Over the past few months a lot has changed the city for the good and the bad. I am an eyewitness of police brutality that has taken place on a daily basis there. There are several individuals in Baltimore who have no respect for the police at all and the reason is they feel as if the police officers have no respect for them. A Baltimore resident by the name Freddie Gray died from a spinal injury at the hands of police during an arrest on April 2015. Trust he was the not the first who was injured or killed in police custody in Baltimore. “$5.7 million is the amount the city of Baltimore has paid to victims of brutality, between 2011 and 2014.Over the past four years, more than 100 people have won court judgments or settlements related to allegations of brutality and civil-rights violations." (Johnston, 2015). The Freddie Gray case went worldwide, just like the Mike Brown case. People were so quick to assume that the police officers that were involved in this incident were all White, but that was not the case. The world was shocked to hear that there were three White officers and three Black officers who were involved in the death of Freddie Gray. Each individual was charged in the death of Mr. Gray. This case shows that the act of police brutality does not occur just by White officers, but all officers, no matter the color of their skin. We live in a world where we may think the Blacks are for Blacks and Whites are for Whites, and that is not the case most of the time.
Police brutality is the lavish physical assault or verbal assault during police procedures which can involve interrogating or apprehending a suspect. Police brutality originated from the labor worker strikes in the 1800’s through the 1900’s. The violent brutal act of these officers usually formed around the lower socioeconomic class. Since then police brutality has hit an all-time high in the 21st century. In New York alone there has been reportedly over 72 police brutality reports some reports even ended in the deaf of a citizen. There’s been claim of police officers violently choking citizens at traffics stops and beating citizen up in public. There’s been new technology such as body cameras which are used by most police but not all.
This topic police brutality is so important to our because Police is brutality is so big right now and we cant people have innocent people in the streets getting shot for doing what they're supposed to be doing. Why we are talking about this is because we have to make a change and stop what is going on. Police have been targeting black lives and there a holding them at gunpoint and shooting them before they even get a trail or can go to court. We as in all of us shouldn't be scared to walk outside or they shouldn't be scared to see a police. Police are here to protect us and it feels like we are at war with them right now but there are supposed to protect us.
Police brutality and police militarization have become a hot topic in the United States of America. There are many cases where police officers motives are being questioned, leading the public into an uproar. Just to name a few of these cases, we have Micheal Brown from Fegurson, Missouri, that started it all, which took place on Augest 19th, 2014. We also have Eric Garner from New York, taking place July of 2014. July of 2016, Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge and Walter Scott from South Carolina in April of 2015.
“Officer Jeronimo Yanez, charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black Minneapolis man” (Capecchi). “Brian Encinia, former Texas trooper charged with misdemeanor perjury stemming from his arrest of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was later found dead in a county jail” (Almasy). “Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, charged with failure to supervise in connection with the 2014 death of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old black Staten Island man who died after police to administered a controversial choke hold” (Eversley). These are a few examples of the mistreatment suffered by young black citizens at the hands of police officers that resulted in the death of a suspect. Throughout the nation, the mishandling of the authority given to police officers has increased and is not merely coincidentally occurring.
When one thinks of police misconduct many not too distant stories might go through our heads. Most adults will remember how they felt when they saw the brutal beating of Rodney King on their local news station; or the outrage they experienced when they heard that the evidence in the OJ Simpson trial had been tampered with. But thanks to new guidelines, procedures and even civilian groups who now “police” the police, instances of police misconduct may soon start seeing a decline.
a few years now, police brutality has become an extremely controversial topic and has raised many debates and questions about law enforcement and civilians. Police brutality has been common for decades. However after the death of African Americans such as Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile, many other African Americans have rose up in protest and anger. The anger stems from these men dying at the hands of police which the civilians believe they died from situation that should have been handled differently. Cases like these have caused a major divide with African Americans and law enforcement. Many people wonder where the relationship between the two went wrong and how police brutality became such a big issue that seems impossible
John Lewis once said that “The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society." Racism has become a huge issue in people’s everyday life and not many may notice, but that’s because it’s been around for so long that it’s not new to anyone and it is the normal, when in reality that means it is so bad that not many people notice anymore. [African Americans experience racism in two main places their workplace and their education, and in a certain way, police brutality.]
The United States has a dark history of mistreating and racially profiling black Americans. Over the years, America has developed into one of the world’s most powerful countries; yet police brutality remains a monumental problem. Police brutality has transformed into such a hot topic, and when brought up in conversation, it sparks a debate. Nevertheless, the brutality should be talked about. Although many believe that the media pushes the narrative, that only African Americans are victims, police brutality stems from racial profiling and is an ever growing issue because stories show a painful pattern, lives are negatively affected, and the use of different solutions is utilized to expose the problem.
On April 27th the day of Gray’s Funeral riots broke out in the city. These riots were met by heavy scrutiny and criticism from people across the country. There was significant damage to the city and there were over two hundred people arrested. Surprisingly though on May 1st 2015 six officers were indicted for the murder of Freddie Gray. They were charged with a litany of infractions, and had the potential to face significant jail time. This as stated previously was very uncharacteristic of the law system to that point, but was seen as a triumph to many across the
Police Brutality against African American people has begun to take a toll on our communities. African American communities cannot even trust the police, because of the way they are being treated unfairly by a police officers of them distract or their state. Which is why the police are being coming more advanced in technology, but still fail to use their powers as an officer correctly. This cause the police officers are using misconduct against African American people when confronted by them. This research leads me to conclude that the police department of many states across the United States becomes more corrupted every day because of the lack of order in our police departments. In this essay, I will argue that the policing between black
On April 12 of 2015, Freddie Gray, a black citizen of Baltimore, was charged with possession of a switchblade, and put into a police van. During the ride from the scene to the jail, Gray sustained neck injuries that ultimately led to his death one week later. The neck injuries sustained by Gray were caused by the negligence of the police officers responsible for his care (Six Officers, 2015). This is a modern day example of black citizens being treated unfairly by white police officers. It makes you wonder, if Freddie Gray was white, would he still be alive today? Would he even have been arrested in the first place?
Police brutality against the black youth in America is not uncommon news to us, it dates as far back as 1999 when four police officers shot forty-one bullets at and killed Amadou Diallo, a Guinean immigrant, in the Bronx, NYC. The officers later claimed to have seen Diallo reaching for something that looked like a weapon but actually all he had in his hand was his wallet. However, all four policemen were acquitted if all charges in the case, in fact, one of the killer cops, Kenneth Boss, stayed on the force and was allowed to carry a gun again in 2012.
Peaceful protests the day before Gray’s death were just the beginning of a long string of outbreaks and violence. Community members were seen rallying behind their fallen friend as they peacefully protested outside of Western District Police Station. These protests slowly became more violent as protesters were met by officers. When on-duty officers could not hold back the rapidly growing crowd, all officers were called to meet the protesters. Officers alone could not hold back the enraged community as the National Guard was called in by the Governor of Maryland to reinforce officers. Peaceful protests turned to rage filled riots as police vehicles and officers themselves became victim of communal hatred. The night of April 27th had sent many officers to receive medical treatment as the riots poured into the business district (Timeline: Freddie Gray’s…). Small stores and even homes were ransacked and burned by rioters in the streets of Baltimore. Cleanup efforts quickly ensued in the city and riots still raged on. May 1st is when the community could finally take its first breath after a month. All six officers were charged in the case of Freddie Gray with the most severe being second degree depraved heart murder (Charges against
On April 19, 2015 at approximately 7 a.m., Freddie Grey, a 25-year-old black man from Baltimore, Maryland died by mysterious causes. After being chased down and thrown into a police van by police officers, he was taken out of the van unresponsive and soon, “...lapsed into a coma, died, was resuscitated, stayed in a coma and on Monday, underwent extensive surgery at Shock Trauma to save his life" (Ford, 2015). Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Eric Garner are other minority males that have become symbols of a raging national conversation about police brutality and racial injustice. These events have caused community’s civil rights protests to unite under themes such as; " Black Lives Matter", "Hands Up Don 't Shoot", "No Justice No Peace", and “I Can’t Breathe.” Police brutality driven by racial profiling is evident in lower income and minority areas. This is apparent because of lack of minority police officers, racial profiling in all ages, and the fear of the people in the community to step up to authority in the face of adversity.
Police officers have been getting away with murders of unarmed minority people. About a year ago in Baltimore, riots occurred because of the death of Freddie Gray. Who died in police custody. Freddie Gray was arrested and suffered a severe spinal cord injury while being transported in the van. His hands and feet were shackled but the