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Opinions On The Use Of Discretionary Powers In Law Enforcement

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In my opinion and going based off some of the things that have transpired due to some deadly interactions with law enforcement I feel that discretionary powers should be in full effect in all situations excluding ones where a life can potentially be taken by an officer. I’m all for police discretion in areas in which you deal with juveniles, traffic stops, domestic situations, drug related offenses and any offenses of that nature due to the fact most of these situations and offenses aren’t usually violent nor as serious in nature as responding to say a hostage situation or an armed robbery in progress. For example, if you find yourself pulled over for going 53 Mph when the speed limit is 50 I would be comfortable leaving this to the officer’s …show more content…

Don’t get me wrong I understand that in certain situations where there’s no other option. But under legal requirements deadly force is only to be used when there’s reasonable belief that the suspect will possibly harm an officer or others in the community. In a situation, such as A shootout with a suspect or a hostage situation I would be understanding of the use of Deadly force and it is justified on the part of the officers. Another situation I feel it would be necessary is when A suspect is seen brandishing a weapon or if you’re in pursuit of a reckless runaway driver that is exhibiting actions to make you believe that they have a disregard for the safety and lives of others. That’s another situation where the officer either has no choice or the decision they make will prevent any senseless …show more content…

Sometimes officers are even put in a circumstance where it is beyond their control. January 6, 2015 A man was shot and killed by San Francisco police officers and later revealed to have left behind several suicide notes in his cellphone, including one addressed directly to police. Matthew Hoffman, 32, was shot that Sunday evening after he entered a restricted parking lot at a police station and brandished what appeared to be a handgun. It was later discovered to be airsoft gun that fired small pellets like projectiles. San Francisco police later made public a note titled "Dear Officer(s)" with the granted permission of Hoffman 's father, authorities said in a public statement. In the note, Hoffman, said the officers "ended the life of a man who was too much of a coward to do it himself." "Please, don 't blame yourself. I used you. I took advantage of you," Hoffman added. Hoffman was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he later died due to his wounds. None of the officers were not injured. When asked about the case officer Gordon Shyy had this to say, “The air-soft gun did not have a colored tip on it, which is a standard identifier of a toy gun.” He declined to discuss any other details of the case when further questioned. After reading the article in its entirety I can say that this is clearly A

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874 Words | 4 Pages

He came back to the jail and gave himself up. At the time the wound did not appear serious but blood poisoning set in and death followed. Coseboom and Saunders told authorities Millard had fired recklessly and should be fired. A jury found the shot fired by the officer was in the line of duty and no blame

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451 Words | 2 Pages

Oscar Grant III was a 22 year-old African American man who was fatally shot in the morning hours of New Years Day, 2009 by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserie in Oakland, California. Responding to reports of a fight on a crowded Bay Area Rapid Transit train returning from San Francisco, BART Police officers detained Grant and several other passengers on the platform at the Fruitvale BART Station. Officer Johannes Mehserle and another officer forced the unarmed, Oscar Grant to lie face down. Mehserle drew his pistol and shot Grant in the back. Several witnesses claim Mehserle said “Oh my God!”

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941 Words | 4 Pages

He first told the police that he fired the gun blindly while

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1724 Words | 7 Pages

Hymon yelled “police halt” and took a few steps towards him. Garner began to climb over the fence. Hymon shot him because he was convinced that if Garner made it over the fence he would elude capture. Garner was shot in the back and he died on the operating table. It turns out that Garner had only stolen ten dollars and a purse.

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1126 Words | 5 Pages

Const. James Forcillo was the police officer who took charge against Yatim and shot him a total of nine times. Many would argue that the first three shots were to paralyze Yatim and keep him on the floor of the streetcar, although the other six shots were unnecessary. It was proven that, Yatim had consumed about 3-4 types of illicit drugs and had a mental illness. With Yatim on a dosage of multiple drugs and having a mental illness Forcillo and the rest of his unit should have taken charge easily

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1117 Words | 5 Pages

I believe that there is often a lack of accountability, as well as superiors to believe officers rather than those who may accuse officers of acting. “When Walter Scott fled from the North Charleston police, he was not merely fleeing Michael Thomas Slager, he was attempting to flee incarceration.” (Paragraph 2) While more training and body cameras may decrease the number of violent and deadly situations between police and suspects and they are not the solution to the problem. This flaw in the criminal justice system, Coastes argues, ultimately comes down to how often minors view police as a power, rather than an authority meant to protect. Many believe that our justice system is a fair one, based on the idea that one is innocent until proven guilty that all deserve a fair trial etc.

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528 Words | 3 Pages

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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474 Words | 2 Pages

At the same time that I believe there are police officers who use excessive force, I believe there are people who are defying and undermining the officers. At the same time that the officers are protecting themselves, the innocent citizens should not be getting shot. Philando Castile’s gun was not even loaded, nor did he ever reach for the gun. This is one of the most asked topics that presidential candidates were asked during their election periods. It does not really seem like much can be done with the situation until the officer for this particular case goes on trial.

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706 Words | 3 Pages

The way officers use power should be used in certain situations but, all situations don’t need force. Police brutality is cruel; as the police are paid to protect people from danger, not bring on additional harm and stretch. Police should be prepared and trained the right way, so they don't use extra force. Police are put on a grid of power and so we expect. Over

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1872 Words | 8 Pages

There are many concerns for a working police officer in America. Officers can face several types of dangers while on duty. Most of the time when police officers sign up for their job they already have prior knowledge of the risk they may be taking. They represent the civil authority of the government. According to Rose Johnson, "The job of a police officer is risky, and officers incur a higher rate of illnesses and injury than the national average for other jobs.

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1006 Words | 5 Pages

Use of force is the amount of force used in a given situation during police work. The police are supposed to follow the continuum when it come to using force. This continuum is known as the “Use of Force Continuum”. Despite this, use of force is still a constant problem in policing. There are many cases where a cop are sued for using more force than necessary, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident.

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892 Words | 4 Pages

On January 1st 2009 Officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed an innocent man. Oscar Grant was just getting off of the train from a previous New Year's party with a group of his friends. While on the train, one rider had reported that a fight broke out onboard. When Grant and his friends made it to the station, they were taken custody. That is when Officer Mehserle intentionally shot and killed Oscar Grant.

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1579 Words | 7 Pages

The use of Police Force in the country is a growing concern. It may be exaggerated within the news however The United States Civil Rights Commission has brought up this issue. “Police officers are authorized by department policies to use force in certain situations: to protect themselves, to affect an arrest, to overcome resistance, and to bring a dangerous situation under control. The relevant question is, when is the use of force excessive and gone too far?” (Walker & Katz, 393, 2013).

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1683 Words | 7 Pages

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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694 Words | 3 Pages

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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