Police Brutality
Police brutality is a civil rights violation that occurs when a police officer uses an unnecessarily excessive amount of force upon the victim. Police brutality is a hate crime committed by officers who have too much power. Also, most of these police haven’t been held accountable for their actions. It’s sad to say that this is a very familiar topic in America. Race, age, and location are all factors that seem to have an impact on this act of crime.
Police brutality is most often affected by race. But if you stay updated with the news, African Americans seem to be the targets. African Americans make up thirteen percent of the world’s population (“Police Killed At Least 223 Black Americans In The Year After Colin Kaepernick’s
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Mothers of young black teens have to remind their kids how to respond to law enforcement so that they won’t end up another statistic. Is this what America has come to? According to a Guardian study, African American males between the age 15 and 34 consists of more than 15% of deaths caused by the deadly force of police. (“Young black men killed by US police at highest rate in year of 1,134 deaths” 2017). On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. Although Zimmerman wasn’t a police officer, he was a neighborhood watch volunteer. So, that’s still considered an authority figure. Zimmerman called the police and stated “This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. It's raining, and he's just walking around”. (“What happened the night Trayvon Martin died” 2012). It’s hard to understand that George Zimmerman knew that Trayvon was up to no good, but it was dark outside. Also, he had on a hood, so how did he see his face? That is what you call profiling. He followed Martin around after the dispatcher demanded him not to do so. But, Zimmerman didn’t listen. After he hung up the call, that is when the two had an altercation. When the case went to trial, George Zimmerman claimed the act was done in self-defense. Later, Zimmerman was found not guilty of all
There is no evidence that shows Martin at any point committing any crime to the point that it resulted in such violence. He was innocently walking back home with the hood of his sweater over his head when he was confronted by a white Hispanic who considered Martin to be part of the stereotypes that has been placed on blacks of them being criminals. When reading about the case, it was very hard for me to understand what Zimmerman used to base his accusations of Martin looking suspicious. I mean are all black people with a hoody suspicious? It simply makes no sense, then everyone who is walking on the streets at night with their hoody on is a criminal.
One example was a young man by the name of Trayvon Benjamin Martin was an African American from Miami Gardens Florida, who, at 17 years old was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch
The way Martin was looked at by Zimmerman was wrong because once the police told him to bag off and he didn't... Zimmerman had intentions to take Martin
On February 26,2012, a seventeen year old by the name of Trayvon Martin was walking home from the store. As he was headed home a man spotted him from his window his name was George Zimmerman. Zimmerman called the cops and told them it was a suspicious guy walking through the neighborhood. Trayvon was wearing a hoodie he was slowly walking because of the rain and he was black. Zimmerman then told the police that Trayvon was looking around at all the houses and hes looking at him.
Young black men were nine times more likely than other americans to be killed by police officers in 2015 according to the findings of a Guardian Study that recorded a final tally of 1,134 deaths at the hands of law enforcement officers this year. “The black people in this country have been the victims of violence of the hands of the white men's for 400 years, and following the ignorant negro preachers we have thought that it was god light”. Since black people were made slaves, that’s when they started being victims of violence. If they didn’t do their job they would get beat up or
Racial profiling by law enforcement is an overwhelmingly useless and prevalent expression of hate and ignorance to this day. Internationally, a wide variation of races are unrightfully discriminated against by the enforcements who are supposedly there to protect them. Jim Crow policing is an issue that undoubtedly continues, no matter the amount of riots or unjustly arrested/ murdered civilians. Cases like Trayvon Martin, and Mike Brown, as well as Bob Herbert 's article Jim Crow Policing published in the New York Times, February 2nd 2010, explain first hand accounts and statistics to give examples of the fact that racial profiling from the police force consistently takes place.
The True Lies of Police Brutality According to The Guardian’s death-by-officer database, police have killed 264 black people in 2015 of which sixty-eight were unarmed (as of 29 November 2015). All Americans feel the extent of police brutality whether they are a victim, family member of a victim, or watch the events unfold on television. However, the issue of police brutality has become a central issue for racial equality. Racial equality progressives have used police brutality as the rallying cry for their agendas.
In the Michael Brown case, Officer Wilson said Michael Brown attacked him and in his defense fired seven shots which in fact killed Michael Brown. Also, in the Sefolosha case the policeman said that Mr. Sefolosha was not respecting him and refusing to do what he asked, also resisting arrest, so he had to use force. though both of these reasons do seem a little far-fetched. What I don 't understand is just because Michael Brown was disagreeing with this police officer and maybe attacked him, that it gave him the right to shoot Michael Brown. Well I don
In America Police Brutality is out of control. It’s a problem in America because of racism, stereotype and disrespect. Majority of the brutality has been done on African American men. It is understandable some american citizens may think police brutality is a problem. In reality its really a problem.
So far in the year of 2015, 66 unarmed African Americans have been killed by police authorities. Ever since the death Michael Brown in August 2014, the world has become much more aware of police brutality. According to wisegeek.org, police brutality is “a form of police misconduct in which officers engage in an excessive use of force.” Police brutality against African Americans is an issue that has been causing a lot of controversy in the past year. This issue needs much more awareness than ever before, since there have been many startling cases during and after the Ferguson protest.
According to “The Washington Post”, Last year 963 African Americans were shot and killed by police. Ever since the 1960s Africans has been fighting for equality; in the Eric Garner case and Michael Brown, it demonstrated how White police officers abuse and misuse their power towards African Americans. Since the increase of police brutality communities has had marches, rallies, and even the Black Lives Matters movements as a response to show that Polices’ abuse of power is unacceptable. The Black Lives Matter movement was created after radical discrimination it is a political movement to inform and protect Black Lives. (Wesley Lowery.
“Most juries in America have 12 jurors; Florida has six-person juries in all but death penalty cases” (Bloom, The Only Non-White Juror in the George Zimmerman Trial). The courtroom was enlightened on what happened the night of Martin’s death. Zimmerman had been following him, even after making a 911 call to police and being told that he did not need to shadow Martin. Later, a fight ensued between them where someone had been recorded screaming for help during a 911 call made by a neighbor. Throughout the course of the trial, this evidence was deemed it unlikely to truthfully identify the person the voice belonged to due to the extreme emotional state they were in.
Police Brutality The use of excessive force by the police is nothing new, and with so many cases out there, it is clear that "to serve and protect" does not exactly apply to all of law enforcement as it should. Even though in some cases the use of harsh force has resulted into solving big crimes, officers have used the excessive force for personal reasons like race. It has affected many lives in a different way and question the authority officers have.. Police Brutality is an ongoing problem and existent concern in the United States; the unjustified shootings,fatal choking, and rough treatment have contributed to the present problem of police brutality.
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.
Police Brutality is an ongoing problem and existent concern in the United States and should be resolved immediately. Law enforcement must function as an element that consists of organized and civilized officers. The presence of police brutality is becoming more of an issue as society grows. The problem posed by the illegal exercise of police power is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual orientation. Police brutality must be stopped so that police do not forget who they are serving – not themselves, but the public.