Should There Be Direct Laws Against Police Brutality Essay

Police brutality is any unjustified use of excessive violence, abuse, humiliation or racism from a police officer that insults or degrades someone else. Police brutality occurrences range from crude language and harassment to severe beatings and murder. Some believe these incidences are caused because police officers are granted too much power as a result of the badges they carry. Other examples of police misusing their authority include discrimination, partisanship, public humiliation, and defamation. Victims of police brutality have been dehumanized by humiliation, discrimination and physical abuse.

“New York Man Detained, Choked and Thrown to the Ground by NYPD- For Dancing in the Street”, “San Francisco Cop Caught Choking a Sleeping Hospital Patient, then Falsely Arresting Him”, “Police Kill Unarmed Man On His Doorstep As He Brought Dinner To His Family”, and “Cop Trying to Kill the Family Dog, Kills Woman Instead, In Front of her Husband and 4-year-old Son” are few of many controversial headlines of police brutality-related articles on thefreethoughtproject.com. Police brutality is when cops use unnecessary force while dealing with citizens and it takes place in many different ways. The most common and recognized type of police brutality is physical abuse, but there is also verbal abuse, psychological intimidation, false arrests, racism, and improper use of guns and Tasers. Police brutality is a huge crisis in our country and needs to be eliminated.

Police brutality is the deliberate use by police of more than necessary force, used to accomplish legitimate police missions of subduing violent people, catch criminals and suspects or protecting life and public order.

Police brutality is the lavish physical assault or verbal assault during police procedures which can involve interrogating or apprehending a suspect. Police brutality originated from the labor worker strikes in the 1800’s through the 1900’s. The violent brutal act of these officers usually formed around the lower socioeconomic class. Since then police brutality has hit an all-time high in the 21st century. In New York alone there has been reportedly over 72 police brutality reports some reports even ended in the deaf of a citizen. There’s been claim of police officers violently choking citizens at traffics stops and beating citizen up in public. There’s been new technology such as body cameras which are used by most police but not all.

What is police brutality? Police brutality is an act of misconduct done by a member law enforcement through the use of an extreme amount of force to physically, mentally, or emotionally attack a member of society. Many law enforcement officers, those sworn to protect and serve, have abused their rights and authority to ferociously assault and manipulate citizens, even if they were innocent. Citizens who have been attacked have been left with physical and emotional scars that can never go away; in some cases, it has even caused death. In a report by David Packman, prepared for the Cato Institute in 2011, states that 247 deaths were linked to police misconduct cases.(Packman 2011)

According to Encyclopedia.com, police brutality is the use of any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose. Probably the most notorious example of police brutality is case of Rodney King. On March 2nd, 1991 King was involved in a high-speed chase with California Highway Patrol. Mr. King was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana and was trying to outrun the police because a charge of driving under the influence would of have violated his parole for previous robbery conviction. After 8 miles of high-speed chase King’s car was cornered and moments later he was severely beaten by 8 police officers. Later it was determined in court that Mr. King received 31 hits with PR 24 metal batons, 6 kicks and 2 Taser zaps each carrying 50, 000 volts (Linder). Rodney King sustained severe physical trauma, including 11 fractures. His initial surgery took three doctors working five hours straight to keep him alive. In a CNN interview in 1994 the ophthalmologist who treated King said some bones were so pulverized they were like grains of sand. Fortunately this incident was filmed by George Holliday from his apartment and King’s case viral within hours (CNN).

Police brutality is the use of excessive and/ or unnecessary force by police when dealing

Police brutality is abuse of power in the form of excessive force committed by the police. Examples of this range from physical assault to psychological intimidation. Contrary to popular belief, many forms of police brutality include emotional and psychological aspects on top of physical. It can also take the form of false arrests, verbal abuse, and racial profiling. In countless accumulating cases across the country, police brutality has proved lethal (Danalina 1).

What is police brutality? It is the use of excessive or unnecessary force by law enforcement when dealing with civilians (The Law Dictionary). The term “excessive use of force” is described as a force well beyond what would be necessary in order to handle a situation. Police brutality can be seen in a number of ways. Physical is the most obvious form of the police brutality. Police officers can use equipment such as nerve gas, batons, pepper spray, and guns in order to physically intimidate or even hurt civilians. Bernstein (2016) described that another form of police brutality is false arrests, sexual abuse, psychological intimidation, police corruption, verbal abuse, racial profiling, and the improper use of Tasers.

Police brutality is the extreme misconduct against civilians by police officers by ways of ranging from beating, sexual abuse, killing, and harassing (BRITANNICA). Although, police officers are given jurisdiction to use discretion on their reason and use of force, some officers take advantage of their limits and exercise excessive force. It is inappropriate and unacceptable for a uniformed police officer to unnecessarily harm citizens (HUFF POST). Police brutality of a defenseless citizens can lead to protests, riots, and public outrage. When tensions occur, complaints by citizens are often never investigated due to law enforcement’s desire to cover up the mistreatment and because police brutality is difficult to prove depending on the scenario. The case of Rodney King, racial discrimination, NFL protests, body cameras, excuses, and the September 11th terrorist attacks were all affected by the misconduct and violence brought upon by police brutality.

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.

Predictably, most complaints of police brutality involve excessive physical force by patrol officers during the course of arrests, searches, traffic stops, the issuing of warrants, and street incidents. Common forms of ill-treatment are repeated kicks, punches, or blows with batons or other weapons--sometimes after a suspect has already been restrained

The most famous case of police brutality occurred on the night of March 3rd, 1991, when Rodney King was pulled over by LAPD officers. A video taken of the encounter shows King being savagely beaten by metal batons long after being subdued. The LAPD responded, saying the department had “inadequate supervisory and management attention”, noting that “of approximately 1,800 officers against whom an allegation of excessive force or improper tactics was made from 1986 to 1990, more than 1,400 had only one or two allegations. But 183 officers had four or more allegations. Forty-four had six or more, 16 had eight or more, and one had 16 such allegations” (West Valley College). Clearly, a vast majority of police officers abuse their power. But clearly this is not on an individual level;

Police brutality is a civil rights violation that occurs when a police officer acts with excessive force by using an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is more than necessary. Excessive force by law enforcement officers is a violation of a person 's rights. Excessive force is not subject to a precise definition, but it is generally beyond the force a reasonable and prudent law enforcement officer would use under the circumstances (“Police Brutality Law & Legal Definition”,2013).

Over the years United States has witnessed a substantial increase in police brutality, it is one of the most common and serious violation of the human rights and it happens more often than we care to know in our communities, ranging from verbal to physical abuse in which usually an innocent person results injured as police officers lay their called justice upon the alleged criminals.