Category: Police Brutality

From trying to cash a check at the bank, to mowing lawns, to sleeping in the college dorms or even coming home to an apartment building, there are numerous stories of African-Americans being harassed. Women, men, and even children going about their daily lives only to be intruded by strangers provoked by their presence and this provocation often ending in police involvement. Advancement in technology has made it easier to capture these incidents and reveal how African-Americans have become targets of hate crimes. This disgusting practice of racial profiling has resulted in numerous people of color forced to live their lives in fear of being thrown into the sunken place by white people and created a stigma for law enforcement toward them. Police brutality is an inheritance of African-American suppression, enslavement, and legal inequality.

Racial profiling refers to the use of race, gender, ethnical background or even religion as police reasoning for stopping, searching, or arresting without probable cause. In Jordan Peele’s movie GET OUT, Chris is racially profiled when instead of investigating the crash, the police immediately asked Chris to see his driver’s license. Racial profiling is based on those who are victims of discriminatory acts. Racial profiling appears to be more effective when the group being profiled are oppressed. Police officials refer to complaints on racial profiling as merely citizens misinterpretation on the precaution and procedures performed by law enforcement on a day to day basis. The term “Protect and Serve” is an apprehension in reference to predominantly white neighborhoods, while minority communities rather receive the “Law and Order” approach.

For years African-Americans have been stereotyped into being criminals; young Blacks have been portrayed as thieves, abusers, and even biological mistakes. Someone who has been affected by this racial profiling is Earlene Miller, a former CSUN student. I had the privilege of interviewing her on her experience of obtaining a credit card and overcoming identity fraud. She explained to me the judgmental look the bank employees gave her and even the rude remarks she received upon discovering she was a victim of identity fraud. What fascinated most about my observation came from my workplace, where I viewed racial profiling first hand by employees solely asking Black students to verify their credit cards with another form of identification.

In the article by Richard J. Lundman and Robert L. Kaufman labeled, “Driving While Black: Effects of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender on Citizen Self-Reports of Traffic Stops and Police Actions,” they explain how African-Americans have become the most popular suspects in improbable police stops, “although African Americans made up only 8% of the city’s population aged 15 years and older, 12% of all traffic stops involved African-American drivers, as did 14% of traffic stops for equipment violations” (R.J. Lundman and R.L. Kaufman 120). Racial profiling falsely stops and sometimes convicts innocent Blacks solely based on the color of their skin.

Throughout the movie GET OUT, Peele shows common stigmas linked to the African-American community. The protagonist Chris finds himself being faced with many stereotypical questions concerning both his physical aspects and perception view in being a Black man in modern society. The elder Lisa squeezes Chris’ bicep, which then leads to her question, “A bit too familiar. So, is it true? The love making. Is it better?” (Peele 48). This quote unfolds how racial profiling and theories tied to African-American communities occur. The assumption is made that Chris would, of course, be strong because he is Black and that he gives great sexual experiences. Over a decade ago the assumption was accepted that African race was superior and that their genitalia size correlate to their shoe size. With few planning and procedures, this myth formulates into a misconception that sticks to our Black men. No matter how hard we fight for change, the systems silence us into the sunken place.

Peele is one of many Black activists staying woke to this racial profiling tossed onto Black communities to juggle. The caucasian artist known as Eminem raps in his song Untouchable, “Why is there Black neighborhoods? / Cause America segregated us/ Designated us to an area/ Separated us/ Section-eight’d us’ — and criticized bad cops who ‘fu*k it up for good cops,” (YouTube). The artist places himself in the shoes of a racist white cop who antagonizes Black people by gushing hateful slander such as “Black boy,” a frequently used term by slave owners to belittle Black men during the slavery period in America.

For many Americans, a simple traffic stop is a regular incident that occurs. On the other hand, for racial minorities, a routine traffic stop has a completely different meaning. Historically, relations between law enforcement and people of color have been uneasy, and numerous members of the Black community have come to believe we are prey for law enforcement because of the color of our skin. It has become widely aware that Americans, more specifically African-Americans, conclude that police use race as a justification for criminal involvement. In Ron Finley’s Ted talk “ A Guerilla Gardener in South Central,” he states, “To change the community you have to change the composition of soil” (Finely). He meant in order to bring awareness to the suppression weighed on people of color, we must first address that we are suppressed. For centuries African- Americans have been in continuous battle that police officers scrutinize their behavior constantly and countless reports have captured the fear people of color have of being arrested even when foul play isn’t present.

Racial profilings in contemporary debates focuses on whether it exists in concern to an officer’s intentional discrimination or if they have a policy or custom of racail profiling. It is unlikely that an officer will admit his or her bias or that an agency will produce their racially-biased policy, thus making definitive proof of profiling difficult to ascertain. The U.S. Department of Justice defines as a decision by law enforcement that “rests on the erroneous assumption that any particular individual of one race or ethnicity is more likely to engage in misconduct than any particular individual of other races or ethnicities” (Kami Chavis Simmons “Beginning to End Racial Profiling: Definitive Solutions to an Elusive Problem”). Race has justified social inequalities as natural. Although race is biologically meaningless, white people make it socially and culturally significant.

Overall, racial profiling is a problem with the solution within it. While efforts to gather data on racial profiling have been attempted, the focus must shift from trying to prove it is occuring to changing the perceptions Blacks have tied to them and building trust between those who protect and serve and the people who need the protecting and serving. In America, Blacks are only free in battle never in rest leaving them with no choice but to sink in. There is inequality because of discrimination, oppression,, privilege, and opportunity- NOT because of biology. Being colorblind will not end racism.

Works Cited

1. Peele, Jordan- GET OUT File:///home/chronos/u-f21888ec51b1394c01a3f324aa50e1bd64f0559f/MyFiles/Downloads/GET-OUT%20(1).pdf Accessed 23 September 2019.
2. Lundman, J. Richard, and Kaufman, L. Robert- “Driving While Black: Effects of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender on Citizen Self-Reports of Traffic Stops and Police Actions” http://urbanaillinois.us/sites/default/files/attachments/04-social-science-subcommittee-report-part-1.pdf Accessed 28 September 2019.
3. Marshall, Emine- Untouchable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56KYMMGudcU Accessed 30 September 2019.
4. Finley, Ron- A Guerilla Gardener in South Central https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la?language=en Accessed 26 September 2019.
5. Simmons, Kami Chavis. ‘Beginning to End Racial Profiling: Definitive Solutions to an Elusive Problem.’
6. Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice 18.1 (2011): 25. Web. Accessed 1 October 2019.

Novelist Angie Thomas and her novel “The Hate U Give” expresses the life of a sixteen year old girl named Starr, who was a witness to her best friend Khalil get murdered by the police in cold blood. Thomas purpose for writing the “The Hate U Give” is to convey the message of being able to stand up against important issues such as racism and police brutality. The loss of Starr’s best friend Khalil was the major event in the book that brings about the issue of police brutality in the book. Thomas describes how people can fight for justice by coming together, which in turn establishes the theme of being able to speak up and fight for justice against racism and police brutality. The novel is mainly identified as pathos, uses several figurative languages, and also uses a cautious tone in dealing with the ongoing issue of police brutality in the novel.

With regards to the use of repetition in the novel, Thomas creates emphasis on the situations that develop within the characters in the novel, which in turn leaves the reader to identify the novel mainly to be pathos. Thomas makes the reader feel connected to the characters by describing the types of emotions the characters go through. When Khalil had just been shot, it became very difficult for Starr to breathe because she was in complete shock and was also really terrified about what had just happened to the point that she “gasp. And gasp. And gasp (Thomas 21).” Seeing that Khalil was killed by an officer that was supposed to be protecting the citizens, Thomas intends on making the reader pay attention to the events that were occurring, the reason being that the reader can only use their imaginations to figure out whatever is going on in the passage with the help of context clues. After Khalil was shot, Starr knew that the same fate could await her if she did anything, but she could not do anything about it because her “Instincts says don’t move, but everything else says check on Khalil (Thomas 20).” which then explains why people react because most of the times, the feeling that are going through the human body would overthrow the actions of the body making the person do the things that they fear. The use of pathos in the novel is an effective method of engaging the reader, which then helps prove to the reader that Thomas is trying to express the emotions of the characters, such as, being terrified, being in shock, and the feeling of being helpless, to allow the reader to be more attached to the characters. In the novel, Thomas also applies various figurative languages to bring the novel to life, such as similes, metaphors, and so on.

Additionally, Thomas exerts various figurative language such as similes, metaphors, personification, and so on to draw connections between the after effects that Khalils’ death such as the riots and protests concerning the issue of police brutality. In respect of Khalils’ death, the community went on a protest which then turned into a riot which in turn brought back memories to Starr because “It sounds like the Fourth of July behind us; pop after pop after pop (Thomas 257).” The use of this simile impacts the way the reader views Starr because the riots reminded her about Khalils’ death even though that was the reason for the protest. But, this is also a striking comparison between the sadness and confusion of the riots, and happiness during the Fourth of July celebration. The simile also emphasizes the violence of the occasion by drawing a similarity between the flares and fireworks, which are often very loud and frightening. Thomas also exerts simile when Starr was on her way to the courthouse and saw all the press and journalist outside to the point that she thought it “looks like the circus is setting up in town (Thomas 217).” Thomas uses the simile of a circus to describe the amount of media trucks that surrounded the courthouse. This simile also reflects the national attention that cases of police shooting such as Khalil’s receive. It also reflects how much Starr had to overcome to testify to the grand jury. She felt the pressure of an entire community on her shoulders, because she was the main one fighting in Khalils’ case against police brutality. Just as Thomas uses figurative language, tone and diction was also a major aspect of the novel.

Although Thomas uses a lot of tone in the novel, the main tone in the novel was cautious. When Starr and Khalil were being pulled over, all Starr was thinking about was what her parents told her to do and not to do if she ever got pulled over and hoped that Khalils’ parents did the same, “I knew it must’ve been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quiet. I hope somebody had the talk with Khalil.”(Thomas 20). Khalil’s shooting is also described in intensive languages that emphasize the terror and horror of the situation. His blood is described as spraying from his body as he jerks around and his eyes go lifeless when he passes away, “ Khalil’s body jerks. Blood splatters from his back. . . His body stiffens, and he’s gone (Thomas 20).” The minimalist description, coupled with horrific imagery, clearly conveys the tragedy of the situation, which left Starr very heartbroken. It was not until after Khalil died that Starr began to start to show people that she could stand out as the person to get justice for Khalil.

Thomas was very effective in demonstrating the ongoing issue of police brutality. The novel also represents how ineffective the United States justice system is in relation to people of color. Police brutality, which is the abuse of authority by the unwarranted infliction of excessive force by personnel involved in law enforcement while performing their official duties, still goes on in today’s society, police still using unnecessary force against people of color, and racially profiling them. The message of the novel is still relevant in today’s society because the issue of police brutality and racism still exist. Although citizens are allowed to use force to defend themselves from police brutality as long as that brutality is used in an illegal way, the U.S. justice system would still always find a reason or way to put the person who killed the officer away. Citizens are allowed to use lethal force to preserve their lives from any criminal. Police, by legal definition, present lethal force or the potential of lethal force, at all times while on duty. In conclusion, the novel conveys the message of police brutality in a very enticing way that would make readers more interested in the issues regarding police brutality.

As an administration of justice major I have had to analyze a long list of potential police brutality videos in order to determine whether or not the officers used a justified amount of force to stop what they perceived to be a threat. The beatings and killings of African American individuals are definitely something we are all aware of, which is why I chose this topic; I plan on becoming a police officer in the future. Police brutality gained recognition in the early 90’s when the Rodney King beating, one of the first public assaults by a police officer caught on camera, was videotaped by a bystander and released as proof of hurting and degrading a Black individual. This sense of racial differentiation dates back to early American history when enslavement was in practice, and was brought back in the nineteenth century with lynching laws. Many people (including myself) believe that the excessive use of force at the hands of the police against African American individuals mirrors racial profiling and the historically bad treatment of People of Color. It should not shock anyone that Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans are disproportionately killed by the police; police brutality is a significant topic transcendently influencing African Americans that should prompt changes in law implementation. Others have contended that police brutality is more unpredictable and that there isn’t enough evidence to say that it is actually racially motivated.

One particular police brutality case that struck the nation was that of Rodney King, in which some argued that the force implemented by the police was justified. Lt. Dan Marcou argued in his article “A Cop’s Perspective” that “If King would have just pulled over and complied with the officers there wouldn’t of been 2,000 injured people, 53 dead, and 1100 buildings wouldn’t of been destroyed due to the riots” (Marcou 2012). Although he has a valid perspective, I believe that the officers could have handled the situation in a more professional manner without calling King racial slurs and beating him repeatedly after he had clearly given up. If the officers had not behaved the way they did that night, there would not have been 2,000 injured people, 53 dead, and 1,100 buildings would have not been destroyed due to the riots; people protested because of the lack of professionalism shown by the police. Due to that, I disagree with Lt. Dan: especially since it took place in Los Angeles, where they have some of the most intensively trained officers in the whole nation. That said, we have to take into consideration that when cops are assaulted or fear for their lives, especially when they are separated from everyone else and believe a firearm is involved, they run the risk of lethally shooting someone potentially innocent, yet they are supposed to be trained to not make any mistakes because they can cost someone’s life.

I strongly believe that Mr. King’s arrest was motivated by police racism and was a very clear scene of police brutality. If he had been white, police likely would not have considered him to be such a risk. However, I can see why some people think that the officers’ use of force against King was justified since he did not comply with the officers’ commands, and he could have killed someone during the high speed chase he provoked. The video served as concrete evidence of King’s arrest, and you can clearly see that he gave up at one point. Instead of the officers arresting King right away and putting him in the back of a patrol car, the officers at the scene continued to beat him when he was already down and allegedly called him names and racial slurs. One actually Stomped on King’s head, and another kept beating him with his baton, striking multiple times while King was defensively on the ground with his hands above his head. To me, that is a very clear use of excessive force and police racism.

Although some studies have pointed to the idea that there’s no racial bias present in policing, the majority of real life data proves otherwise. Lisa Thurau’s article “Police Killings, Brutality Damaging Mental Health of Black Community” states that in 2015, Berkeley Law Professor Franklin Zimring broke down “1,100 deaths by Officers and found that the passing rates for African Americans were increasingly higher than the rest of the population” (Zirming 2015). An analysis done by Roland G. Fryer, an African American economics teacher at Harvard University, found that “African Americans are bound to be cuffed, pepper spray or pushed to the ground by a cop, even subsequent to representing how, where and when they experience the police”(Fryer 2016). However, his study concluded that there was no racial bias in police shootings. I have to disagree with that since Fryer himself mentions that African Americans are more likely to be treated poorly by an officer, so it would not stand to reason that there are no racial biases if African Americans are more likely to be involved in police confrontations.

Although the incident with Rodney King happened almost 30 years ago, cases dealing with police brutality are still prevalent. For Example, On the morning of New Year’s Day of 2009, 22-year-old Oscar Grant was fatally shot in the back at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, California by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle. The officer claimed in his statement that “he confused his gun for a taser.” (Tucker, Zeto, Knight 2009). A variety of

witnesses filmed the incident on their camera phones and posted it on social media: it instantly went viral. Grant died in the hospital the day after the occurrence, and Oakland erupted in protest and riots: many believed that the officer was acting out of racism. The officer Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and got the minimum sentence of two years in prison, but he was released 11 months later on parole. John Burris, a civil rights attorney specializing in police brutality cases, explained why cases like these are hard to win. “The vast majority of people who serve on the jury are basically pro police and it’s very difficult for them to rule against a police officer for conduct that has happened in the course of their work” (Burris 2017). The case gained so much attention that the film Fruitvale Station featuring Michael B. Jordan was made in 2013 to explain the incident and spread awareness for the prevalence of police brutality against African Americans.

Grant, along with Rodney King and many more, are all symbols of the ongoing battle against police brutality in the United States. The similarities between the cases, most notably the fact that they are primarily directed towards People of Color, proves that it is time to make a change. The riots prove that the people of the United States are ready for a revolution: it is now up to the government to fulfill their end. It also showed people (in a very extreme way) that they have the power to stand up, come together, challenge governmental decisions and make a change towards a less racist and brutal community.

American police brutality and use of excessive force in the 1990s was a major problem, primarily because of the racial prejudice that has come with it. By definition, excessive force refers to force in excess of what a police officer reasonably believes is necessary (Legal Information Institute). Officers of the law would attempt to justify these immoral actions by claiming that they might have feared for their safety or something of the sort. It has occurred many times throughout the past couple of decades and throughout the history of America. This type of conflict is base, much like Macbeth’s conflicts are laid out in ‘No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth’: “Creating conflict from base, immoral feelings rather than for the greater good of oneself or others is unjustifiable”.

There is an extremely important psychological component in police brutality and excessive use of force. There are many police officers possess implicit biases toward minorities (Weir). An implicit bias is a subconscious “identity trap” where you automatically feel a certain way about someone or something. This bias is usually negative and does not allow officers to have complete control over some of the actions they may commit on the job. They influence attitudes and behaviors “without the officer consciously aware of it” (Weir). Considering this, one could surmise that there is a way to justify particular violent crimes involving police officers and members of a minority community. Experiments have also been conducted by the American Psychological Association to further demonstrate the effects of this implicit bias. People were brought in and were instructed to push a button to “shoot” when images were flashed in front of them. Images of people that were holding either a weapon or a harmless object. The likelihood of “being black, unarmed, and shot by police is about 3.5 times higher the probability of being white, unarmed, and shot by police” (Weir). This implicit cognitive process also applies to something as simple as a name. It takes White Americans a longer time to associate good thoughts when presented with a black sounding name such as Darnell, than when presented with a white sounding name such as Chad (Weir). Part of why police brutality due to racial prejudice occurs is because it is a cognitive process that is extremely difficult to break. Much like trying to break a habit, except it is far more difficult because it is an innate function of the brain. Police departments have not provided adequate training to officers with implicit biases, and because of this lack of training “police are less likely to view violence as a last resort” (Kristian). When the door is left open for unnecessary police brutality, then there are sure to be people that walk through it. Officers also have a rule of thumb that enforces ingroup bias, where they favor their troupe more than they do any other (Weir). Police officers have an unwritten code or pact with each other that warrants the behavior of other officers engaging in misconduct. This pact, in addition with stereotypes and perceptions, foster situations of brutality and use of excessive force on the members of minority groups. No one likes a tattletale, especially when the expected consequences of one’s actions can be severe and life changing.

Officers in Nineties America may have often found themselves in a situation where a minority group appears to be hostile, giving those officers the ability to wrongfully exercise their power to abuse and oppress that minority group. For example, in 1989, a group of five young teenagers were wrongly charged with a crime they did not commit. They were all part of a minority group, four African Americans and one Hispanic American. Because they were located near the scene of the crime, they were taken in, abused, coerced into confessions, and finally charged with assault, robbery, riot, rape, sexual assault, and attempted murder. The interrogation techniques used on the minors was an abuse of power and excessive force. The detectives were able to intimidate the minors by “confronting the suspects with assertion of guilt yet minimizing the perceived consequences of the confessions” (Sleek). The primary detectives were White Americans, and the prosecutor on trial was White American. The victim of the attack, Trisha Meili, is a White American. Since all of the suspects were a part of a minority group, there is reason to believe that they were wrongfully abused partly because of the lingering prejudice in America. Not because of a sense of justice that should have led to further investigation and the capture of the actual culprit of the rape and assault. The one who committed the crime, Matias Reyes, confessed to raping the jogger after the convicted five served varying prison sentences.

Police brutality and excessive use of force have not been as prevalent in the past decade than it has in the past couple of decades. Primarily because new laws and countermeasures have been created to avoid these kinds of cases. However, it still does occur on occasion and the reasons have not changed. There is still a great division between the minorities and majorities. In 2016, a Pew survey found that “33% of African Americans said police do a good or excellent job of using the right amount of force in each encounter” (Santhanam), this compared to the “75% of White Americans who believed in the judgement of police” (Santhanam). This division is a clear indication of why cases that involve excessive force and brutality occur in the first place. African Americans largely feel that they are the primary targets for police brutality and excessive force, they feel this way because of the clear and vivid images that come to mind where a White American police officer(s) is brutalizing an unarmed African American. Racial prejudice is an attitude that a lot of people still have to this day. It will always be a lingering aspect of America’s future; it was an extremely large and important part of its past. The brutalization of African Americans has been around since Americas conception, a part of its culture for centuries. The problem of brutality and excessive use of force has been “intimately interwoven with the country’s history of discrimination against non-White people” (Weisburd, David, and Malay Kiran Majmundar, 251). But by learning from the past, America is able to minimize police brutality and excessive use of force toward a minority group within the last decade. However, it does still occur, and it occurs for the wrong reasons. An American citizen of a minority group should never have to be subjected to immoral actions taken by officers due to attitudes that the officer may hold toward that citizen. Such actions taken by an officer of the law could never be properly justified in that context. There is no excuse for racial prejudice ruining someone’s life or even someone’s day.

There have been many cases in which lots of people will believe that there is more to it than just doing the job of an officer. From Amadou Diallo, Rodney King, Timothy Thomas to Michael Brown, one could surmise that there are some aspects of racial prejudice involved. The case of Rodney King for example, looking at the viral video footage of this beating, it is not hard to see that there are racial components involved. A bystander of the event recorded “five officers pummeling Rodney King with batons more than 50 times as he struggled on the ground outside his car” (Flatow). With the help of digital technology, police brutality became a nationwide dilemma. One African American individual laid out on the ground surrounded by several white American police officers being ruthlessly attacked. The Rodney King case sparked outrage in the community, and many Americans were appalled at the fact that such an event can take place. Why was such an excessive amount of force used against a defenseless African American man? It is an unjustifiable act of aggression with roots of racial prejudice and discrimination. This type of conflict is malevolent and selfish. There is no justifiable reason to commit such acts of aggression towards any individual, especially one of a minority group.

Exactly how Macbeth would operate, out of malevolence and for his own satisfaction would initiate conflict with other characters such as Banquo and Macduff. Macbeth sought to gain power at the expense of others welfare. He betrayed his king and his own friend in order to become the king he was prophesied to be. Although it is not for the same exact reasons Macbeth and officers that commit brutality in America start these conflicts for the wrong reasons, and they are hardly justifiable. And unlike how Beowulf would operate, he mostly initiated conflict because of the purity of his heart and to protect his people. He was a genuine hero that wanted to be remembered as one, he respected all of those around him. He fought with monsters so that he could save people from despair. Beowulf was also never the one to initiate conflict, he only ended conflicts. For example, his conflict with the monster Grendel and it’s mother. He slayed both of them using his own strength at the request of the king of the Danes. And in doing so he would the people avoid further tragedy at the hands of Grendel. He fought hard even in old age solely to protect his own people. Officers that commit brutality and use excessive force against a minority do not do so in order to protect the community, they do so mostly because they hold a prejudice against that minority.

Works Cited

1. “Excessive Force.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/excessive_force. 19 Nov. 2019.
2. Flatow, Nicole. “What Has Changed About Police Brutality In America, From Rodney King To Michael Brown.” ThinkProgress, 11 Sept. 2014, https://thinkprogress.org/what-has-changed-about-police-brutality-in-america-from-rodney-king-to-michael-brown-e6b29a2feff8/. 19 Nov. 2019.
3. Kristian, Bonnie. “Seven Reasons Police Brutality Is Systemic, Not Anecdotal.” The American Conservative, 13 Nov. 2019, www.theamericanconservative.com/seven-reasons-police-brutality-is-systematic-not-anecdotal/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seven-reasons-police-brutality-is-systematic-not-anecdotal. 30 Jan. 2020.
4. Santhanam, Laura. “After Ferguson, Black Men Still Face the Highest Risk of Being Killed by Police.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 9 Aug. 2019, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/after-ferguson-black-men-and-boys-still-face-the-highest-risk-of-being-killed-by-police. 19 Nov. 2019.
5. Sleek, Scott. “The Science and the Injustice of the Central Park Jogger Case.” Association for Psychological Science – APS, 30 July 2015, https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-science-and-the-injustice-of-the-central-park-jogger-case. 19 Nov. 2019.
6. Shakespeare, William, and John Crowther. No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth. Spark, 2003. 30 Jan. 2020.
7. Weir, Kirsten. “Policing in black and white” American Psychological Association Dec. 2016 https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/12/cover-policing.
8. Weisburd, David, and Malay Kiran Majmundar. Proactive Policing: Effects on Crime and Communities. National Academies Press, 2018.

As an administration of justice major at CSM, a topic that interest me was one of the biggest cases of police brutality that has ever happened in the United States and how an event like this will affect the whole nation not just the city where the event took place. People of the United States are outraged over police brutality and police shootings in today’s society. As of today, police misuse has gone to the consideration of the overall population. While people of the United States are watching out for criminals, it has now been demonstrated that they should likewise watch out for individuals who have been given the duty to protect and serve. Police brutality is one of the biggest human rights violations in the United States, and it happens everywhere in the West Coast of this nation to the East Coast, South, and North. The motivation behind why I picked this topic is because police brutality goes on all the time all over the nation and still stays unrecognized by many. African American individuals have suffered brutality in a variety of ways. Today, cops utilize lethal deadly force that leads to shootings and beatings. The introduction of technology such as camera phones and easy access to the media has brought even more attention to this issue: people are able to see the severity of what actually happened, which allows them to develop a personal connection to the victim. Although there is an endless number of cases related to police brutality like the Amadou Diallo case, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell and many more this paper will primarily be focusing on one of the biggest that really struck this nation, which is the Rodney King Case.

The documents filed by the FBI explore Rodney King’s case, which opened many people’s eyes to the reality of police brutality. At around 1 A.M in Los Angeles on March 3, 1991, a traffic stop happened that would change history. 25-year-old Rodney King, who was on parole at the time, was pulled over for driving over 100 miles per hour. “Police believed he was on drugs, and they planned to arrest him on the felony charge of evading the police” (FBI, 2013). The officers proceeded to tase King, beat him repeatedly, and kick him when he was already helplessly lying on the ground. He was injured so badly that he had to be transported to the hospital for severe injuries. The officers on the scene can be heard laughing when trying to call for the ambulance (FBI, 2013).

The article ‘Los Angeles in Flames’ by New York Times editor Neil Genzlinger explains that “All four cops were tried and the verdict returned as not guilty of assault in their first trial on April 29, 1992” (Genzlinger, 2017). Three out of the four were acquitted of any excessive force charges, and there was a hung jury for the fourth officer. At least one juror in the case justified their decision by claiming that King was squirming to “get away from the officers”, so she thought the police were justified to use that amount of force. The ruling infuriated the people of Los Angeles, who viewed the incident as a very clear example of police brutality. In turn, riots started breaking out in South Central LA. Police forces believed that their presence would make the situation worse, so they ordered all officers to go out of the area. This basically created a lawless society (which Yale Professor Beverly Gage reported to be historically the biggest domestic problem according to many Americans): everyone that was not African-American was targeted and beaten (Gage, 2016). Rioters started fires, broke anything and everything, and stole from stores. Governor Pete Wilson declared this to be a local State of Emergency and ordered all officers to go on the scene. As the news spread, the riots started spreading to other cities like San Francisco and New Orleans. In addition to over $1 billion of property damages as a result of the riots in Los Angeles, which is one of the worst riots in U.S history to date, there were over 50 people dead, 2,300 people were injured, and over 12,100 people arrested (Wallenfeldt, 2019). This caused pressure on the Los Angeles police department– they did, however, make some changes by adding more diversity to what was then the 60% White force, and the city got a new police chief: Black male Willie L. Williams. CNN writer Rachel Wells confirms this by saying, “More than 60% of the department was white when residents rioted in 1992. Today, it’s just over 30% white” (Wells, 2017). This was a step in the right direction for the police department, but that did not stop the reality of the events that caused all of this.

Rodney King begged for the violence to stop: he did not want people to riot over what happened to him. Since there was so much backlash in regards to the original ruling, officials were able to find a way around double jeopardy laws to try the officers again. Two of the officers involved were eventually found guilty and had to serve 30 months in prison.

Many believe the police involved in Rodney King’s case used an excessive amount of force: a common theme among police brutality cases (Sastry and Grigsby Bates, 2017). United States law affirms that officers should only apply the minimum amount of force necessary to get the suspect under control, but the police continued beating King after he was very clearly unable to fight back (US Legal). One of the officers on the scene even admitted that they overreacted, and the judge in the second trial stated that it was unreasonable since they continued to beat him when he was already on the ground.

The media coverage of the incident played a huge role in the public view of what happened. Given the fact that this was in the early 1990’s and there were no camera phones, it was very rare to capture footage of an event like this unless you were at the scene. The video, which was filmed by George Holliday on his new video camera, was shocking for many people because it was the first time that there was widespread concrete evidence that police brutality was real (“The Rodney King Beating”, 1991). This caused many people to pay close attention to the case after the video aired on TV- they wanted to see how the judicial system would react. When the verdict came back, many people were already following the case and felt a connection to it. People in cities all over the US rioted on King’s behalf since the footage gained nationwide attention. For many, the fact that the officers would not face consequences for their actions was a sign that they had no personal security and that we still live in a society filled with racism. The final trial provided some relief: people saw that they had the power to ensure that law enforcement is responsible for their actions.

While many claim that the amount of force used in the Rodney King case was a very clear example of police brutality, some argue that the amount of force used in King’s case was justified because of his belligerent behavior when officers tried to arrest him. This case was unique in that there was a videotape of the incident, which allowed people to form their own opinion as to whether or not the police were justified in their actions. Many experts viewed the video and agreed that the police used an unnecessary amount of force; the general public believed so strongly that this was a case of police brutality that they started history-making riots. This shows that the people are willing to take more responsibility into matters and are willing to stand up and give consequences to those who believe they are above the law. They say Police brutality has really gotten out of control, making it one of the biggest human rights violations in the United States. Society is attempting to make a change, and they can only hope for a safer justice system in the future.

According to Henry Jenkins it saud: “I recalled that the LA Riots were not only about conflicts between angry blacks and the LAPD but had also revealed other conflicts within and between the multiracial groups inhabiting South Central”.

Protests in Los Angeles have caused the city to revisit its legacy of racial problems arising from police brutality. Underfunding the police, and here you are building a new police office, I think there had to be a change in culture among some of our officers to truly realize what we were doing. At the same time, the US expects decades of racial discrimination to become a well-disciplined force that controlled crime by violent and proactive tactics. It fueled the conflict between black residents and the LAPD by rioting and once again burning black neighbourhoods.

The tension exploded with the beating of Rodney King and the subsequent acquittement of the officers responsible for the white privilege of justice. The focus was on police brutality, Black mass incarceration. The LAPD and the African Americans of Los Angeles exploded of conflict. The outrage broken over after LAPD officers were found not guilty of attacking the King, which culminated in the generations of pain and frustration, which have not been bottled up for many days of widespread abuse, plundering and arson throughout LA.

The riots confirm that The LAPD had been riddled with bias and partiality, and had a distorted perspective on residents and an inflammatory mentality amongst the police. Los Angeles’ oppressed black community had finally suffered enough.

“For example, there was growing resentment in the Black community against the Koreans, Vietnamese, and other Asian immigrants who had bought local businesses that some thought should be under African-American ownership”. During protests, which had trouble managing local police forces due to lack of people and resource, widespread looting, attack and explosive events took place. For years racial tensions were burning among these communities. Many Black people had been angry because Korean shop owners had regularly felt disrespected and embarrassed. Neither group fully grasped the extent or the sheer magnitude of cultural gaps and cultural differences that further fueled tensions. The light sentence raised the friction with Korean immigrants, accused for several years in their own spirits of unfairly handling Black clients.I believe this loss went beyond physical and financial loss for the Korean local community; it was their American dream that shattered.

And eventually, LAPD grievances were taken seriously. A committee formed to examine the effects of its activities condemned the extensive use of excessive force of officers and the failure on the part of the high management to intervene properly. But the problem still existing today in US.

In the light of the current events in the United States (May-June, 2020), the issues of police brutality, violence, discrimination, and criticism of the law enforcement system overall deserve particular attention. Purposeful use of unwarranted coercion, abuse of power, verbal assaults, intimidations, and other forms of official misconduct by law enforcement officers are the practices that the criminal justice system of the United States attempts to eradicate at their root, but the cases are still common and rarely properly investigated. Police brutality is counter-effective, creates social tensions, and leads to distrust toward the professionalism and ethics of police officers in the United States of America.

Definitions and Numbers

Police brutality is defined as the use of excessive force by police on citizens. Lyle & Esmail (2016) linked the issue of police brutality to the angry aggression theory, suggesting the policy brutality is triggered by the “fight or flight” response to the threat, and conflict model, which implies that social ills are caused by opposing forces in society. Police brutality is a broad concept that requires a more detailed classification and distinctions. Albrecht (2017) classified police deviance into 5 different types of professional misconduct: police corruption, police criminality, excessive use of force, abuse of authority, and police misconduct. Each of these types of police brutality can occur in a combination with other factors, be internally (within the department or police agency) or externally (toward citizens) targeted, and lead to fatal outcomes, criminal behavior, and unprofessional decisions.

The police service is accompanied by the use of force and police officers are provided with the right to use force when the situation requires it. In dealing with criminals, antisocial individuals, and dangerous suspects, police officers have to rely on their professional codes of conduct and ethics to determine the acceptance scope of the force use needed to fulfill their duty (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). However, according to research, almost 80% of the cases of police brutality and professional misconduct occur in police-controlled settings (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). The police-controlled settings are patrol cars or public places. In most of cases, there are no witnesses to support the victim of police brutality.

Historically, the issue of police violence against civilians can be traced back to the times of slave patrols in the 19th century (Carter, 2017). At that time, it was necessary to create laws to counter behaviors. The Emancipation Proclamation along with the 14th Amendment clarified the aspects of the civil rights violation. In later years, the 18 U.S.C. § 242 was an attempt to prevent violence against African Americans. The deprivation of individual rights based on race and ethnicity became a federal crime. As of today, under Section 242, police officers can be fined or imprisoned for discrimination. The contemporary standards of police conduct were set in the only year 1989 when the Supreme Court set the rule on objectively reasonable use of force (Carter, 2017). This law is currently used as the avenue for civilians to enforce their constitutional rights. The undue use of force by police officers is a violation of the human rights of the American citizens, which in turn shapes a negative attitude of the public toward the law enforcement system in general.

Attitude Toward Police

While the democratic society is based on the principles of justice, law, and equal treatment of all citizens, the issue of police brutality is widely covered by media reports, leading to the formation of certain attitudes toward police officers among the public. Lyle and Esmail (2016) noted that such cases as deaths of young African Americans at the “hands of cops with dubious use of force” contribute to the formation of a negative perception of police (141). Given the statistics that nearly 31 percent of all shooting victims by police represent 31% of African Americans, and yet more than 50 percent of 14,800 police agencies do not report police officers involved in homicide statistics (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). Based on these numbers and the fact that most of the cases are unreported, police brutality leads to mistrust among American citizens.

The job of a police officer is difficult and requires a high level of physical preparation, emotional stability, rational thinking, and the ability to cope with stress. Without the use of force, police officers cannot fully deliver their duty to the public. However, the key aspect with respect to policy brutality deals with the question of legal and responsible use of force and weapons. With almost 15,000 police departments across the country, there are over 780,000 police officers, but the policies on the use of force are not standardized on a national level (Lyle & Esmail, 2016).

The attitude toward police officers in the context of authority abuse was explained in the study reported by Lyle & Esmail (2016). Researchers noted that approximately one-quarter of police officers observed their co-workers harassing a citizen because of race. At the same time, nearly 80 percent of police officers do not support the so-called “code of silence”, when the observation of professional misconduct is not reported. However, almost 70% of police officers believe that reported incidents of misconduct will not be investigated. These numbers illustrate the culture of acceptance of police brutality among law enforcement officers. As the outcome, the attitude of society toward police brutality is justified because there are a few investigated cases of misconduct, even when they are reported by law enforcement officers.

In addition to the established attitude toward police officers, the perception is also shaped by previous experience with officers and media reports on violence. Obenwittler and Roche (2017) noted that procedural justice (when a police officer treats citizens with respect, explains actions, and sustains fairness) must follow due process. When police officers demonstrate authority, do not show respect, and do not provide a rationale for their actions, citizens can become either fearful of law enforcement officers or develop distrust, express a lack of willingness to cooperate, and pass negative attitudes toward police officers to their communities. Interestingly, the studies show that people who had positive encounters with police officers tend to have the same perception of police as the individuals who had no prior contact with the law enforcement system (Obenwittler & Roche, 2017). Further, Hispanics and African Americans are more likely than others to have prior experience with police officers based on mistreatment. According to research, 44 percent of African Americans in the age group of 18 to 30 years old reported they know someone who experienced harassment or violence by a police officer, and 22 percent of them reported being harassed or mistreated by a police officer.

Police Brutality and Racism

One of the important aspects of police brutality deals with the question of racing. The predominant majority of cases discussed in media as well as by the public are closely correlated to race as one of the defining features. As discussed above, African Americans are more likely to experience racial profiling and excessive use of force by police compared to other racial and ethnic minorities. The tendency resulted in a number of studies focusing on the relationship between racism and police brutality, ultimately leading to the recommendation of enhancing diversity programs for law enforcement agencies.

Discussing racism with regard to police brutality, Egharevba (2016) pointed out that the correlation between the two factors is deeply embedded in structural inequality. As the history of social, economic, and political equality among races and ethnicities is relatively young, the law enforcement agencies are not free of bias and prejudice, despite the proclaimed values of justice for all and equal rights for all citizens. Racism continues manifesting itself in unfairness, inequality in education and employment, and of course in criminal justice and law enforcement. The discourse on racism in the discussion on police brutality is a reflection of broad social patterns of inequality in the United States.

According to statistics, the United States ranks in the top 20 countries (out of 182) in terms of the public perception of government corruption. In other words, American citizens believe that up to 30 percent of officials engage in acts of corruption (Egharevba, 2016). These numbers are alarming and show that American citizens distrust the government in general and police officers in particular. The official rate of police misconduct, as reported by Egharevba (2016) is as low as 0.5 percent. It implies that less than 1 percent of all law enforcement personnel were subjects of allegations of criminality. These findings contradict the previously reported statistics, as discussed above, according to which more than half of police officers observed brutality and excessive use of force by their colleagues. The objective of complete eradication of police deviance is achieved mostly through the decrease of the reported incidents rather than through the decrease in the cases of brutality and excessive use of force, which is particularly true for the cases involving racial minorities because such cases instantly trigger the public attention and are mostly silenced.

While many cases of police brutality are silenced and a few of them being covered by the media, there are no reliable statistics and numbers to unveil the real situation with police brutality. At the same time, when the stories of brutality, especially when racial minorities are victimized and abused, trigger a wave of public dissatisfaction with the law enforcement system. For example, Zoorob (2020) noted that the media coverage of police brutality stories leads to a decrease in the 911 calls from the public, both for African American and white communities. Consequently, when police brutality is accompanied by prejudice and racism, the diverse public responds in the same way – the level of trust drops.

Given the fact that prosecution of police officers who were accused of brutality and professional misconduct is rare (less than 10 percent of the reported cases result in a conviction and less than 2 percent end with incarceration), the question of police brutality requires a more systemic approach (Burnette, 2017). The majority of the cases that are prosecuted are of high profile, such as murder. Due to the code of silence, which is unethical and unofficial, police offers refuse to testify against their coworkers and in many cases even cover up the evidence, complicating the process of investigation. For the public in general and families of the victims, it implies that no relief is obtained and no police officer is punished for the crime. As Burnette (2017) noted, it fuels the perception that black lives are not valued. When the crimes committed by police officers are not punished in the same way as the crimes committed by other citizens, there is no deterrence effect on other police officers, which ultimately may reinforce the culture of abuse and repetition of the same behavior.

Classifying the cases of police brutality against African Americans, Alang et al. (2017) suggested that the impact of racial prejudice among law enforcement agencies against racial minorities has a much broader impact on the American nation. In particular, police brutality targeting African Americans contributes to the increase in the mortality rates, leads to the negative psychological responses, stress caused by racist public reactions, the financial strain that comes along with arrests and incarcerations, and the reinforcement of the integrated oppressive structures. The experiences of African Americans with police brutality extend beyond individual encounters (Alang et al., 2017).

The Cost of Police Brutality

The cost of police brutality is not limited to the loss of trust among the public or the promotion of racist views and tensions in society. The research indicates that the estimation of the true cost of police brutality should include the costs to the victims and broken homes and families, the costs to the states and local governments, the costs to the communities, loss of trust in the social compact, and the cost to the reputation of the country in general (Lumsden, 2017). In addition to social costs and tensions, each case of police brutality covered by the media requires enormous financial expenses allocated to the investigation, training, new hires, and related aspects. On a social level, police brutality implies that people no longer feel protected and secure. Instead, they feel oppressed and intimated by law enforcement officers who are entrusted with the duty to maintain order and security.

The Recommendation

The issue of police brutality should not be left without attention not only because the public is eventually losing trust in the law enforcement system but also because the excessive use of force violates the key principles of police service. The recommendation, as suggested by Lyle & Esmail (2016) is to invest more time and resources into training police officers on acceptance defense tactics, how to deploy weapons safely, and how to avoid racial profiling. Ray, Ortiz, and Nash (2018) added that diversity training should be conducted across all police departments and specifically target those employees who are in direct contact with the public, offenders, and suspects. By testing police officers and identifying those members of the law enforcement system who have prejudice toward racial and ethnic minorities or the propensity to abuse physical and emotional force, the issue of brutality could be eradicated on the system level, resulting in higher trust toward police officers.

In conclusion, police brutality is one of the topics that require a systemic approach not only to the structure of law enforcement but also on cultural and social levels. Frequently discussed with reference to race, racism, and discrimination, police brutality, use of force, and professional misconduct should be the subjects of proper attention by policymakers and the public. While the history of racial equality is still recent, the changes need to be made now.

Police Brutality

Police officers should always speak with the truth, show their commitment, and bravery, and act as the law says to, but unfortunately not all who say to protect us actually do. We’ve come across many police brutality cases that have honestly shown the other side of some police officers. Their job as officers and as representatives of our country is to protect us not kill us. We live in a world where there’s a diversity of different kinds of races but that shouldn’t change the fact that we should feel protected instead of afraid. As citizens, we should feel safe that the police will handle a problem and fix it but instead we fear that our loved ones will get hurt instead of defended. As a community, we should come together to help one another and find a solution to this kind of problem. Police brutality has been a result of discrimination, excessive use of force, and innocent deaths.

One of many big issues as to why police brutality has been committed against innocent people is discrimination. We’ve let our inner ego and beliefs take control of what we see and think is correct to do without actually knowing the history behind it. During the past years many people have dealt and have history; especially black people, with being discriminated against unfairly. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, by Max Lundberg, it states that “The lawsuits claim their races motivated Isaacs discipline decisions, and the city’s handling of the situation violated their 14th amendment rights and state employment law. Hill used the N-word while making an arrest after a fight in Westwood. He said, “That goddamn alcohol got you (N-word) out here acting stupid.” Not only did he call him something to be considered very offensive to a black man but insulted him together instead of handling things with respect as his job should consist. Many people have seen the N-word be something ok to say but don’t know the history or damage they’re acting doing in saying it. For instance, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, by Max Lundberg, it states that “A few months later, in December, Barnette used the N-word to refer to a black woman as he arrested her.” The use of this word has been a form of discrimination because it’s seen to be only used to refer to black people. This isn’t the way people or even officers, who should be the ones setting an example of professionalism and respect, handle any situation. As human beings, we should all respect, care for, and treat each other equally.

Another cause of police brutality is the use of excessive force. Officers now have taken advantage of the power they have as the police to use their force in a brutal way toward innocent people. It’s caused much unfairness and harm to those who don’t mean any harm but to say their rights and sadly the officers have not respected that. According to Timesunion, by Kenneth Crowe, it states that “Relf was going out to his car on Oakwood Terrace, where he was visiting relatives when he was confronted by Elza, the German shepherd K-9 partner of Officer Justin Ashe. Frightened by the dog, Relf jumped on the hood of his car, and Elza bit down on his left knee, according to court papers. Relf was 50 years old at the time he was bitten.” This man was hurt by a dog who belonged to an officer who should have been defending a man in danger, not an innocent man who was just visiting his family. These types of dogs are trained to help and listen to their partner which in this case was Officer Justin Ashe. They should listen and obey their Officer which can be shown that the Officer must have given some sort of command to stop Relf from leaving without any proof to detain him. According to Timesunion, Kenneth Crowe, it states that “ It was the third time that Elza had bitten a non-suspect during a search or pursuit, according to the court papers.” This shows how not only was the dog not trained well enough to actually attack when there was a suspect trying to get away but also the control Officer Justin had. We all have rights that can be said to protect ourselves from injustices.

Many innocent people have been killed due to injustices done by police officers. We’ve lost our loved ones that have been killed by police officers and have changed our perspective on them. Many people now see the police as our killers instead of our protectors. We seek to make a change and set an example to officers in how to actually solve a problem with no violence unless violence is made first. According to Coates, in “The Paranoid Style of American Policing”, states, “When Cooksey said that her son’s father should not have called the police when she says that they “ are supposed to serve and protect us and yet they take the lives,” she is saying that police in Chicago are police in name only” (101). This means that the police didn’t have any right to just come and shoot a teen who had issues which is why he was acting the way he was. Instead what was more correctly right to do was detain the teen and give him psychological help instead of just shooting him. The point of calling the police was for their help not to have resulted in killing someone with issues. According to Coates, in “The Paranoid Style of American Policing”, it states that, “When police can not adhere to the standards of the neighborhood, of citizens, or of parents, what are they beyond a bigger gun and sharper sword? By what right do they enforce their will, save force itself ?” (101). This shows how now people can really trust the police and don’t know in what position to stand in anymore. Should they trust that they’ll do their job or should they just wait and see the unexpected? It’s up to the world to see the injustices they’re doing by allowing these things to happen and not finding a way to make it stop.

Now that we’ve discussed the causes of police brutality, it’s important to do something about it. More restricted rules regarding police power, but most importantly for our citizens to not be denied their rights. We should come together and come up with a solution to fix this issue. For instance, organizations that can help those who have experienced police brutality and be able to not stand alone in being able to defend themselves would be a huge help, along with groups that have had a bigger impact on police brutality and need psychological help would really help their case. It’s time for our voices to be heard without mattering our race or social status.

To conclude, all these causes have led up to the action of police brutality. In order for this to stop happening, we should unite as one. Love each other for who we are, no matter what color or our history is. Always be aware of our rights and be trained well to make the world a better place and not destroy it. Finally, not only protect our own kind but show what real professionalism, respect, and equality are.

Works Cited

1. Coates, Ta-nehisi. “The Paranoid Style of American Policing”, 50 Essays. Print.
2. Crowe, Kenneth. “Jury: Bite by police dog did not violate civil rights”, TimesUnion. Print.
3. Lundberg, Max. “ Suit: Cincinnati cops who used racial slur claim they faced discriminatory punishment”, The Cincinnati Enquirer. Print.

A Better Understanding of Police Brutality and How It Still Exists in Today’s Society

In society, there is a set of rules and regulations we must follow in order for everyone to be at peace while allowing society to function properly; this concept is called the “law”. Laws are set to keep everyone in check without one civilian thinking he/she has more rights than the next. These laws are enforced by a force specifically designed to take care of the people while keeping order; this force is known as the “police”. However, some within the police department take advantage of their position and act unlawfully and brutally toward civilians knowing their department is where they file a complaint regarding the law being broken. Understanding this, unlawful police take advantage of civilians’ rights; this is known as “police brutality”. Police brutality comes in many forms such as unlawful beatings, racial profiling, unjust shootings, false arrests, sexual abuse, etc. As corrupt as it may appear, this is the reality we currently live in.

Any unlawful, unnecessary force by the police when engaging with civilians can be looked at as “police brutality”. Police brutality occurs more often than you may think. Out of all human rights that are consistently violated, police brutality stands at the top of the list. This is because police brutality is the hardest to crack down on. When laws are broken and people wish to report the situation, most of the time they contact the police. However, if a police officer violates you, where do you go? Report to the police? Many times this will fail due to the close ties within the police force. Many police officers have each others’ backs, so if one is reported unlawful to another then it may never reach where it needs to be seen. Sadly, acting unlawfully in return will only worsen your situation. Thus, it’s hard to successfully report this crime, making it the worst among human rights violations. If all the police crimes that go unreported every day continue, then society will eventually take matters into its own hands; the worst-case scenario lead us into a civil war. Nevertheless, although unlawful, there are many forms that police brutality exists in. One reason worthy of taking note of is racial profiling. It is a proven fact that the black community has dealt with more police violence than the white community. According to “Mapping Police Violence”, a black person is three times more likely to be killed by the police than white people. Twenty-one percent of black victims of police violence were unarmed compared to fourteen percent of white people. As we can see, the black community has had higher statistics regarding police brutality compared to the white community, thus, indicating that the police racially profile some of their victims. This conditions the world to divide itself by stereotype since it creates a perception that if you look different you’ll be treated differently.

Another example of racial profiling by the police would be in the article, “The More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same: Race, Ethnicity, and Police Brutality” when it states, “Racialized profiling and ‘stop and frisk’ practices are bound to thrive in these areas. New York City is known for its stop-and-frisk policies. It is no surprise at all that all five of its boroughs are among the counties with the greatest risk of black police homicides in the analysis.” These lines indicate that the NYPD (New York Police Department) is one of the top departments in police brutality compared to other police forces. This goes to show the way the police can take advantage because New York has always been known as an overpopulated, confident state that stands up for itself. For police brutality to exist in New York as much as it does shows a lot regarding tactics for police brutality. Police brutality, especially when involved with racial profiling, does more than hurt the victim; it influences society in an extremely negative way.

Furthermore, police brutality exists in the form of severe beatings. The police have the right to use force when it’s deemed necessary or the circumstances they follow have been met. However, there is only a certain amount of force based on the circumstances that can be used when dealing with civilians. When this limit is passed, it is considered excessive force. This is unlawful and is very well known to the public at this point in time due to social media. Many people scroll down Instagram and see videos of the police illegally beating a person. It has given our society a sense of reality allowing them to know their rights better and to know what is excessive force. Moreover, another form of police brutality that can be seen is sexual abuse.

There are countless unreported sexual abuse crimes by the police that go unheard of every year. This is one of the scariest aspects of police brutality. In an article by Jonathan Blanks titled “The Police Who Prey on Victims”, it claims, “Two officers were indicted last week for raping a teenaged woman following a traffic stop arrest for loose prescription pills and marijuana possession. The officers first admitted to sexual contact after the rape kit test revealed the presence of their DNA, supporting the woman’s story, but their lawyers released a statement soon after stating that the acts were consensual. The accused detectives, Eddie Martins and Richard Hall had been demoted and pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday.” These lines convey a scenario where the police took full advantage of their power to sexually abuse a woman. Sad to say, this is a case that was reported; many cases like this and maybe even way worse go on every year unreported. Many victims lose the strength to report the police to the police, it’s a hard battle to win since it’s biased before it even starts.

In conclusion, police brutality exists in this corrupt world we currently live in. By standing stall together as civilians we can fight against police brutality. We only begin to lose this battle when we deem the battle unworthy to fight. As long as we continue to stand up against police brutality we will be able to one day have it come to an end.

Works Cited

1. https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
2. https://democracyjournal.org/author/jonathan-blanks/
3. Alang, Sirry HD. American Journal of Public Health; Washington Vol. 108 Iss. 9, (Sep 2018)
4. “The More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same: Race, Ethnicity, and Police Brutality
5. Wootson, Cleve R, Jr; Berman, Mark. TCA Regional News; Chicago [Chicago} 30 July 2017.
6. “Police chiefs across the U.S blast Trump for endorsing ‘police brutality
7. Lazo, Alejandro Wall Street Journal (Outline); New York, N.Y [New York, N.Y] July 2016: n/a
8. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Pheonix Police Use Pepper Spray, Tear Gas During Brutality Protest; Demonstrators prevented from blocking a highway in a march against police brutality”

Police brutality occurs when police officers abuse their powers by killing and harming innocent people, causing nationwide protests and outbreaks.

Without action on this issue, police officers will continue to abuse their power and make wrong decisions. This will end up in more violence in the world as more innocent people will be harmed by police every day.

Where it is happening?

Although police brutality occurs all over the world, in North America it is mainly pointed towards the USA. Where you live really matters for the occurrences of police brutality.

Although it can happen to anyone there are some ethnic groups that are mainly affected by police brutality.

African American people are most likely to be killed by police. They are 3 times more likely to be killed by police than white people. Black people were 25% of those killed despite being only 13% of the population. (Mapping Police Violence, 2017)

Movements against police brutality are protesting police violence through movements and groups who are acting by protesting as it seems to be a popular method of communicating as it gets the group’s message to be heard.

Recent occurrences

As mentioned before police brutality is something that occurs every day in our world.

Some notable occurrence that has ended up in notable violence was the death of Philando Castile

There are many arguments on this topic with one being that police violence often results in no punishment.

As I mentioned Philando Castile was an innocent man who was shot and killed by an officer. As the case went to court the officer involved had no charges laid against him, he was not found guilty of second-degree murder which caused a nationwide protest. As a result of this case, it allowed many other police officers to keep their duty. When a case does come to court, it usually ends up with no punishment or charges being laid against them.

Another argument against police brutality is the exposure of videos of police brutality which are not always released for the public to see, this includes videos and images of police violence. This leads to government inaction, as police shootings are being measured against human lives, situations are often caught by surveillance systems, bystanders, or officers’ body cameras as they still decide to use lethal force. Injustice in society may be created through social change which can become difficult to digest.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many consequences of inaction involving police brutality. Police Violence is an important issue, not doing anything about it, will promote police brutality to occur every day. Police officers need to become more aware and there needs to be more training on how they should handle situations. Police brutality is a major issue in the world and by progressing better, the issue of racial discrimination in the Criminal justice system can end.