ipl-logo

Should Police Use Deadly Force Research Paper

1007 Words5 Pages

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. If an officer uses deadly force against a person of a different color out of spite then that is unethical, immoral, and illegal. There are several guidelines in which police officers must abide by in the use of deadly force, such as the rule of law, moral and ethical …show more content…

In my opinion it is, for many reasons, officers cannot predict how a suspect will act in a confrontation leading up to their arrest. The suspect could become violent in a matter of seconds, leaving the officers with a split-second decision to use deadly force. This decision could be life or death for the police officer. Police officers have just as much right to protect their lives as everyone else. I try to perceive myself as a police officer in a situation where I had to choose to use lethal force or face death at the hands of someone I have never wronged, but only have interaction with due to my job. I, just as I am certain most everyone would do, would choose to use lethal force in order to sustain my own life. But not every situation calls for lethal force, and I believe that police officers could do with a little extra training in the methods of non-lethal subjugation. In closing, I would state that deadly force should be viewed as a last resort and used only when the police officer believes that no other method will

Show More
Related

  • Deadly Force Facts

    807 Words  | 4 Pages

    Officers are taught at the police academy to meet deadly force with deadly force. They are trained and given the techniques and skills to make sure they make it home at the end of their shift, and they spend extensive time training in the use of firearms. It's important to realize that, when discussing the use of deadly force by police officers, the expected result of a subject's actions don't have to be death. Instead, deadly force is described as actions that would likely cause death or bodily harm, which could include permanent disfigurement without necessarily causing death.

    Read More

  • Tamir Rice's Argumentative Essay: Police Use Of Force

    528 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Is Deadly Force Justified

    197 Words  | 1 Pages

    Deadly force is more of a last resort, or is used when all else fails. Deadly force should be used only in the occasion that an officer’s life or the life of another individual is in danger. Courts have ruled that deadly force may be used under two main criteria, to prevent the escape of a suspect, and that the officer has probable cause of possible serious threat of death/injury to another individual. If a felon is fleeing deadly force is only justified if there is reason to believe serous injury or death to the public or an officer may occur. In cases where a suspect has some sort of deadly weapon officers may use deadly for if the suspect is attempting to cause harm and the use of force is justifiable.

    Read More

  • Constitutional Police Brutality

    2453 Words  | 10 Pages

    The rules of deadly force have continued to change since the inception of the Constitution. At one point, police were given the authority to fire on a fleeing felon even if they were not armed with a weapon. Today 's police officers receive significantly more training so that civil act violations and excessive uses of force may be prevented, but even with the extra training, police officers still act in this unruly manner. Every police department in America has experienced some type of misconduct, but not all have experienced a civil rights or police brutality violation. In my opinion, many of these incidents took place because of the lack of training that was provided to these officers.

    Read More

  • Deadly Force Definition Essay

    411 Words  | 2 Pages

    Definitions Minnesota St. Paul Police Department: The policy also defines deadly force by the definition given by the Minnesota Statute 609.066. This definition suggests deadly force is when the officer knows the force will either result in death or great harm to the person. This statute also adds the factor of discharging a firearm in the direction of where a person might be, including a vehicle, as deadly force. Use of force on the other hand, is defined as the use of command presence, verbalization, and other means (including physical force and more) as a way to restrain a suspect. Furthermore, they also define the following terms: electronic control devices, great bodily harm, impact weapon, less than lethal force, non-lethal force, reasonable grounds/belief, reasonably necessary force, restraint, strangle holds, T.A.R.P., unreasonable force, weapon of choice,

    Read More

  • Deadly Force In Law Enforcement

    1076 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Deadly force is generally defines as any force that can reasonably be expected to cause death or serious bodily injury (Petrocelli, 2005).”It is to be utilized by law enforcement as a last resort, therefore, before a police officer goes the route of using deadly force, they must use all non-deadly force strategies unless they feel imminent danger is going to take place. There is no doubt that law enforcement officers will be faced with multiple challenges that put their lives on the line. Law enforcement officers deal with a multitude of dangers everyday, which is why they are trained to know what to do in hostile situations. When it comes to deadly force, the traditional rule of thumb for officers is tat it is allowed if the officer reasonably believes that the person of interest has committed a crime or is going to commit a crime. But how can the officer know for sure?

    Read More

  • Excessive Force In Policing Essay

    1579 Words  | 7 Pages

    The use of Police Force in the country is a growing concern. It may be exaggerated within the news however The United States Civil Rights Commission has brought up this issue. “Police officers are authorized by department policies to use force in certain situations: to protect themselves, to affect an arrest, to overcome resistance, and to bring a dangerous situation under control. The relevant question is, when is the use of force excessive and gone too far?” (Walker & Katz, 393, 2013).

    Read More

  • Police Use Of Deadly Force Essay

    515 Words  | 3 Pages

    Police officers are allowed to use deadly force in the event that, they feel that there life is threatened in any way. However, the police officer should use the amount of force that is reasonable and necessary in the situation as judged by what a reasonable person would

    Read More

  • Police Brutality Annotated Bibliography Summary

    1391 Words  | 6 Pages

    Annotated Bibliography Books Dudley, William, et al., editors. Police Brutality. D.L. Bender, 1991. • Police Brutality gives information on how police brutality is a widespread issue in the United States and explains different controversies and cases that relate to police brutality. • The editors of this book include activists and nonfiction authors who provide reliable information on what happened during different incidences of police brutality and the viewpoints and controversies that come with it.

    Read More

  • Police Brutality Argumentative Essay

    760 Words  | 4 Pages

    Police brutality will be an issue until a solution is created. Many individuals are victims of this form of assault on daily basis. The liberties held by law enforcement are challenged each time they perform their duties. Police officers should abide by the same laws that each citizen is expected to abide by. Although police officers are granted with the right to determine laws as constitutional, civilians are sometimes treated in ways that are beyond unlawful.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay Over Deadly Force

    1683 Words  | 7 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: The Use Of Police Force

    694 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many pros and cons when it comes to the use of police force. The use of force is strictly a part of the job requirement of protecting and serving our community. It is the everyday battles that force police to make decisions that may seem a bit harsh at times. The use of force is only acceptable under certain circumstances and should only be used when absolutely needed. There are cases when civilians are saved by the use of police force, and there are cases when innocent people are hurt or even killed by the use of police force.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Police Brutality

    892 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Ineffective Use Of Police Force

    1648 Words  | 7 Pages

    How do we police the police? This is a question that has been around for centuries, but no one has been able to come up with a clear answer because although there are recommendations on what should be done, it is up to the police themselves to provide constraints. It also may not come as a shock to some that police officers in the United States are taught that they can use deadly force if they reasonably believe an individual poses a grave, imminent danger to themselves or others. One of the primary rules taught at the police academy as that you shoot to kill, not to injure because if you only shoot to wound someone by shooting, you do not have jurisdiction to shoot at all. It is logical that they do have to protect themselves, however, that

    Read More

  • Why Is Police Violence Necessary

    298 Words  | 2 Pages

    Police violence is a fact of life but society has come to fear police due to their higher power. Police violence is an issue, some people think riots are a way to solve it and others think it just cause more violence. Violence can be necessary in situations to protect our society but in other situations police have acted in ways that we question are the officers actually doing their job. Although violence can be necessary in situations, police could be trained better to handle these situations.

    Read More

More about Should Police Use Deadly Force Research Paper

Open Document