Media Coverage Of Law Enforcement Using Deadly Force On Our Citizens

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?

A young man’s brutal death at the hands of the police is found justified in a court of law due to his “suspicious” appearance: a black hoodie and his hands in his pocket. An elderly woman is fatally shot in her home for her relation to a suspected criminal. A married man with two toddlers is choked to death after a minor traffic stop by an officer who later claimed that his unarmed victim was wielding a gun. These people all have a few commonalities: the color of their skin, their presumed guilt at first sight, and their ultimate unjustified death administered by the law force. These are not uncommon occurrences. Due to the staggeringly disproportionate rate of African-Americans killed by the police, and the underlying rampant racial profiling, police brutality towards blacks in America must be called to light.

Police brutality is the use of excessive force by a law enforcement officer in which the use force is neither warranted nor necessary (Micucci and Gomme 487). While we know the definition of police brutality and excessive force, it is somewhat controversial on what justifies the use of such force. In many different cases across America, there have been riots and revolts involving the use of police brutality by the police party involved. Police brutality is a problem because in many of the cases, people have the impression that the defendants have done nothing wrong that resulted in the officer using excessive force. On the other hand, there are cases where race would be considered as a problem since the tensions between the minority communities and the police force still exists. However, Miller argues that if the race proportions between officers and the ethnicity groups were controlled (meaning more blacks in place of the white officers), evidence suggests that anyone of any race may be involved with cases involving the use of excessive force just as equally (106). The most important part of this topic is whether or not the use of such forces will be justified. According the Prusinski, the reasonableness and the justification of the use of force involves many factors including “the nature of the crime, the safety of both the defendant and the police officers, and whether the defendant was resisting or trying to evade arrest” (854). Because of the consideration of the many different circumstances, conditions and factors, many of cases in which people complain about the use of excessive force are justified under the circumstance of resistance, safety, and nature of the

Oscar Grant was reported to be rowdy on the train and was shot at point-blank range. The policeman later revealed he was trying to grab his Taser not his handgun. While reading this review, the author was using present day situations such as the Zimmerman case to reflect on how two different cases can be the same but in different standpoints. Trayvon’s incident was not recorded, but Zimmerman was reported to be running behind an unarmed suspected to have a gun. The author wanted to say that cases are similar considering that both officers were not prosecuted. A better example he could have used was the Walter Scott shooting. Both men were believed to be causing a disturbance, the policeman was trying to grab their Tasers, and someone was

Police use of force has been manipulated into police brutality by news broadcasts and social media sites causing many citizens to despise the police. The spread of videos featuring unnecessary force by police officers arresting criminals has given all officers a bad name, however, not all officers make bad decisions when it comes to the proper use of force. According to a 2008 study that was done on 40 million police cases only 1.4% of the cases were threatened with or involved with the use of force (Dempsey & Frost, 2014, p.136). Yet, society still associates the police with brutality. The public does not understand the factors that go into force, such as, the training of the officer, knowledge of rules regarding use of force, the situation the police encounters, social threat, attitude displayed towards officers, and resistance (Lee, Jang, Yun, Lim, & Tushaus, 2010). The public does not know the many factors that influence an officer’s use of force. So when they see or hear about force, they assume it is unnecessary. However, there are certain situations were force is necessary to stop an immediate threat. Very few officers are actually involved in police brutality, but the media would show otherwise.

For this current event, I chose to read the article titled, Widespread media coverage contributing to rise in mass shootings, say psychologists, by Jess Staufenberg. In this article Jess elaborates on the idea proposed by psychologists that giving mass shooters the fame they desire in the media is contributing to their rise.

The police shootings over the years have raised troubling questions about when, if ever, police are justified in using deadly force against a suspect. Many of police shootings may just represent a difference form of violence. Others law-enforcement officers may be physically incapable of taking a suspect into custody. For example, Peck (2016) writes about a $500.000 judgment against the District of Columbia when a police officer who was not in suitable physical shape used his weapon in the course of the arrest. How do we decide when a police officer can not only use force but shoot at a suspect even shoot to kill? The protection of life should be the primary value and guiding principle of the Police Department. As such, all levels of staffs

Protecting and serving is the promise guaranteed by police officers, who put their lives in potential danger daily. Police officer’s right to use lethal force is being questioned due to a current bad reputation. A few negative cases should not triumph the countless positive things that police officers do for their community. A police officer who cannot use lethal force cannot easily protect the public and themselves in a dangerous situation. Police officers deserve the right to use lethal force to protect themselves, maintain public safety, and for an intimidation effect.

The argument about the use of less lethal weapons and police use of force has been prevalent in society for decades. Although the idea and use of less lethal weapons has been embraced and approved by more than eight thousand different law enforcement agencies across the United States, there is a minute amount of empirical analysis regarding the use of less lethal weapons by law enforcement officials. This research paper assesses and provides a thorough portrayal of the large variety of options officers have when choosing less lethal weapons over opting for lethal weapons and the use of physical police force. There are a numerous amounts of hazardous, practical and operational concerns that are fundamental when deciding to acquire or use less

As police shootings keep constantly coming up on every news site possible nobody knows the full effect of them before instantly dragging police officers down as bad people. When officers have to shoot a certain suspect down to the ground it instantly hits breaking news for the society to see. This article happens to be a little more understanding on why the officers had to gun down the suspect for their safety and the family’s safety that were in severe danger. The officer who gunned down the suspect had to get transported to the hospital for medical care and to be observed. Some may say officers need to refrain from shooting but when an incident is this bad sometimes it is the only option to settle things down to where they are controllable.

Over the past summer there was a shooting which involved a twenty-five year old man, Cyle Wayne Quadlin, and a thirty-six year old man, Kriston Chee. The shooting took place at an Arizona Wal-Mart, where the situation had escalated from an argument into an altercation. Cyle pulled out a gun and shot and killed Kriston. When the police officers arrived Cyle was not arrested because he said he shot Kriston in self-defense because he felt that he was losing the fight. Many people saw this incident as a violation of their mores, because you have a guy who admitted he murdered another guy once he felt as if he was losing the fight (Pow, 2014). There was no need for Cyle to pull his gun out because they were arguing, which criminologist would say was a victimless crime. Cyle was not prosecuted nor charged because of the stand your ground law.

In the last past years, our country has observed numerous cases of police brutality. It has become a controversial topic among communities that have witnessed police brutality take place in front of their houses. Officers are faced with many threatening situations every day, forcing them to make vital decisions and to expect the vilest and hope for the best. The law enforcement officers granted the ability to take any citizens' privileges to restraint and sometimes even their lives. Besides, with that sort of authority comes responsibility. For this reason, that is one major fear with that amount of discernment granted to law-enforcement officers. Consentquey, there are times they must have, to execute use force or even the use lethal force.

The use of police force has been a controversial topic in the media recently. This topic is controversial because of the issues surround why force has been used, the type of force used, and if using force was necessary at all. At times there is reason to use force. For instance, in the cases of Edward and Eric Garner the use of police force was deemed at least by society as unnecessary. In the case of Edward Garner, the Supreme court addressed his death by determining that it is unconstutional to shoot at an unarmed suspect as a means of stopping them from fleeing. They even passed a law supporting this ruling. (Marcus, 2016). As for Edward Garner's death it was deemed unworthy of prosecution by the justice system. The grand jury refused to

So what happens when a police officer shoots an unarmed African American teen? Nationwide outrage, and violent protests in the town of Ferguson, Missouri. In mid-day of August 9, 2014 Officer William is dispatched to a call to which two males stole cigarillos from a nearby market. Responding to the call, William drove past William and Brown (William confessed that Brown and he had stolen cigarillos from the nearby market and were walking east, down the middle of the road). Now, the story begins to get complicated. There are three different testimonies that follow, each based on the viewpoints of the prosecutor, officer Williams, and Doriah Johnson (Brown’s friend).

Borrowing a leaf from Randolph, so long as this development does not violate the safety and reasonable rights of others, the following steps or approaches could be adopted and applied to stop or at least reduce the prevalence of racial discrimination and police brutality to the barest minimum.