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Police Brutality Case Study

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In the early 1960s numerous inner-city riots occurred within the United States. These riots were triggered by law enforcement officers, the police, murdering multiple citizens. Police use of deadly or lethal force was not publicized until the 1960s following these events. Since the 1960s, any level of force exchanged between police officers and citizens must have probable cause (Scharf & Binder, 1983). Various scholars have attempted to study the use of deadly force amongst officer-citizen interactions. Physical force used by police, specifically deadly force, has negatively impacted society’s views on the criminal justice system. Subsequently, police practitioners have made substantial improvements in their guidelines and police procedures …show more content…

The use of deadly, or lethal, force is an unwarranted part of society. Deadly force is not always needed to subdue or incapacitate a specific suspect. The use of deadly force has become the foundation for largely publicized police brutality case. An example would be the case involving Eric Garner. Eric Garner was a victim of excessive force used by police. The circumstances surrounding this particular case did not merit lethal force- the use of power the police had in such a situation were not used properly. In cases where the public argued that excessive police force was not required and the death of the individual (victim) could have been avoided if the situation was approached and handled differently (Scharf & Binder, …show more content…

The police officer(s) must feel their life or the life of the public is in imminent danger before firing a firearm; with the intention to subdue the suspect. When deadly force is used improperly, the family of the victim may bring a case against the officer or officers. In this situation, the family may argue bias, racism, medical conditions, improper police training or mental incompetence (National Institute of Justice, 2015).
The amount of force a law enforcement officer (the police) uses depends on the circumstances and severity of the threat- on the public or the officer. When a situation requires deadly force, the police officer is more than likely acting in self-defense and in the defense of another person or group of people. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the use of physical force is defined as “the amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject”. Police officers use the force that is necessary to placate or incapacitate the ‘subject’ and eliminate the threat (National Institute of Justice,

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When is it okay for an officer to use deadly force? In the case Tennessee v Garner the biggest issue among the courts was deadly force. Was the deadly force used by Officer Elton Hymon necessary against Edward Garner? An officer should only result to deadly force if a suspect is attempting to flee in order to escape custody or is armed and is threatening the officer’s

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Police brutality has been occurring since the idea of a police officer was first brought up. Officers have found many holes through the law enforcement system. This brings upon many types of misconduct and excessive force. Unfortunately, police officers are not usually held accountable for their brutality. “The Incentive Program, or the method of police chiefs using promises of contraband going to sub-departments that lack the money in the budget, gives officers more incentive to not only plant evidence to make an entire estate contraband, but it also lets them rationalize lining their own pockets” (White).

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In today’s modern society, many feel that is okay for a police officer can kill a man armed with a harmful weapon at any cost. On many news channels, there are various amounts of articles and reports about a police officer committing this act. Even though a police officer has the right to take action against an armed man, this could be argued in many circumstances. In the 2013, Sammy Yatim was a young adult with a mental illness and was armed with a weapon on a streetcar in Toronto. Yatim was confronted by Const.

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Annotated Bibliography Books Dudley, William, et al., editors. Police Brutality. D.L. Bender, 1991. • Police Brutality gives information on how police brutality is a widespread issue in the United States and explains different controversies and cases that relate to police brutality. • The editors of this book include activists and nonfiction authors who provide reliable information on what happened during different incidences of police brutality and the viewpoints and controversies that come with it.

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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.

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Police officers use the amount of force necessary to ease the situation, arrest an individual, or protect themselves and others from harm. A certain amount of people understand that excessive force is required in different situations. There are moments when police officers will be obligated to use excessive force to calm the situation. For example; Rahtz said, “Then you have others who understand that in some situations, force is not only necessary but is required, if serious, injury or death is avoided” (Rahtz, 2007). Force can be necessary and understood

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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.

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This report is showing light to the communities’ response to police brutality particularly in the black communities and also their encounters with police officers. Police brutality is physical violence and great cruelty demonstrated by a police officer. Police brutality and misconduct have existed for many decades and it even has been broadcasted in news stories over America, but nothing has changed. It has happened predominantly to African Americans in lower-income states. Police officers are given slaps on the wrist for taking a life or injuring an innocent person.

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Xialea Mclean Police force is sufficient or should use more Police officers are only supposed to use the amount of force necessary to prevent any accidents. According to the National Institute of Justice ,"the use of force by law enforcement officers becomes necessary and is permitted under specific circumstances, such as in self-defense or in defense of another individual or group. " The law enforcement are allowed to use lethal, non-lethal force, physical, and verbal restraints. The amount of force used by the law can be depended by the situation they are currently in. While on duty, a officers are trained to judge when the situation requires a use of force.

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People pick the side that either defends or criticize police officers use of force. However, the people do not realize that this topic is plainly ridiculous and dangerous. This issue will not only hurt both sides, but also harm innocent civilians as well. Police brutality is a big dispute between different communities; however, there are several solutions that can solve this

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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.

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Greek and Slavic mythology and culture have influenced each other over the years. In both cultures, the people used myths and gods/goddesses to explain how the seasons changed. The god/goddess that embodied spring was reluctant to leave the world of the living to go to the Underworld. * Violence plays a big part in these myths, representing the harsh change to the colder seasons. The differences and similarities in the myths Persephone and Jarilo represent the differences and similarities between Ancient Greek and Ancient Slavic culture.

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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?,

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For decades now, the controversy over deadly force has continued to show up in the news when police officers have acted in a manner that some citizens find just while others deem completely unfair. Many lawsuits stemming from shootings and crimes have found their way to local courts or the Supreme Court to deal with this issue. A portion of the U.S. population finds deadly force unnecessary when non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray or batons just as easily subdue the criminal. In addition, these citizens argue that officers might be liable for cases filed against them if they use excess force on people that seem suspicious but have not actually committed a crime. On the other hand, the opposing argument in favor of deadly force states that

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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.

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