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Persuasive Essay On Police Brutality

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Many people believe police officers do not have the right to use force when apprehending an individual. Therefore, it is critical that officers make sure that they are performing their duty per the departments policy, before using lethal or non-lethal force to apprehend an individual, which may be classified as police brutality by society. An officer makes a pledge to protect and serve the community for which they are employed. Every time an officer is dispatched to a call there is a sense of uncertainty of what they will encounter. With technology at our fingers tips videos surface which may or may not capture the onset of an officers contact with a suspect. Which results in the media portraying police brutality happening more than it actually does. Many people are quick to judge an officers use of force to apprehend an individual who is not complying with the officers orders, as abusing their powers and police brutality. However, there are laws and regulations that grant officers the right to use the amount of force necessary to apprehend an individual. California Penal Code 835(a) states, “Any peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense may use reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape or to overcome resistance. A peace officer who makes or attempts to make an arrest need not retreat or desist from his efforts by reason of the resistance or threatened resistance of the person being arrested; nor shall such officer be deemed an aggressor or lose his right to self defense by the use of reasonable force to effect the arrest or to prevent escape or to overcome resistance.” (penal code book). Police officers are judged and criticized for using deadly force, because it is believed that officers are meant to serve and protect, not cause harm to others. Getting an exact number of individuals who die as a result of deadly force employed by police officers, is difficult. However there are genuine and authentic sources that can help provide an estimate of deaths caused by law enforcement officers. For example, The CDC Mortality Report and The FBI Uniform Crime Report are responsible for keeping a record of the number of individuals

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