Excessive Force Case Study

Police officers use the amount of force necessary to ease the situation, arrest an individual, or protect themselves and others from harm. A certain amount of people understand that excessive force is required in different situations. There are moments when police officers will be obligated to use excessive force to calm the situation. For example; Rahtz said, “Then you have others who understand that in some situations, force is not only necessary but is required, if serious, injury or death is avoided” (Rahtz, 2007). Force can be necessary and understood

At the same time that I believe there are police officers who use excessive force, I believe there are people who are defying and undermining the officers. At the same time that the officers are protecting themselves, the innocent citizens should not be getting shot. Philando Castile’s gun was not even loaded, nor did he ever reach for the gun. This is one of the most asked topics that presidential candidates were asked during their election periods. It does not really seem like much can be done with the situation until the officer for this particular case goes on trial.

Officer and PerpetratorFactors Another important consideration is the officer himself as compared to the subject in question. An officer who is 5'1" and 105 pounds may be justified in using greater force against a subject who is 6'3" 240 pounds than would a taller, heavier and stronger officer in similar situations. Uses of Force More Complicated Than First Looks Suggest All of this goes to demonstrate that uses of force by corrections and police officers are most often far more complicated than a single news report makes them appear.

At the hospital, King was treated for lacerations on his face, a broken ankle along with a broken cheekbone. Moreover, in King's court case against the officers, he also claimed to have suffered from 11 skull fractures, brain damage, broken teeth and emotional trauma. http://michellawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Report-of-the-Independent-Commission-on-the-LAPD-re-Rodney-King_Reduced.pdf The following day, the horrific video of the beating was aired on multiple news television shows which displayed the "truth about race and class in America".

Law enforcement agents are should behave to a standard that is greater than the average civilian. Police brutality comes from an abuse of power granted to the police. Police brutality is often drawn on by overreaction in certain situations drawn on by panic. Police using excessive force in the United States is a crucial dilemma and must be stopped.

It can be hard to prosecute a cop for these actions due to the constant state of threat a cop’s life is at while doing their job and the unpredictability of their job. An example of an case where the police’s use of force were questioned was the Wardlaw v. Pickett case. In this case a man named, William C. Wardlaw decided to sue the United States Deputy Marshals, William Pickett and Albert Crew. Wardlaw claimed that the two violated his constitutional rights by using excessive force on him and falsing arresting and prosecuting him.

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

People pick the side that either defends or criticize police officers use of force. However, the people do not realize that this topic is plainly ridiculous and dangerous. This issue will not only hurt both sides, but also harm innocent civilians as well. Police brutality is a big dispute between different communities; however, there are several solutions that can solve this

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?,

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.

Police brutality has been occurring since the idea of a police officer was first brought up. Officers have found many holes through the law enforcement system. This brings upon many types of misconduct and excessive force. Unfortunately, police officers are not usually held accountable for their brutality. “The Incentive Program, or the method of police chiefs using promises of contraband going to sub-departments that lack the money in the budget, gives officers more incentive to not only plant evidence to make an entire estate contraband, but it also lets them rationalize lining their own pockets” (White).

There's a line that an officer can't cross and that's when they use excessive force, any amount of force by a law enforcement officer that is beyond the minimum necessary to achieve legitimate law enforcement objectives. A type of force that rarely an officer uses is deadly force, the use of lethal force by an officer. The court will only consider the use of deadly force responsible only when it is an absolute last resort. That is why the Supreme Court invalidated the fleeing-felon rule, which they rule that it was acceptable practice in many jurisdictions to use deadly force when a felon fled from an officer regardless of the immediacy of threat involved in the situation. An example of when an officer can use deadly force is when the officer reasonably believes there is a substantial imminent risk that the person to be arrested will cause death or serious bodily harm to the officer or to another person in the

Law enforcement is ensuring an act of obedience to the law. Police officers often take advantage of enforcing the law and end up using violence when it 's not necessary. According to the Washington post ( 2015 ) every 28 hours an unarmed colored person is killed by a police officer. I think it is time for these and other victims who were treated unjustly by police officers to get justice. These deadly law enforcement incidents must come to an end.

The main goal of a officer is to gain control of situation, to protect and serve the community. So if they can 't regulate the problem, by using the low levels of force, then they simply must increase the amount of force. Also

The public has a misconception that deadly force is the same thing as excessive force. They can be similar if the police use deadly force to a point where every officer discharges their entire magazine on person when the threat has been eliminated. Officers receive hours of training on how to shoot a gun, but sometime receive little instruction on how to determine when to use the gun. Training starts in the Police Academy, and continues throughout their careers. There are officers who teach and train the departments every month.