Police Brutality Against African American Essay

African Americans have always been at odds with any form of law enforcement since the very beginning of time. Judged by their skin color, African Americans have experienced numerous encounters with the police force, some warranted and many unwarranted. As time passes the excessive force being used against African Americans increases and the chances of obtaining justice are slim to none. Police brutality against African Americans has become a paradigm of injustice in America. With 458 deaths by police shooting in the year of 2017, that number has rapidly grown according to a study produced by Vox. From Rodney King to Terence Crutcher to Stephon Clark, the violence has merely continued. Though the police force is meant to protect all citizens, research has shown that the police brutality cases

Unfortunately, police officers are rarely prosecuted for the shootings and excessive force. In fact, Rudovsky states that officers will often seem more credible than a citizen (Vox). Officers are more likely to be charged than convicted, the punishment being dismissed from the police force. However, there are numerous cases in which the officer is charged with assault on an African American and is "temporarily removed" from their position, such as the Miami police officer who kicked an unarmed black man in the head. The effect of the lack of prosecution has prompted many African Americans to not only strive for a change in the law enforcement but also to not trust the police anymore. It's to the point where a black American is afraid to call the cops even if they, themselves, represent the victims. Why? There is an underlying fear that white officers will ultimately distrust a black man or woman because their appearance is "suspicious" and completely disregard the motive for the 911 call and instead arrest the