The use of force by law enforcement officers during riots or other cases is a significant study issue, especially in contemporary society. Over time, more black people have been rioting in America. However, there is a difference between riots today and in the past in that today, Negros's target business communities and the police as opposed to white people. Their hatred towards police officers primarily causes riots by black people. According to, the statutory and common law permit the use of any necessary force for self-defense purposes. Law enforcers are not necessitated by any law to retreat from a riot before using force, and so they are likely to use it. The common law gives police officers have more right to use deadly force, especially when arresting a felon. As such, legally, if the only way to arrest rioters is by shooting them, police officers are justified to do so. Police officers have been sanctioned to use deadly force in riots in 33 states in America.
Police officers are allowed to use force to protect people from people deemed as dangerous. They may use force when they suspect the individual is about to commit a crime or after they do. However, arguments are raised that this law may adversely affect innocent people. Allowing police officers to shoot any fleeing person in a riot enables killing both guilty and innocent individuals. It misrepresents the role of police in democratic societies. Additionally, the law empowers sadistic and unruly officers with trigger-happy fingers (Rhine, 1968). By shooting a felon because they are fleeing, the officer performs the duties of prosecutor, jury, the judge, and the executioner. This author argues that there is a need for reform regarding the use of deadly force in riots, which makes homicide to stop riots or solve domestic insurgency legal.
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Reform proposals require a statute that prohibits using deadly force to stop anyone from escaping, regardless of their crime, unless there is a reasonable belief that failure to apprehend him will lead to civilian injury or death. The police should also not have to use force if the felon has already been disarmed or is unarmed. The statute should be clear on the fact that police are to use deadly force only if it determines others' safety. An officer should evaluate situations before they use force and should be sure the force used will not result in substantial harm to innocent people.
The most significant challenges in the criminal justice system are that while officers are reluctant to testify against each other, the district attorney may also be unwilling to prosecute officers of the law. Without police cooperation, it is difficult to obtain proof of unjust use of deadly force. It is hard for victims of deadly force to prove they were not put under arrest, had not done anything warranting an arrest, or that force was used unreasonably. Raising the alarm against an officer who uses deadly force poses a risk to the victim (Rhine, 1968). There is mutual hostility between negros and police officers. Negros believe officers fail to protect them from crime and are discriminative to them, including police-related practices. As such, they become a target during riots because they distrust and hate them. On the other hand, police officers perceive negros as criminals because they do not understand their culture or needs. To establish an understanding, the author suggests there should be non-repressive approaches.
This article may be used by the criminal justice system to understand the reasons behind the hostility between Negros and law enforcement officers. It establishes that their hatred has developed from their daily interactions, and this prevalent cycle needs breaking. The system is also addressed because change will begin with them, seeing as they are organized and disciplined and best situated to adopt change. They may then create a society where black people feel appreciated, and they, too, will change. This article also encourages the system to adopt change regarding the use of deadly force in arrests and riots, which is primarily a disregard for human life and abuse of power.
Reference
Rhine, B. (1968). Kill or be killed: Use of deadly force in the riot situation. Calif. L. Rev. , 56 , 829.
