Police Brutality

Excessive force being used by officers has been an ongoing issue since law enforcement was created. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, it has been made aware that minorities were a target for the law enforcement of that time. The 1967 murder cases of “Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner against the sheriffs of Neshoba and Lauderdale County” at that time was huge seeing as everyone involved in the case got off without any charges (Wynter). After years have gone by and the 41st anniversary of their deaths has happened, someone was convicted. All this time, no one would speak up against the police of these counties in fear of being brutally murdered just like the three men that was in their care. The injustice of it did not make sense

Since their has been policing entities, it is understood by most that law enforcement officers have been performing a public service that is not easy to carry out. To assist law enforcement officers in diffusing situations, apprehending alleged criminals, and protecting themselves and others, officers are legally entitled to use appropriate means, including force. In discussing police misconduct, this report acknowledges not only the legal grant of such authority,

Not only has Police Brutality exposed hidden racism, but it has begun to cause separation in our nation. All of these Police Brutality cases such as Alton Sterling, Mike Brown, and Trayvon Martin just to name a few, all have happened within the last 3 years, and they were all documented on camera, exposing the reality to millions around the world. The conflict didn’t stop at the shootings though, many big-name Athletes stood up for the altercations and asked for attention. I am going to go over each individual shooting, the athletes that stood up for them, and political leaders that spoke on it.

In certain situations, the police may have to act quickly on their instincts. Sometimes, a situation is unpredictable and a decision needs to be made in a split second. The quick decision may to be to take a person down physically with the officer’s own hands, or to use deadly force, unfortunately. Anything can happen and the officer needs to be ready for every scenario. The different levels of force can be anywhere from just a police officer being present, to having to kill someone to prevent him or her from hurting anyone else. It’s a harsh reality, but sometimes the officer needs to make the decision to die or to protect him and do what he needs to do.

Although there was significant progress made in the 60’s Civil Rights Movements, African American lives still find themselves the subjects of racial profiling and police brutality cases. Specific incidents have brought the controversies to the public eye through social media and backlash from social movements. The cases of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland led to the controversies and feelings of judicial injustice; these events and public outrage sparked and fueled the movement “Black Lives Matter”, which was established to challenge and combat racial discrimination and police brutality. Since then, the movement has gained momentum and continues to gain followers and validity. Social media has also been a main contributor to the cause, as the

Law enforcement officers are given much power and authority over one’s civil liberties. Not only do they have a duty but also a responsibility to enforce laws and ordinances in their jurisdiction, maintain order and protect its people. In some cases, the only way to accomplish this is through legitimized use of force. Use of force can best be described as "the amount of effort required by a law enforcement officer to induce compliance of an unwilling subject" (nij.gov, 2012). With that said, law enforcement officers have been given the right to apply only enough force necessary to control a situation, while defending others, preventing escape, during self-defense and while a subject is resisting arrest (Pollock, pp. 234). It is not until that force becomes excessive that it becomes say an issue.

There is a life preservation policy that has been ignored more and more lately. Officers are told to do everything possible to refrain from taking life. Unfortunately, however, some decide to take the easy way out. What many people do not know is that other officers are supposed to stop the use of excessive force. In these instances, the officer who is using too much force needs to be turned in to the supervisor to prevent this from being a constant occurrence. Officers are not allowed to choke or strangle, however, videos show some officers doing far worse than that. Things could be handled in a number of different ways such as talking calmly to the civilian, keeping distance, and trying to refrain from being viewed as a threat ("Police Use of Force Project").

b) Their silence and ignorance set a bad example to the communities they are meant to protect.

FACTS: On October 3, 1974, two officers were dispatched to a burglary call. Upon arrival, one officer witnessed a person, Edward Garner, running from the scene. One officer concluded Garner was unarmed and ordered him to stop. Instead of stopping, Garner began climbing a fence. The officer fired shots at Garner, striking him in the back of the head. Garner was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The District Court held that the officer’s actions were in fact constitutional; however, the Court of Appeals reversed.

Whenever a law enforcement officer places an individual under arrest or is involved in a deadly force scenario the officer has used some degree of force. The incidents where an office has to make a split second decision and use physical force to control a situation is known as “Use of Force.” The use of force varies as situations present themselves to the officer and they must decide what level of force is necessary to control the situation. Often the use of force is subject to much debate and not a year goes by without some media coverage of some law enforcement officer accused of using excessive force. In dozens of studies of police use of force there is no single,

The use of excessive force by police officers is a topic that continues to make headlines and a study that needs to be done. Although much research has gone into this topic there still is no consensus on why the use of excessive force occurs. Some studies suggest lack of training and/or problems with organization policy/procedures. Law enforcement officers are authorized to use force when necessary, but when the level of force is excessive, however, the actions of the police come under scrutiny. The resulting effects can include; public outrage, scandal, negative reputation for not only the officer but the law enforcement community, and criminal considerations. Although there’s is no concrete definition of excessive force, police

only that degree of force that is reasonable and necessary under the totality of the circumstances to safely accomplish a legitimate law enforcement function.”(Phillips, 2017). To ride along with the misconduct of police there are also undoubtedly issues with violence from the public.

In a recent study it is estimated that 15% - 20% of all arrests within in North America involve using force (MacDonald, Kaminski, & Smith, 2009). When police use non lethal force they are not only saving lives but also saving face (MacDonald et al., 2009). It is very important to try and limit deaths from lawful arrest, but it is also equally as important to keep the agency held in high regards by the community. Police Officers use non lethal force in order to gain cooperation from someone who is uncooperative or threatening. Using non lethal force, compared to lethal force shows officers are not just ruthless and brutal machines (MacDonald et al., 2009). It is estimated that almost 70% of all officers carry at least one

This paper is going to provide an overview of what police can and cannot do in terms of force. Police officers are trained and authorized to use force in making some arrests, restraining unruly combatants, or controlling a disruptive demonstration (Adams, 1999). There are several levels of force within the standard operating procedures of law enforcement agencies; however, these levels of force can vary depending on the circumstances and can change according to the types of weapons officer carried. Reasonable force means the use of force that's appropriate for when officers are protecting themselves and their property (Safrath, 2014). The second force is unlawful or excessive force. Unlawful or excessive force is to be considered physical force when directed at a person. For example, using a weapon, like a knife or

One instance of excessive force that was executed by law enforcement was on Lavall Hall. Two years ago, in February the family of Lavall Hall called the police after he left the house. The family claimed the Lavall was a paranoid schizophrenic. The police searched or Lavall and found him on the sidewalk with a broom stick in hand. The law enforcement officers approach Lavall and he strikes both police officers in the head with the broom stick. One of the officers fired five shots directed towards Lavall Hall, two of the bullets hit him and ended his life. After this happened, the family filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Miami Gardens former city police chief Steven Johnson and the two officers that where on the scene, officer Eddo Trimino and officer