The Pros And Cons Of Police Brutality

Since the times of the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century many African-Americans have had strong opinions about the issues regarding police brutality. Police brutality is the excessive use of unnecessary force by the police, violating the human rights of the civilian. The cause of this issue is police officers stereotyping any innocent civilian based on their appearance such as teenagers, African-Americans, or homosexuals. However, the killings of African-Americans have been most perceptible in recent years. In the past few years there has been controversy over the cases that have been taken place. Many lives that have been taken are people such as Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and

Many feel threatened by the police because of their militarization that they have equipped. The novel Black Lives Matter states, “Many argue the militarization of police forces contributes to the sense that police are hostile to residents rather than helpful. This distrust between officers and citizens can go both in directions, worsening the problem”(79). Because of the mistrust between cops and local communities, many people have become scared of the cops or have been harming the lives of police officers thus causing protests against law authority. In 2016 almost 115 officers were killed in ambushes because of the anger towards them. In December of 2014, Former President Barack Obama created the Task Force to build strong relationships between lives of the black community and the police department in effort to strengthen the bonds between the two groups. This plan requires additional police training so that police officers will know how to act in certain situations. Two years after the Michael Brown shooting, Ferguson declared Derish Ross the new chief of police of the city. Derish Ross is an African-American police officer who is looking to diversify the police department in Ferguson. He is not only looking to diversify the department’s system but also create tighter bonds between the people and the police. Ross knew before that taking the job of

In response to the actions taken many African-Americans voiced their opinion by violent protests. For example, after the news had spread that Darren Wilson, the cop that had killed Michael Brown, would not face any sort of punishment, riots broke out in the city of Ferguson. Although there was no evidence of Brown putting his hands up while the officer interrogated him, many protesters used the slogan, “Hands up, Don’t Shoot,” as a way to express that the family of Michael Brown deserved justice. Protesters wanted to show people how their could be no peace without any justice for the victim or the victim’s family. DeAndre Rogers Austin, one of the protestors, spoke out saying, “What is going on here is plain simple. We told them no justice, no peace. We didn’t get our justice so they don’t get their peace” (“Ferguson ablaze after Michael Brown” 1). Protesters were able to show America that they were serious about this issue by looting, burning buildings, and firing grenades. Similar protests have taken place in response to victims such as Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, and Trayvon Martin. Although there have been violent protests, there have also been peaceful movements that have taken place not only by civilians but also by celebrities such as football players and singers. Colin Kaepernick is a former