Americans) supporters were killed in 1989. Standing pens were overcrowded with Liverpool supporters who were crushed to death since there was not enough room for everyone to fit. Six police officers were charged in 2017 but not found guilty for their roles in the deaths and subsequent cover-up.

Just before the game started, there was a gathering outside the stadium, and authorities opened a gate to let that crowd into the already packed pen inside. In addition to the deaths, hundreds of others were hurt during the crush of humanity. In 2021, a guy who at the time had significant brain damage died and was added to the list as the 97th casualty.

After the incident, authorities made a deliberate effort to alter the narrative and shift the blame elsewhere. They destroyed the day's notes and placed the blame on the fans. Documents that had been altered claimed that supporters had attacked, defecated on, and picked pocketed deceased police. None of what they claimed about the fans—that they were inebriated and shoved their way in—was accurate. Though no specifics have been made public since 2021, the police agreed to settle with 600 of the victims.

• Year: 1989
• Damage: 97th casualty