Police Shooting Dr Lewinski Summary

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

Police brutality is seen as a real problem in America today. What people do not seem to realize is that the police carry a massive burden each day. The work that officers do has the potential to be very demanding and sometimes involves dangerous situations. In these situations the officers are in the position where they may be required to use force to gain control. The continuum of force dictates the level that is most appropriate for the situation. Most people do not realize that is not the officers job the meet the force. However, it is their job to overcome the force. Police departments have very strict standard operating procedures about officer use force and how force is applied. With this paper, I will attempt to explain the continuum of force, police discretion, and why the police can do some of the things they do.

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?

In light of the recent spate of police-involved homicides of suspects who may or may not have put the lives of the police involved in fear for their safety and well-being, this paper seeks to examine the use of deadly force by police officers in the line of duty. The training involved in using one’s service weapon in situations that call for a determination of the use of force will be explored, as will the rules, regulations, and extenuating circumstances that lead to the firing of a service weapon in the line of duty, resulting in the death of a suspect. The Supreme Court cases that have led to and/or upheld laws allowing a broader interpretation of what is considered justifiable use of deadly force will be briefly examined. Additionally, the use of non-lethal weapons, such as Tasers, by police forces and how the availability of these weapons influences the rate of deadly force will be inspected. Finally, an elucidation of the various perceptions of the general public of the police after use of deadly force is used within their communities will be addressed.

Walter Scott’s shooting by a police officer in April 2015 defines the racism in the American policing from a new perspective. In the incident, 33-year-old American police officer Michael Slager shot Walter Scott eight times in the back when Scott tried to run away from him. Slager had asked Scott to pull over because of some issues in the taillight of the car. Slager claimed before the court that he had to take this action because Scott had taken away his taser, and he was afraid that Scott might be a threat to his own life. However, later evidence from Feidin Santana, a passerby, revealed to the media a video that Santana had shot at the time of this incident. In this video, it was evident that Slager and Scott indulged in a little brawl before Scott tried to run away. Slager had his taser intact because the video clarifies that while tackling the dead body of Scott, Slager was seen handling his taser - it was not in the victim 's hands. Slager was dismissed with immediate effect from his post, and he was accused of murder (Infobase). The injustice of Walter Scott 's death clearly demonstrates that it is crucial for all police officers to wear body cameras. Police officers in body cameras will prevent violence between officers and civilians, hold officers accountable for inappropriate behavior, and serve as on-hand evidence for future judicial actions.

Police Ethics when policing minorities and use of force is a hot button topic socially today. With the recent climb of deaths caused by Police or while in police custody the questionability of ethics in minority has risen among all and not just with the minority groups. There are many current cases where the use of force that police officers chose is queried on excessive force. Recently there are several cases that bring investigation into the ethics of the officers who are involved in using deadly force. In a heartbeat the decision must be made of when and how much force is needed for the situation. Excessive use of force by some police officers, violating one human rights include unjustified shootings, fatal choking, tough beatings and rough treatment, continue because low levels of personal accountability continue to make it possible for officers to escape punishment and allow for repeated offenses. The ethics of officers involved of a case when force is used should be thoroughly investigated and questioned by the proper authorities as well as all involved.

Police abuse has remained one of the most serious human rights violation in the United States. It is the use of excessive and unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians. The past decade has introduced us to a new wave of police brutality. With technology and media emerging, the people become more aware every day about inhumane behavior against innocent citizens. With the proper research, the opportunity to seek reasoning behind police brutality can lead to a cogent effort to end or significantly decrease misconducts committed by law enforcers.

Police brutality is a very real problem that many Americans face today. The police carry an enormous burden each day. Police work is very stressful and involves many violent and dangerous situations. In many confrontations the police are put in a position in which they may have to use force to control the situation. There are different levels of force and the situation dictates the level use most of the time. The police have very strict rules about police use force and the manner in which they use it. In this paper I will try to explain the many different reason the police cross the line, and the many different people that this type of behavior effects. There are thousands of reports each year of assaults and ill treatment against

Knowing that there are currently, 421 pending cases that the police department has not solved in informing the public why police officers fired shots to those out of the 708 people, let us to believe that this is one of the reasons why the public is so outraged on police officers’ actions (“Fatal Force”, n.d.). If we have more cases being completed, then the public would not question the police officers’ decisions on why they have to shoot the person. Furthermore, if the police department has more completed cases regarding this issue, then the public can start valuing police officer’s dedication to public safety.

Most of the police brutality cannot be attributed to any significant proof but is only based on racial profiling. As such, the police attempted to detain suspects who they assumed to be behaving in a suspicious manner, any form of resistance resulted in fatal shooting. Furthermore, in most cases, blacks who were shot were not armed even though police tried to prove that they had within their reach dangerous items like knives (Russell-Brown, 2004). While carrying out their duties, police officers justify their actions against black people by arguing that they felt threatened or were in a position that forced them to shoot. It shows that speculation and a negative attitude against black people were the main reasoning behind the brutal treatment

Throughout the recent years many incidents have occurred between citizens and law enforcement agents that has brought light to police brutality. The media has played the biggest role by focusing mainly on negative actions that law enforcement agents take rather than the positive ones. Law enforcement agents across the country have received a bad name and continue to receive negative backlash for the many incidents that have occurred. No not every officer is perfect and yes there are bad apples, however because the media has focused on the negativity, people across our country are quick to jump to conclusion when they see or hear what is in the media. Although most incidents may seem similar in the media, in light of the fact that they involve officers shooting “innocent victims”, every incident and case is different and the media does not always show or tell both sides of the story. In this paper I will be investigating two incidents that have occurred in the past year regarding black suspects being shot and killed by white police officers. One case happened in South Carolina and the other in Illinois. After investigating and finding facts I will then compare both cases to the Supreme Court case: Tennessee v. Garner 1985, and determine what case is the most alike to it and why.

In order to understand the reasons behind the widespread use of force by police officers, we have to understand contributing factors. Robert E. Worden connects theories of police brutality with new evidence on the use of force by police. Researched: (Lundman, 1974; South and Visher, 1981) concluded that the demeanor of suspect influences arrest. Arrest is more likely if you are disrespectful to police officers. Decisions are based on situational

The police work to keep everyone safe and keep order in society by enforcing laws, by investigating and preventing crimes. Recently it has become clear that things do not always work on that way. Sometimes police officers brutalize civilians and damage their possessions. The United States of America is one country where this phenomenon of police brutality is intensifying with no signs of slowing down. According to the statistics of The Washington Post, American police merely shot a thousand of people last year, and of those, just five hundred and sixty four were armed with guns. Kimberly Kindy, an investigative reporter at the newspaper Washington Post warned the public opinion about the trend of this phenomenon when she said, "In fact there has been an increase, a six per cent increase in fatal shootings when we compare the first six months of last year to the first six months of this year. There are about three people who are dying a day fatally shot by officers”. Her investigation provides evidence that the violence is increasing daily. It becomes clear that the violence of police forces becomes a serious national problem. However, this police brutality is the tree that conceals the huge crisis of the American Police.

There have been many serious incidences involving the police’s use of force bridging over a decade. Due to the advancement in technology, many of these incidents have been videoed and used as evidence in court cases involving the police’s use of force unnecessarily. For example, in July 2014 Eric Garner’s death arising from an officer using a chokehold on the victim. One month after, another officer fatally shot a teen (Wihbey & Kille, 2015). In Virginia, a college professor was walking to avoid some construction that had obstructed the walkway. She was approached by an officer and ordered that she produce some identification. The professor questioned the officer as to why she was stopped. The officer replied she was jaywalking and demanded she produces some identification or he was going to arrest her. Needless to say, the professor did not comply, and she was slammed to the ground causing her dress to expose parts of her body, she retaliated and was arrested. The community was outraged (Moi, 2014). According to the Washington Post, police officers tend to use force, especially when dealing with suspects that have mental instabilities. “Nationwide, police have shot and killed 124 people this year, who were in the midst of mental or emotional crisis” (Lowery et al., 2015). The authors further note, that in these incidences, police are likely to react using tactics, which worsen a volatile situation, by using force.

When debating the issue of police use of force, the issue of what actions constitute too much force must also be addressed. Another concern is the possibility of corruption amount officers. When given such great power, the probability of corruption is high. Officers generally do not start out as corrupt, but years of work on the force can create animosity between officers and suspects and lead them to decide to use force more quickly (McEwen, 1996). Many times, officers patrol the streets alone which creates the opportunity for potential abuse of power (McEwen, 1996). Although police officers need to be permitted to exercise some discretion, they also need limits and guidelines to follow when using their powers of discretion (Manning, 1997). The decision to use force should not be taken lightly in that citizen’s lives are at stake. Police should be allowed discretion in decisions to use force; however, this discretion should be limited. In several cases in Arizona, officers have used deadly means of force. In all cases, the officers