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 …show more content…
This idea came up in a major Supreme Court case in 1985 called Tennessee v. Garner where the judges questioned the constitutionality of shooting at an unarmed suspect. In this case, a police officer from Memphis came out to a neighborhood at night to investigate a complaint of a possible burglary. Upon arrival at the house in question, the officer heard a noise and saw a person trying to escape over the fence. When the suspect did not stop after a warning from the officer, the policeman shot and killed the suspect. After a long series of trials, the previous statute of Tennessee was overturned and replaced with a new one that included a new phrase. According to Michael Douglas Owens, writer of an article published in Mercer University’s 2000 Eleventh Circuit Survey, the new ruling was that “deadly force may be used to apprehend a fleeing felon only if ‘it is necessary to prevent [the suspect 's] escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others.’” This helped to outline when officers could lawfully shoot a suspect whose intentions were in question. Also, I believe the ruling satisfied some of the contentions of the argument against force by preventing officers from misusing guns. Safeguarding people against gun misuse while still allowing its utilization in dangerous situations seems to make the most sense to protect as many people as
Stand Your Ground laws reduce the cost of using lethal force to stop crime. As a result, a shooter [person defending themselves] “need not be correct in his perception of danger,” and can lead to them being wrong and “a victim’s life is lost needlessly” (Lawson, 300), thus leading to an increase in homicide rates under the Stand Your Ground law. With the Stand Your Ground law an unarmed man can be shot by “armed citizens who claimed a right of self defense due to perceived threatening behaviors” (Gius, 329). Looking specifically at homicides and using a larger data set, US Vital Statistics, a study by McClellan and Tekin (2012) also found that “Stand Your Ground law resulted in an increase in homicides” (Guis,
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.
A controversial issue facing the United States is the creation and use of Stand Your Ground laws. Stand Your Ground laws allow those who fear they are in imminent danger to use deadly force in self-defense to protect themselves, their property, and others without having to first retreat. 33 states in the U.S. have adopted Stand Your Ground laws following its creation in Florida in 2005, and with it, a major debate has arisen. People who are in favor of the laws believe that they allow citizens to fully protect their property and themselves from possible danger without having to fear prosecution. Those who are not in favor believe that the laws have led to an increase in unnecessary violence and wrongful deaths, along with causing other issues in the country.
The use of lethal force by police is subject to societal, strategic and tactical considerations that inform choices in the field. While many factors are the same for all force options, the tactical purpose in the use of lethal force is distinct. A key question is not whether a killing was justified but if it was avoidable. In deciding to use lethal force, expectations that police are able to make nuanced choices are questionable.
Good afternoon. I am here to help fight for the cause to save your lives. Imagine this; you are taking a test in one of your classes. Then you hear a gunshot and the entire school goes into lockdown. Your friend, or sibling gets shot, while in the hallway, but for your own safety, you can’t leave your hiding spot.
What’s missing from the typical kindergartener’s backpack? A gun. The ultimate solution to gun violence is more guns, isn’t that obvious? We are in need of guns everywhere to the point where our nation needs armed guards in every school. They say the more guns we have, the more gun violence there is, but in fact it does the complete opposite and solves gun violence.
Did you know that the automatic rifle could give a man the firepower of a whole squad. As a matter of fact 12942 people were killed with rifles in 2015 alone. Automatic rifles are the guns the military use and can sometimes fall into the wrong hands. They are guns that can be held down for rapid fire, they essentially do give one person the firepower of a whole squad. These weapons cause more damage to society than any other weapon known to man.
Thorough studies examine that the distribution of less-lethal weapons have reduced issues such as assaults on specifically police officers, other studies examine that this is increasing the death and injuries of civilians rather than focusing primarily on the safety of officers employed for the police force. It is a growing problem in the United States with increasing health issues related to the cause of police use of force in incidents that occur regularly. It is important to consider whether these less-lethal weapons are associated with the like hood of injuries. The use of force can define a wide range of different variables of force; it is vital to assess the independent contribution of less-lethal weapons on the prevalence and incidence of injury to the suspects and officers involved. Less- lethal weapons have increased the odds of injury to suspects that may be life threatening, it is most likely essential for these officers to stick to less-lethal weapons which can be classified as OC sprays or CEDs.
Gun Violence In America Gun violence in america accounted for 33,636 deaths in 2015 alone and that number is only rising. If every american was able to obtain a firearm imagine what the numbers of gun related deaths. Even gun related injuries caused many more hospital visits in america what many other common incidents. That is why america needs to implement tighter gun laws to reduce the amount of gun violence in America. Without this we will continue to see shooting, gun death, gun injuries resulting in more and more gun related violence.
World War I. America needed an advantage to beat Germany and their allies. So a true patriot created one of the first assault weapon and named it the Thompson submachine gun. The weapon would of made a big difference on the war ,but it was created when the war was over. So gangsters acquired the weapons and killed many lives. New assault weapons came and ended more lives.
A weapon in the wrongs hands is the maximum danger humanity can face. Nowadays, violence and delinquency in society are viewed as the maximum problem solver. Humanity is full of chaos; hate and envy seize our souls. Guns are the ultimate security for some citizens but for others, these add to a feeling of defenselessness. Throughout history, any topic related to guns means a plethora of problems.
Gun control has been a heated debate for several decades, recently, the discussion surrounding this matter has intensified. The argument seems to be divided into liberal and conservative views, thoughts, and values. A majority of liberals desire stricter gun laws, required mental health check-ups, and longer waiting periods when it comes to purchasing a gun. However, the general census among the Republicans is less governmental interference because they feel that there is already too much governmental control involved. The Republican Party often does not want stricter gun laws because the problem at hand is not the gun itself, but the individual wielding the gun.
Gun Control Gun control has become a polarizing and controversial issue around the globe. There have been many reported issues of mass shootings both in schools and in the public, making it a hot button issue. Proponents argue that, if the government strictly controls the ownership of guns, such tragedies can be prevented. Most Americans have an obsession with guns because the law allows them to do so. Therefore, they are always ready to scoff at anyone trying to control gun ownership.
Cops should have guns In the state of California the police are armed with hand guns. From 1900 to 2000, more than 14,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement were killed in the line of duty. Around 50% of those deaths were because of firearms. If police officers were not armed, a lot more than 14,000 law enforcement officers could of been killed.
“The two most important things to do for self-defense are not to take a martial arts class or get a gun, but to think like the opposition and know where you 're most at risk.” (Barry Eisler) The strategies on how to think like the opposition in case of an attack are essential for students to learn at the high school level. Self-defense classes will be an effective way to teach students the skills, strategies, and knowledge needed so they can properly defend themselves and others in case of an attack. Doing this through high schools allow students to maintain their busy schedules as well as teaching them in a low risk and low-cost environment where they feel comfortable to express concerns and ask questions as they learn.