A Bloody Clash Of Philippine National Police

The brutality of the police force has been a long worldwide problem, but especially between the years of 2012-2016. Black people are being unjustly beaten and shot in plain sight for doing nothing while being unarmed. Journal of African American Studies “Blacks are viewed as deserving of harsh treatment in the criminal justice system” (482). “Black males with more “Afrocentric” features may receive longer sentences than blacks with less Afrocentric features like lighter skin and straighter hair”(482). Nowadays it is important to know about the police force. It’s important to know our rights as citizens and be careful around cops. Not everybody is good, but not everybody is bad also. In The New York Amsterdam News 21 people were killed by Chicago police in 2008. Entire families were being attacked. They believe it’s because of their skin color and how they are different. The year of racism started off with the world seeing the police murder of Oscar Grant. “The media have pushed people away from hearing the issue of police brutality, and it has fallen off of the radar screen.”(2) “You can’t give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit!”(2) African Americans say do not trust the cops with anything. “They will ruin you.”(2)

First, it is crucial to note that police brutality is not synonymous to racism against a particular group. However, there is a stigma that police often racially profile a specific African Americans. In February 2015, two cases of police brutality did not involve African Americans; instead the two victims were a Hispanic shot and killed in Washington State and an Indian-American severely paralyzed in Alabama. Even with this considered, of late, a majority of police brutality cases have involved minorities and specifically African American males. Cases such as Michael Brown and Freddie Gray have sparked a cultural uprising. These trigger event inspired the protests and riots against police brutality demonstrating collective action and physical violence, but the idea of police brutality is much larger than these individual cases, since it is a reoccurring cycle.

“I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” These were the last words of Eric Garner, a middle-aged African American man. Garner died at the hands of multiple police officers who were trying to restrain him for selling cigarettes. These sorts of images are showcased on television way too often. To the point that some people feel helpless, they know that they alone do not have the power to overthrow the superiority of an officer. So they have really no choice but watch the tragedy unfold. Also fear that if they interfere, that they may be the next victim. “I am most struck by the behavior of the EMTs, who stood along with the police and did nothing as they watched Eric Garner die” (Williams 10). Although some people deny that police brutality is a problem, recent studies and events (such as the one listed above) prove that ultra-aggressive police officers, militarization of police agencies, and the effects of racism have increased police brutality.

What does the term ‘police brutality’ mean to you? ‘Police’ are the men and women dressed in uniform that are supposed to protect us from any danger at any time. They’re who you call when someone is breaking into your house in the middle of night, or even when someone strange is following you home. The word ‘brutality’ is physical violence towards someone. How do those two words sound next to each other?

As of September 1, 2015, in the United States police officers have killed 776 people and 161 of those people were unarmed at the time of their death (MintPress). There have been too many incidents where police officers have injured or killed someone that could have been prevented. Using maximum force with a suspect has become a routine in many confrontations. Officers have not been given the proper training to deal with individuals and how to handle them without using a weapon. If they were given more training on how to deal with situations resulting in using a weapon to stop an individual during certain scenarios police brutality situations would decrease, lives would be saved, and police would get their good reputation back. However, police departments would have to spend more money on re-training. Some people agree with police brutality and think that a civilian deserved their punishment, which is not right because no one deserves to be beaten or killed. Situations involving police brutality have been increasing throughout the years, which is a problem that must to be solved.

The use of deadly force by police officers is a very important subject in today’s society. Many consider the use of deadly force excessive in most cases. However, there are many aspects to look at when considering this topic, such as: Why was deadly force required? When did the officer feel it necessary to apply deadly force? What will be the implications for the officer after the fact? How does the use of deadly force affect society as a whole?

While racing down the freeway on March 3, 1991, driver Rodney King and friends were leading the Los Angeles Police Department on a high speed chase making it up to 115 miles per hour. When King was eventually caught, officers pulled him from his car and began to beat King with their batons hitting and kicking him more than 50 times and shocking him with stun guns in a period of two minutes as he struggled helplessly on the ground outside of his car. King suffered 11 skull fractures, kidney damage, and brain damage. This was one of America’s first viral video of what excessive force is, and it changed the way police interacted with communities forever. The use of police force is an obligation, but unfortunately some officers may misuse, or abuse

The Use of Deadly Force by Police Officers in the Field: Understanding the Complexities and Issues Surrounding Deadly Force

The Filipino people had helped the US fight the Spanish-American War in hope to gain independence in return. However, instead of gaining independence the Philippines was annexed to the United States on December 10, 1898. When the Filipino’s had found they were going to be ruled over once again they were very unhappy, after all they had helped the US. When Aguinaldo had found out that the Philippines were going to be controlled by the US, he had declared war on the United States.

The law gives police officers power to use deadly force when they feel physically endangered, but that power doesn’t extend to opening fire at fleeing individuals. When is it necessary or proper for an officer to shoot at a fleeing suspect? This question was posed after a police shooting in South Carolina. There was video recorded by a bystander that shows a black man being shot in the back and killed as he runs away. According to A seminal 1985 Supreme Court case, Tennessee vs. Garner, “The police may not shoot at a fleeing person unless the officer reasonably believes that the individual poses a significant physical danger to the officer or others in the community.” So by that precedent it is only justifiable to shoot a fleeing suspect if they meet that criteria. No two situations are identical neither are any two officers, but law enforcement officers should use only the amount of force necessary to dissolve the situation in order make the arrest. Force should only be applied to protect officer or others from harm. The levels of force police use include basic verbal and physical restraint, less-lethal force, and lethal force application of each depends on the situation. KRS 503.090 is the use of physical force in law enforcement.

In the recent years, police abuse has become clear to the public eye. Citizens in society are now not only trying to shelter and protect themselves from criminals, but now they must make sure they look out for those who are supposed to be the “peace keepers” that protect and serve. In this essay, it will discuss the incidents involving police brutality in society today, and also how the justice system is continuing to take away the given rights to citizens of the United States of America. Citizens must be able to protect themselves from the police officers taking advantage of their powers as a law enforcement agent. With this distinguishable difference in power, the citizens are prominently at a standstill for justice.

The second generation of reformers arrived in the early 1930s and brought two waves of police reform through the late 1960s. The progressive movement consisted of the society’s upper class members, who formed multiple municipal groups and campaigned for government to run more systematically like a business, in which there was more accountability held regarding the public, and against all forms of corruption throughout government. The second form of police reform was brought by police administrators, most notably the first Police Chief of Berkeley, California in August Vollmer. The main objective of the second reformation was to turn policing into some sort of profession (Panzarella & Vona, pg 223). As noted by Fogelson, the main objective of

Martin Luther King Jr., an American Baptist minister, African-American civil rights activist, and non-violent protest leader, once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Ali-Dinar 1963 p.1). Such an iconic and fearless leader recognized the unjust behavior within society as a result of racially motivated police brutality and societal discrimination. Though his efforts were not in vain, today’s media representation of law enforcement impacts the societal cultivation of police officers in a negative way. Media outlets, in the forms of television, radio, or social websites, create a cynical view of police officers, which influences societal beliefs and creates negative connotations.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were comprised of mostly Catholics from the northern provinces occupying the contested southern provinces. The local populace was almost exclusively Muslim. The history involved with the Mindanao region is rife with struggle between the Muslim Moros, who wanted independence from the Republic of Philippines, and the military. Both sides committed atrocities over the years and mistrust was a natural byproduct. Establishing legitimacy and credibility was essential for the AFP to gain the local support of the populace and deny the insurgent groups their freedom of movement. The Philippine Marines created a Civil Military Officer who would coordinate with NGOs and the local barangay leadership to participate in Civil Military Operations (CMO). These CMO activities were MEDCAPs, schoolbook distributions, and minor civil projects (such as building wells). At the time my SFODA was in the region, the AFP were more focused on assisting the populace and less focused on searching for rogue elements in the area. When asked, the AFP command told stories of how the military would send battalions of Marines who would comb the jungle searching for Abu Sayyaf or Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members. They learned that the populace suffered and they viewed the military as an

The Moro War: How America Battled a Muslim Insurgency in the Philippine Jungle, 1902-1913 by James Arnold gives a Non-Fiction, historical and graphic depiction of the decade long Muslim insurgency in Moroland. James Arnold provides several parallels to insurgencies of the 21st century. Initially, this book seemed to have provide too much specific information concerning American Army officers and soldiers, but James Arnold brought relevancy to the characters and their backgrounds. His description of Moro warriors is a frightening image of unpredictable savage people. Anyone who is required to work in a counterinsurgency or counterterrorism environment should read this book.