Also, there are many incidents involving officers who use their right to use force that exceeded
One common opinion is that officers should not use more force than is necessary or reasonable, and even then, that force should be used only as a last resort. “Police use force to affect civilians’ conduct. On a day-to-day basis, they do so most often by employing the least degree of force available to them, their mere presence. Cops wear uniforms and drive distinctly marked cars so that, without saying a word, they may have an effect on citizens’ behavior” (Fyfe, 38). When an officer’s presence fails to fulfill the desired conduct, the next course of action for said officer would be verbalization.
Officer and PerpetratorFactors Another important consideration is the officer himself as compared to the subject in question. An officer who is 5'1" and 105 pounds may be justified in using greater force against a subject who is 6'3" 240 pounds than would a taller, heavier and stronger officer in similar situations. Uses of Force More Complicated Than First Looks Suggest All of this goes to demonstrate that uses of force by corrections and police officers are most often far more complicated than a single news report makes them appear.
It can be hard to prosecute a cop for these actions due to the constant state of threat a cop’s life is at while doing their job and the unpredictability of their job. An example of an case where the police’s use of force were questioned was the Wardlaw v. Pickett case. In this case a man named, William C. Wardlaw decided to sue the United States Deputy Marshals, William Pickett and Albert Crew. Wardlaw claimed that the two violated his constitutional rights by using excessive force on him and falsing arresting and prosecuting him.
Consequently, officers try to counteract behavior patterns they display. Case in point, an officer may use extreme force on suspects who make efforts to resist or contest police authority. When police overreact to these situations they feel that they are justified due the resistance by the suspect. If law enforcement agents justify their actions in every situation police brutality is going to intensify.
For one thing, accusations of law enforcement using excessive force and the outcomes of the use of excessive force is flooding the media as it changes the public’s view of the people who sworn to protect and serve us. The question that the people should be asking is ,“ what compels some officers to abuse the power that is granted to them?” In a survey titled," A neutral look at police Brutality" it serves as a non-bias source about law enforcement views about police brutality. that was composed by police officers it stated that
Many officers have been tried due to the excessive force. Some of these officers have have ended up being convicted of the crime, where others just lost their job. There have been many been many well publicized high profile cases in the last 30 years, where some of the officers have been arrested due to their part
Police officers are faced with array situations each day they decide to wear the uniform for their department in which they work for. Each day is a different day with different situations that they will encounter and no two situations are ever the same. When responding to a call officers are already in the position of having to make a decision on how to handle the situation they are about to respond too. This is normally done with little supervision and advice from their fellow co-workers, this is where the heart of a police officer discretion comes in. In today’s society officers in some areas can face situations when extreme force will be necessary.
The main goal of a officer is to gain control of situation, to protect and serve the community. So if they can 't regulate the problem, by using the low levels of force, then they simply must increase the amount of force. Also
Officers abuse their power and most of the time get away with it which is not right, they are figures that the public trust to enforce the laws and keep them
In law enforcement the bond between two officers is something that is essential. These men and women develop such a trust and respect for each other it becomes like they are an extended family member. Sometimes family make decisions for other family members that they know is immoral and this is what happens amongst officers, they find themselves defending an immoral act for the benefit of a family member. Especially if the violation may cause the job of an officer. This band of brotherhood will protect a partner even if they are caught committing a wrong.
Law enforcement agents are should behave to a standard that is greater than the average civilian. Police brutality comes from an abuse of power granted to the police. Police brutality is often drawn on by overreaction in certain situations drawn on by panic. Police using excessive force in the United States is a crucial dilemma and must be stopped.
A very common one is an officer of the law will feel a sense of authority or develop an attitude, causing them to act as if they are above the law. There are several reasons why these officers act the way they do. One is that speculated that some personality traits can cause the officer to be more aggressive. It is also rumored that bad past experiences can cause the officers to be more
In some cases, police officers exert excessive force on individuals. The amount of force should be necessary for the situation. For example, a police officer should not use a weapon because a civilian will not obey an initial command. In the article, When Does Force Become Excessive?,
The public has a misconception that deadly force is the same thing as excessive force. They can be similar if the police use deadly force to a point where every officer discharges their entire magazine on person when the threat has been eliminated. Officers receive hours of training on how to shoot a gun, but sometime receive little instruction on how to determine when to use the gun. Training starts in the Police Academy, and continues throughout their careers. There are officers who teach and train the departments every month.
