We are always taught from a young age that if we are in trouble to find a police officer - we can trust them, right? Wrong. Many of these so-called upholders of the law have become the offenders themselves. The very people that are meant to protect society from harm are now the people that are shooting, assaulting, and even killing innocent victims. Imagine not being able to walk out of your front door without fearing for your life, with this threat coming from the so-called “protectors” of society. That is the reality that many people have to face. That is the reality of police brutality.
In the early hours of March 3, 1991, a California taxi driver named Rodney King was involved in a high speed chase with the police, and then apprehended and arrested. At least, that was the story given by the police until the full story and footage of the arrest came out. King's two passengers, Bryant Allen and Freddie Helms were thrown to the ground and kicked, stamped on, threatened, and hit in the head, and when King exited the vehicle, he too was thrown down on the ground, just before the footage starts. The footage shows King being tasered twice by Stacey Koon, the highest ranking officer at the scene. King then rises to flee the attack, but collides with Officer Powell, and is struck to the ground with Powell’s baton, and is then struck several more times, joined by another officer, with Koon ordering this violence, even though King was subdued by this point. As he tries to stand,
Police brutality is a very widespread topic through all religions, all kinds of different cultures and all races. People believe that police officers use their powers and their badge to hold them to a higher standard then the average civilian. I belief that its all up to interpretation and the many experiences we go through that define a bad cop from a good one. If we judge all police officers from one bad cop how do we expect to change? Its a never ending cycle that has to change and heres some examples on how we can do so.
Police brutality has been a growing issue in the United States of the past century. The unique thing about police brutality is it does not discriminate. With that said some races have it worse than others. Such as the African American race they are continently in the news for African Americans being shot and killed by the police. Many look at police brutality as a physical abuse, but it is much more than that. Some people have suffered from mental issues to, such as thinking back to a incident with the police or having anxiety everytime they see a police officer. With that in mind if the police are viewed as a threat in the eyes of some of the public it can only get worse.
Recently, our country has undergone tremendous suffering due to police brutality. Some police officers are taking the law into their own hands and intertwining their personal views and stereotypes on the black community. They are committing inhumane crimes on African Americans and our justice system is allowing it to continue. Several police officers are noticing that if they commit this crime out of pure hate it is acceptable and the courts will rule in their favor. It continues to happen because there is no punishment for their wrong doing.
In 2015 an American citizen was killed every 8 hours at the hands of the police; the very people that are responsible for preventing and stopping crime. Most of these victims are targeted for being anything other than white as police believe that unarmed minorities are dangerous no matter the situation. That's why police brutality has led to the increased deaths of African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanics, and the LGBT community based only on the color of their skin or self-identification. This excessive force by the U.S. police needs to be punished to further prevent the casualties of more people.
Although I should know by now, I cannot help but think that there has been an overwhelming amount of police brutality in recent years. Police brutality can be defined as, when a police officer uses more force than necessary. This issue has spread throughout the United States of America, and is putting the lives of our citizens in great danger. Police brutality is not only physical, but it can also be verbal attacks; and, in most cases, it is caused by false arrest and racial profiling due to police corruption. Police brutality has been and continues to be a major concern in society and it is used very loosely to any and all forms of police misconduct. Whereas, in reality, excessive force of police misconduct is what defines police brutality. The jobs of a police officer are too calmly resolve public disturbance and disputes. Police officers are supposed to protect citizens; instead they are hurting and using excessive force. It is not right and it is unjust for a police officer to hurt a citizen due to an assumption without any actual proof of criminal activity.
Police brutality is a controversial issue that has recently been in the news, but seems to have always been an issue in America. Police brutality refers to the intentional use of verbal or physical attacks directed towards individuals by the police force that result in false arrests, sexual abuse, or death. (Dudley, William 13.) Most of these actions are linked to racial profiling: the targeting of individuals for suspicion of crime based solely on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. (Dudley, William 13.) Statistics about how often racial profiling and police brutality occurs, movements such as Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and police reform efforts are just a few points as to why this topic is so controversial today.
Police brutality and the use of force is a big problem in American today, so police departments are taking a few steps to prevent this from happening. There are multiple cases where some police officers’ actions are questioned, leading to an untrusting public. No matter if it was racial, hate, a mentally unstable police officer, or the police officer was just doing their job, there’s an easy way to find out now. Body cameras are being used in various cities and states and have proved to keep the level of police brutality and injustice down.
A man is in his car and is pulled over for having a suspended license, and for going 60 on a 40 road. The officer walks over to the car to see the man crying. The man claims that he was rushing to get to a relative's funeral. When asked to get out of the car he resists and the police officer grabs his arm. The man yanks his arm back and the officer pulls him out of the car and brutally beats him.
In the last few years, many would agree that incidents police brutality, especially towards those of the black community, have spiked. There have been countless reports of innocent people being beaten or shot by the police, those who are supposed to serve and protect us. Recently, athletes have been taking a knee to peacefully protest the mistreatment of minorities in America, especially by police. There has been an uproar about why it is wrong and disrespectful. That is not the case. Athletes have the right to take a knee because of how detrimental it is to our society, but also because most people have personal experience with discrimination.
“A young nigga got it bad ‘cause I'm brown, and not the other color, so police think, they have the authority to kill a minority. F*ck that Sh*t cause I ain’t the one.” (NWA, 1988). Today’s police brutality is ridiculous. Police brutality is the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians. Every other week a loved black citizen is taken away from us. Over the past decade, police have acted out in ways that have made people wonder if our officers of the law are really doing their job. Unjustified shootings, severe beatings, fatal chokings, and rough treatment have all contributed to the ever-present problem of police brutality in America. Police brutality refers to the
There have been many debates about police brutality. One argument suggests that the police use appropriate force since they are dealing with criminals, while minorities believe that the police abuse their power. African Americans are portrayed as violent criminals and their criminal backgrounds are used against them, while the police use their position to go around the criminal justice system. We're a nation that heavily believes in the ideals of equality, and by not addressing the issue of police brutality in our government, our government will become disorderly. The 14th Amendment states “...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This means that states must apply the law equally to everyone and cannot discriminate against anyone because of their race. The idea of equality, equal protection under the law and equal opportunity, is an ideal solely found in America. However, by having the contradiction of a police force that uses underhanded tactics to suppress another race we don’t live up to our country’s promise.
For over a year now America has been divided in half when it comes to the support or
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened”, said John F. Kennedy. Police Brutality started in 1872 but is also still happening in today’s world. It involves extreme force and weapons in certain situations that may not be needed. Over the years, it has became worse with injuries and deaths increasing. Hearing excessive stories about different victims getting treated like animals. I understand that if you do the crime, you do the time but that doesn’t mean leave them with marks or not even being able to take their last breath. Officers should be retrained the right way on how to handle a difficult situation and be less forceful.
First, I want you to know that I believe all lives matter and are equal
Everyone has an opinion of police officers; whether it’s positive, negative or indifferent. Regardless of the city, as soon as a person encounters an officer, that person will come away with a lasting impression, hopefully it’s a favorable one. Gone are the days of having extra time to meet people and engage in “community policing”. How often have you heard “I was pulled over by the nicest officer today and got 2 tickets that I totally deserved”, or “The police stopped and frisked me today because I matched the description of a suspect, but I understand they were just doing their jobs”? No, they were “harassed”, the tickets were “unfair”, or “those officers had nothing better to do”. Fewer still are people that truly understand the purpose, importance and the cause and effect of even “simple” traffic stops. (In the police academy instructors stress that there is no such thing as a “routine” traffic stop).