CNN reported on August 1, 2014 that 43-year-old Eric Garner died on July 17 after being confronted by police on Staten Island for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally. As police officers approached Garner he raised both hands in the air and told the officers not to touch him. Moments later, a video recording shows an officer grabbing the 350-pound man from behind in a choke hold and wrestled him to the ground, rolling him onto his stomach. CNN News also reports that the video has Eric crying repeatedly that he could not breathe until his last gasp. Evidence and Applicable Laws Julie Bolcer, a representative of the NY medical examiner 's office confirmed that the cause of death was "compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.
“The Trigger for the 1992: Los Angeles Riots” The riot of 1992 Los Angeles is not the first one to happen throughout our American history. It is the common civilized way for people to protest about any injustices or certain events that they’re unhappy with like for example immigration reform, racism, women’s rights, stamp act and including the 1992: Los Angeles riots etc…. Most of the occasions they tend to turn out to violent and disruptive to the community because they either destroy public property or there issues with the law enforcement. Riots have been successful the best way for a community to be heard on their yearning injustices, but the downfall has been that people have been adopting
The Los Angeles riots in 1992 were fueled by more than just a single incident, but by a series of actions and abuse over the course of several years that forced a community to make their anger and resentment known. The ruthless beating of Rodney King along with the acquittal of the four police involved may have been the boiling point that tipped the scales. What many are not aware of is that the community of South Central Los Angeles endured years of economic oppression creating tension and frustration. Along with years of police brutality and abuse of power that finally came to a head produced what is known today as the Los Angeles Riots. The riots finally showed the nation just how fed up people were with the social injustices they endured
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.
The Los Angeles riots will not be forgotten in the history of the United States of America. The riots started after the verdict of the Rodney King Case when the police officers who brutally beat up a black man, Rodney King, were acquitted. The Los Angeles riots yield 53 deaths, over 2000 injuries, and over 11,000 arrests. In Anna Deveare Smith’s Twilight, she collects monologues from a diverse group of people regarding the riots in Los Angeles.
Conflict and compromise is an imperative and inevitable part of global history. One memorable instance of this was the Korean community’s forced involvement in the 1992 L.A. Riots. When a conflict of rioters, looters, and arsonists persisted, Korean-American rivals in business came together to protect their families, culture, and businesses against the unifying cause of a common enemy. In doing so, strengthening the community and fighting for the future of their families and lives. This is important for the future generations to understand the compromises to this conflict, and grow and learn from the actions of those who came before us.
New York City— NYPD officer Peter Liang reacts on February 11 as a guilty verdict is read during his manslaughter and official misconduct trial for fatally shooting an unarmed black man, Akai Gurley, in a darkened public housing stairwell in 2014. The verdict meant the rookie cop was automatically fired from his job and could face up to 15 years in jail. Nationwide, outrage over police shootings and interactions with minority communities has spurred protests and turned the Black Lives Matter movement into a presidential campaign
1992, a difficult year for citticens living in Los Angeles, California because of the riots, civil disturbances and lootings caused in the streets from April 29th to May 4th called The 1992 Los Angeles Riots, also known as the Rodney King Riots. These riots were caused because Police Officers of L.A arrested and physically miss-treated Rodney King, wich made the people of the L.os Angeles areas to start rioting, as the Los Angeles Police Department could not stop these events, they had to call in the Army and the Marines to stop these riots, of course there was a lot of people that got hurt, as well as a lot of property damage, and a lot of people were traumatized or left with no one, either because they were sent to jail, or killed. The story “Freedom Writers” takes place two years after the Rodney King Riots, on a place called Long Beach California, it tells the struggles of the young teacher named Erin
During the mid to late 1960’s there were many riots which lead the police to the unjust arrest and shootings of African Americans. Which "result[ed] in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and the destruction of predominantly black neighborhoods" (Police Brutality). Racial tension contributes a sizeable amount to the division amongst minorities and police; "minorities in the United States see things much differently. A large majority, 81 percent, of blacks say police use deadly force too quickly compared with 61 percent of Hispanics and 33 percent of whites" (Law Enforcement and Violence). For the relationship to progress there must be an open dialogue between the “public” or minority's and the police.
Over the past couple of years, police use of deadly force has become a highlight in mainstream media. This topic has gathered so much attention, that it is now a highly controversial issue. The guidelines for the use of deadly force are very strict, yet are vague and entirely based on the situation in which police officers are dealing with. These guidelines place different restrictions on police officers depending on what type of suspect they are pursuing or attempting to arrest. There is also the moral and ethical viewpoints and standards to take into account with the use of deadly force.
With the flawed response to the 1992 Los Angeles Riots there were many decisions that were made by the top brass of the police department and city. The first ethical issue that helped cause the riots in the first place, was the use of force that was excessive in nature. The decision of the sergeant at the scene of the Rodney King to not stop the excessive force used by the officers that day was an ethical violation within itself. The use of power and discretion in the event causing the riots was most certainly unethical in nature. That night the officers had a duty to arrest King, but the discretion that was used to repeatedly beat King was poor.
During the 1900’s, two riots came about that each took place in Los Angeles and both dealt with social, economic, and political issues. One incident was the Watts Riots of 1965 and the other was the Rodney Kings Riots of 1992 in which both had similarities and differences that were related to the beatings of black citizens by white police officers. We can see how this triggered the caused an outrage and a national debate on police brutality. These riots erupted the social causes burning of buildings and the killings Caucasians even when they had nothing to do with the beating of either black men. A social cause that came from this is that the negroes ended up looting stores, setting fires, beating up Caucasian people who walked by in which they would pull from cars, the burning, stoning and shooting of police officers.
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?,
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
Police brutality remains a common yet controversial topic around the world. Police brutality is “the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians” (thelawdictionary.org). It’s a topic that segregates communities and makes each other their enemy. Specifically, a white officer has been the enemy of the black community. Unfortunately, the tension between police and blacks grew over the past few decades.
