James Blake Arrest: A Case Study

This case is one that changed the way the United States Police forces will work forever. Every human in the world has natural born rights. Even people who have been arrested have rights, ‘The rights of the accused’. These rights are the main point of this court case.

There is no question that police brutality, when it occurs, is one of the most egregious violations of public trust that a public servant can commit. Police officers, those individuals taxed with protecting the public from danger, should never be in a situation where they pose a threat to the public. Furthermore, there is no question that police brutality occurs. Moreover, generally when there are allegations of police brutality, there has been some type of underlying violent incident. In addition, while issues of brutality may seem clear-cut to a disinterested observer, it is critical to keep in mind that law enforcement officers are not presented with textbook examples of the appropriate or inappropriate use of force, but real-life scenarios involving quick decisions. There are many arrest and non-arrest scenarios where officers need to use force to protect self or others; and the degree of force required may be greater than what a disinterested observer would assume. Another recurrent issue in debates about police brutality is that racial bias appears to be a motive behind police brutality. When one considers that minorities are disproportionately likely to be arrested and convicted of crimes, one would expect to find a disproportionate number of minorities among those alleging police brutality. Therefore, while acknowledging that police brutality, when it occurs, is a serious problem, the reality is that most

In the PBS Frontline documentary, Policing the Police, the Newark Police Department are under investigation for violating citizens of their constitutional rights when being stopped and searched. Newark is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, so the police feel as though they have to be aggressive and suspicious of certain people. Others like Jelani Cobb, a writer and historian, feel like there is another way to police the community without violating their rights. A lot of people want safe to have a safe community, but how can they feel safe if they can’t even trust their own police department. The mayor of Newark and his team are destined to make this change. So, Jelani Cobb decides to tag along with some of the Newark police to help investigate.

The justice system’s failure to prosecute police brutality is a hot topic since most riots and acts of public violence surround this issue. One of the obstacles with prosecuting police brutality is a lack of evidence. As stated by Andrew Walter in an overview of police brutality, the failure to prove police brutality cases “stems from...difficulty in

Law enforcement in today’s time is known for discrimination and brutality. However, there are times when the police are known to even wrongfully arrest, try, and convict those who have not committed any crimes. Even though law enforcement and the legal system may seem like a secure and infallible entity/force, those that serve the justice system are not always serving justice. The case of Sean K. Ellis is a case of mistaken arrest. Ellis was arrested for the murder of a Boston police officer, convicted, and approximately served 22 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit. The topics of racial bias, credibility of witnesses, exclusion/lack of evidence, and police corruption, are the some of the factors that affected Ellis’s case.

Now that I have presented a brief understanding and background of the case against the five officers and the struggles police officers and the community face in South Camden, NJ, I will examine how five officers were led off of a virtuous path by failures of the individuals and the environmental role in their demise. Specifically, I will identify the unethical behavior and contributing factors, provide my ethical opinion on the situation, the effects on the community, and how the culture of Camden Police Department may have

Now that I have presented a brief understanding and background of the case against the five officers and the struggles police officers and the community face in South Camden, NJ, I will examine how five officers steered off of a virtuous path by the failures of the individuals and the environmental role in their demise. Specifically, I will identify the unethical behavior and contributing factors, provide my ethical opinion on the situation, the effects on the community, and how the

Puente was criticized by a local commissioner who said “you looked at old cases”, proving that, though it may only now be more recognized by the general public and media, police brutality is something seen through the decades. Worsnop published his article in 1991. Bruce Shapiro published a piece for The Nation in 1997 titled “When Justice Kills” describing the account Malik Jones, who was shot by police in Connecticut while still in his vehicle. However, Puente was not wrong in looking forward in time after his research reached the commissioner. If one were to look on any news, or even entertainment, source today, one would be likely to view a headline about excessive force. Most notably is case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Though many opinions abound about that situation – just mention the word “Ferguson” at a party to hear – it opened America’s eyes once again to what our officers are capable of. The historical prevalence of Puente’s research cannot be argued. Not only in the Boston area have police been up to no good, but around the country as

In February of 2013, Christopher Dorner, an ex-Los Angeles police officer, committed a series of shootings, whose victims were members of law enforcement and their friends and family. Dorner felt that he had been unfairly fired by the LAPD after falsely reporting that his partner had kicked a mentally ill man while he was being handcuffed and vowed to “bring unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty” in his manifesto he wrote, which detailed who he planned to kill and why. In the wake of these horrific attacks on police officers and their families, many articles came out, discussing Dorner’s background and interviewing people he knew. Through the depictions of Dorner displayed in the news articles and the content of his manifesto, the reader comes to understand different aspects of Dorner’s personality and his obsession with his reputation.

While law enforcement plays a large role in the everyday lives of American citizens, many people distrust and fear the police officers that have promised to “serve and protect” them. Although some people may view the dejection and anger aimed at police as illogical or even ungrateful, these feelings are not unfounded. Trust between the police and their communities has been eroded by controversial shootings, including Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile. The deaths of these men and other cases of police misconduct have led to cries of outrage and demands for police accountability from American communities (Brooks). And while the police undoubted have one of the most important and dangerous jobs in the country, their work should be held up to the highest possible standards due to the life or death circumstances and consequences that their work involves.

The one thing that civilians and policemen both have in common is stopping crime. However, the methods policemen use to determine criminal behavior is a controversial issue that needs to be addressed and stopped. In a groundbreaking article, Bob Herbert’s, “Jim Crow Policing,” states that, “An overwhelming 84 percent of the stops in the first three quarters of 2009 were of black and Hispanic New Yorkers. It is incredible how few of the stops yielded any law enforcement benefit. Contraband, which usually means drugs, was found in only 1.6 percent of the stops of black New Yorkers. For Hispanics, it was just 1.5 percent. For whites, who are stopped far less frequently, contraband was found 2.2 percent of the time,” (Herbert par 3). Herbert displays the ineffective method of racial profiling where the police of New York still believes it is a strong indicator to fighting crime. The statistics in this essay prove the argument that racial profiling is not an accurate method to determine criminals. Minorities are always being harassed because of the stereotypes of them being criminals and having no goals be given to them. Through the statistics, people are able to see that people who are usually stopped, blacks and Hispanics, actually do not follow the stereotypes and are not always doing illegal activities. Ironically, the civilians who were rarely ever

Police abuse remains as one of the most deliberate human rights violations in the United States. For over a decade police have acted in ways that makes us question their professionalism. Makes the wonder if law enforcement are taking advantage of their criminal justice “powers” October 22 is “National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and Criminalization of an Entire Generation”. (Aol News). On October 22 many people across the country wear black to fight back against police brutality. Bad police have to be stopped so they don’t forget who they are serving – not themselves but the public. Police Brutality has caused a major concern in the United States.

Some officers have a duty to go undercover and their protection should always be noticed by the court, however, Young's actions were not done in malice or done to harm

Almost everyone who has seen a cop television show or movie has heard the saying “You have the right to remain silent”. In America, people are raised to believe that the justice system never fails, and that no matter what happens justice will always prevail, though for some people this safety net has failed them. Since the late 1980s six studies have documented 250 interrogation-induced false confessions. Police-induced false confessions are the result of multistep process and sequence of influence, persuasion, and compliance. Imagine that a solider of the U.S. military is brought in for questioning, kept locked up for sixteen hours in an interrogation room, constantly threatened with the death penalty if they did not confess to the crime, and the whole time left without representation. In 1997 this was the case for four individuals from Norfolk, Virginia held without representation and forced to give false confessions.

A common issue presented in today’s national media is police brutality. Police brutality is the use of unnecessary force on civilians by police. The concept of having police officers is to ensure safety and protection of citizens. Police should only use force necessary to accomplish their lawful purpose. The common occurrence of police brutality has sparked responses nationwide in the form of protests, riots, and movements to end the excessive and sometimes fatal force of police officers. The public rallies are also in response to lack of conviction or repercussions of many of the cops who demonstrate unjust police brutality. These incidents are also commonly associated with racial disparity. The headline news stories of the shooting and killing of unarmed African Americans, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and twelve year old Tamir Rice, all in the same year, prompted citizens nationwide that change in the law enforcement system is necessary. While a majority of police abide to their oaths and stand for justice, a noticeable amount have historically misused their power. If a community cannot trust police officers, it will be detrimental for society as a whole.