Police Brutality: The 10 Worst Cases of Police Brutality

Police brutality refers to the use of excessive and illegitimate force against civilians with or without due cause. Police, as the law enforces, are allowed to use reasonable amounts of force where perceived appropriate on the civilians as a way of achieving order. However, if such discretion is abused and the officers resort to open intimidation and outright application of violence on civilians, it is regarded as police brutality (Worden, 2015). The US is the center of global attention when it comes to upholding human rights. Maintaining a reputation as a country that observes liberal ideas and living has made the US a leading focus for any form of injustice. Such observation is, however, not meant to dissuade the public from being critical on how authorities charged with the responsibility of protecting civilians go on carrying their roles (Alang et al., 2017). The police force, as an example, has earned a reputation in the US for being quite unspectacular when managing civilian issues. As Jennings (2018) explains, it also enshrines verbal assault and psychological intimidation. Credible scholarly research postulates that lately, police malfeasance has proliferated in various parts across the United States. The acts constitute a grievous form of felony perpetrated by police officers who are hired to curb crime and maintain law and order. Such police misconduct inflicts adverse effects on not only the casualties but also hurts the public perception. Minimization of police brutality requires breaking the blue code of silence and adherence to ethics and integrity conduct. Recently, myriad fatalities affecting African Americans have been attributed to police brutality. According to Alang, McAlpine, McCreedy, and Hardeman (2017), in recent years, for example, cases of white police officers killing unarmed black adults and youths have sparked riots across the United States. As such, one of the causal factors attributed to the rise of police brutality is racism. Statistics report that one in about 1000 black men and boys in the USA die following excessive use of force by police. Excessive use of police force is a widespread issue in the United States (Alang et al., 2017). Poor training, corruption, and racial bias might explain the impact of police brutality. Also, the lack of enforcing ethics and integrity policy may be a contributory factor in police misconduct. History serves the purpose of openly documenting different instances under which the US police force has come under scrutiny following a case of misconduct or brutality against civilians. Various groups of the American citizenry have always outlined abuse in the form of violence they were subjected to by the uniformed forces of government (Gamal, 2016). The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has in its records data indicating the volatility that surrounds police brutality. According to the FBI, the year 2015 saw a recorded 41% police departments across major cities in the country engaging in acts that lead to deaths of civilians. About 90% of the departments across the country, either committed or omitted instances where violence was meted on civilians (Jennings, 2018). Among the groups that were subjected to higher rates of were highly minority groups that were regarded as either vulnerable or ignorant of their rights. The paper discusses police brutality in the US as an issue that has, for a long time now curtailed the civil rights of minority groups such as African Americans, Asian-descents, Hispanic communities, and activist groups. Over the years, the police force has in different jurisdictions carved themselves a reputation based on their relationship with the civilians. While countries have moved from the era of brut and brawn law enforcement to integrated policing in developed civilizations, the majority of communities still find such ideas to be utopian (Obasogie & Newman, 2016). The place of police departments among civilian rule has ensured that they are at the center of all civil activities and interact more closely with citizens than any other disciplined forces of the land. Nicole Flatow captured the historical perspective of police brutality in her article. Her point of view though critical, offering a better understanding of how and why police brutality has become a thorny issue in the present society. Despite efforts by governments to allow officers the discretion of using force on civilians, wherever perceived necessary, such power, when uncontrolled, results in chaos and abuse. According to Flatow (2014), the incoherence of power and its control is the cause of such vile and historical trails of injustices meted on civilians by authorities that are expected to offer them the necessary protection. Flatow (2014) provides an interesting perspective from what had previously been regarded as a rule of the thumb; permissible use of force on civilians needed to be curtailed if not placed under strict supervision lest it became a vice of anarchy and disorder among the civilians who would be considered oppressed by the government. The article by Flatow (2014) offers an insight into the existing intimidation experienced by several citizens who are faced by several communities over the years. Police brutality dates back to the ages before and after the country was granted independence. Over the years, different groups have had to challenge authority and in the process, find themselves on the wrong side of the law. The recent recorded history of police brutality has been in the dates of the 19th and 20th centuries, where the working class, Jewish businessmen, and Asian merchants faced police intimidation and violence when they protested the discriminatory working conditions (Jennings, 2018). The groups had in context been subjected to what would be considered as violence by the authorities supposed to be protecting them from any forms of abuse. In the 19th century as an example, the working class of America, the majority being whites and Irish protested poor working conditions, wage issues, and other trade-related hostilities that they perceived to have been a result of a government decision. The governments in the attempt to manage the situation had resorted to using force on civilians. The 1920s saw police departments in major towns such as Chicago and New York use force against Eastern European citizens in the US who were perceived to engage in criminal activities. Italia-immigrants were considered to run rings of organized crime in the country and were, as such, treated with significant hostility by the police departments in their cities of residence (Bloom, Martin Jr, & Martin, 2016). In the 1940s, when the Southern states of the country faced significant immigrant issues, police departments along the Border States reportedly attacked Mexican Americans. The Mexican population and other Hispanic civilians who were legally in the country were subjected to violence; the claim was that they were keeping and aiding fugitives and aliens who had crossed the border into the country. The efforts and tactics employed by law enforcement officers, especially the police, were considered to be extrajudicial. The Zoot Suit Riots episodes became a difficult period when the different measures of trade became considered as part of the agenda in ensuring that any hostilities were covered as part of justified police work (Obasogie & Newman, 2016). The police department established a precedent that would go on to shape the relationship between the Hispanic community and the law enforcement agencies. The Civil Rights Movement Era is another period that continues to relay police brutality on the perceptions of the majority of Americans, especially black communities. The periods between the 1950s and 1960s saw a civilian rise on the demands of what was termed as Civil Rights. The movements that were largely championed by African American citizens, women, and union workers in American manufacturing companies saw the civilian societies form unions and all sorts of associations to champion their rights amid open discrimination by the white majority (Obasogie & Newman, 2016). The civilian groups and unions were majorly composed of minority groups and led by vocal critics of the government. The period marked an episode in history when various atrocities were committed against innocent civilians who were protesting discrimination in their own country.  The Selma to Montgomery Marches took place in the years of 1965 saw police officers open fire and brutally assault civilians indiscriminately for attending such events despite them being legally conducted. Many lives were lost during the Civil Rights Movements that included vocal union leaders such as Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, Malcolm X, among other leaders who were at the fore criticizing the government on the apparent open discrimination (Platt, 2018). Police officers formed groups that would deal with outfits such as the Black Panther Party, an organization by civilians to tackle police officers who were audaciously assaulting and killing civilians, especially African Americans. The crackdown on the organization attracted significant media scrutiny, with 34 members and 15 officers losing their lives. The Black Panther Party activities were perceived to have triggered hostility between officers of the law and the African American communities. The violence has to date been considered as the catalyst that orchestrated the vile police oppression of black communities and increased surveillance in black neighborhoods. Law enforcement influence and violence in communities has continued with secretly organized FBI, Homeland Security, and police officers from various departments infiltrating social organizations intending to scuttle social groups. The 1960s saw several assassinations and violence sponsored by the police and other law enforcement agencies in the target of the leaders of social groups. Other sources of rights movements have been within the gender-based activism where homosexuals and other gender-related activists have been met with violent police acts in an attempt to discourage their activities. 

Police brutality, as perceived, has been justified from a point where authorities have continuously considered the use of force as a measure to combat the element of crime in the communities. Police officers, therefore, have justified the use of violence in places where there exist demonstrations. The African Americans have significantly profiled as leading protesters following the community being at the fore in the Civil Rights Movement.  

The fight on drugs and narcotics has as well attracted significant police involvement. The Hispanic community and black Americans have been largely associated with drug business and use (Fridkin et al., 2017). The racial profiling along these crimes have seen police brutality take a racial dimension with the media and other activism groups categorically identifying the vice as a way of discrimination and advancing social prejudice in line of the race (Lopez, 2018). Terrorism has been another significant breeding ground for police hostility towards civilians.  

Asian and especial Muslim families have continuously remained under serious surveillance and social profiling after the 9/11 terror attack. The situation has complicated the lives of Muslim believers who face both discrimination and police harassment based on their faith because of social profiling. The War on Terror tag has continued to hang a gloom experience on Americans of Islam descents, with the majority of them being forced to denounce their faith or seek asylum in more tolerant societies. The War on Terror narrative has made it possible for police officers to commit and abet criminal violence on innocent Muslim civilians in the Pretext of surveillance and fighting terrorism.  

The same attitude has been used on the perceived war on drugs and narcotics across the country’s southern border, where the DEA and other Homeland security agencies have continued to carry out violent operations against Hispanic communities tagged as sympathizers and illegal immigrants (Lopez, 2018). The ethnic profiling of these instances has made it difficult to arrest and prosecute cases of police brutality that have an underlying racial or ethnical motivation. Officers have always found a way of justifying their actions within the legal guidelines and in the process permitting the crime to go unpunished. 

Causes of Police Brutality 

Police Brutality in the US has been a factor of multiple incidences and causes. Different scholars and observers pay homage to matter such as deference, separation of powers, lack in the proof, and the jurisprudence of the local courts of laws as contributing matters that surround police brutality. According to Nodjimbadem (2017), issues relating to administrative aspects of law enforcement, including officer training, the existing culture, the criminal justice system, and resource management, are all in a way linked to the prevailing violence reported in the police force. 

Police training refers to the processes that officers go through since recruitment until they graduate from law enforcement academies. The training process helps in shaping the perspective of police officers when introduced to the public to serve (Worden, 2015). Training of officers has always been blamed as lacking, with critics identifying the applied methods to be the reason as to why several officers are deemed to flout their roles and engage in unethical activities (Carter, 2016). Police training on values, ethics, and community relations has been identified as a contributor to the poor relationship between police officers and the communities they serve. 

Existing Culture 

Despite the ongoing police reforms that have taken part in most parts of the decade, pre-existing perceptions of police officers among minority groups have continued to persist. Police officers have continued to be labeled negatively among black, Asian, and Hispanic communities following periods of conflict that date back to historical moments, including the Civil Rights Movement. The Criminal justice system has been accused of failing to uphold the rule of law, especially when it comes to determining cases involving police officers. Collusion and bureaucracy within the institutions have seen officers walk free after committing acts that would land a civilian in jail.  

In context, officers have been accused of associating with legal prosecutors in altering evidence and case material rendering such cases inadmissible before the jury (Soss & Weaver, 2017). The compromised legal system that is corrupted by the police officers makes it difficult to prosecute uniformed forces within the civil justice system. It is such inaccessibility to a justice system that has allowed officers who propagate violence on civilians to go on unpunished despite there being laws to make their prosecution possible. 

Resource use and allocation remain a key feature in the way officers can operate under the existing laws, and the law enforcement department operates. The inability of the governments in the past to sustain their budgets within acceptable limits denied them a chance to operate legally. The use of force was resorted to as a mechanism to intimidate the public through orchestrated fear hence succeeding in the deterrence quest of government. 

Political Context 

The politics behind police brutality has spearheaded discourses along with different political groups. From a human rights perspective, the violence associated with police brutality has been politicized to include underlying racial differences with media and activist groups remaining vocal in highlighting the racial context of police brutality (Harkin, 2015). The politics on police brutality has continued to border issues such as gun instigated violence, gender disparity, and race discourses. The context and the continuous disagreement between various political factions have made it impossible to resolve the political impasse that surrounds police violence in the country; are police actions informed by the need to enforcing law and order or they are machinations to deprive innocent civilians of their liberties.  

Legal Context on Police Brutality 

The legal context of police brutality remains outlined by the incoherence that is witnessed in the prosecution of police officers in courts. Officers arraigned before civilian courts are always bound to walk free to the dismay of the public. It is such vehemence and insincerity of the justice system when prosecuting law enforces that it has been seen as double standards by the aggrieved parties (Soss & Weaver, 2017). The retaliation from civilians is, therefore, born out of such a perceived disconnect in the justice system when it involves officers of the law. Prosecuting police brutality in courts of law has been difficult despite the enforcement of several reforms in the institution. 

Social/Cultural Context 

The society remains a dynamic circus that feeds on uncertainty. Police brutality has fed the society with an unending avenue for continued discourse that not only shapes perception but informs opinions. Engaging in violence as a way of enforcing laws has seen police departments be branded as terror institutions. The social aspect of police brutality has seen officers of law considered racists or biased in ways they administer and enforce public laws. Reports by civil activist groups and human rights watch have all labeled police operations in the country as inconsiderate of civilian liberties with prevalent cases on unwarranted arrests, extrajudicial killings, and other acts of violence on women (Hutto & Green, 2016). Minority groups have continued to complain of police harassment and intimidation despite being innocent. 

Solutions to Police Brutality 

Over the years, different administrations have proposed multiple reforms on the current police laws. Key among such reforms have been a service-oriented force, retraining, allocation of resources, police-community relations, and intelligence-based policing. Retraining as a solution to ending police brutality lies in the ability of police authorities to recruit and train officers on matters that relate to community policing. Through retraining and resource allocation, it would be possible to increase police capacity and solve the misconception about police officers (Hutto & Green, 2016). Improving police relations would require officers to engage the public in close associated law enforcement. Community policing would be a better way of ensuring that officers can trust civilians for intelligence while civilians trusting officers to offer them with the appropriate secure environments to live. 

Impacts of excessive police force 

a. Poor Training 

Poor training negatively impacts the police force, ultimately yielding adverse outcomes such as police brutality. Worden (2015) asserts that the lack of efficient training derived from the absence of defensive tactics and well-designed training curriculum amounts to excessive use of force. Poor training increases police reliance on their tools such as tasers, firearms, pepper spray, and batons, rather than tactfully depending on hands-on-defensive techniques. Lack of training on deployment of hand-on-skills instills fear of physically interacting with suspects. The result is exemplified by the drastic proliferation of excessive use of force hence police brutality (Jennings, 2018). The void created by ineffective training denies the police knowledge to employ secondary options in the event the primary strategy, such as the use of Taser fails. Officer Michael Slager ranks as a victim of poor training. Slager deployed his gun and shot Scott after noting that his use of a Taser did not work.  

Had Officer Slager been effectively training, he would have opted to use a second option rather than shooting Scott dead. For instance, Slager should have pursued the fugitive on foot and make use of a hands-on strategy instead of firing a shot that killed Scott. Shooting Scott in his back is a blatant indication of a lack of efficacious training on approaches to handle a victim who fails to respond to a Taser. Jennings (2018) avers that police training academies fail to emphasize the basic knowledge of hate crime training coupled with cultural sensitivity training. Credible evidence avers that police officers receive superficial training on how laws work or approach to deploy when responding to a hate crime. The widespread lack of training leads to the physical use of force epitomized by baton strikes, throws, chokeholds, and fist strikes. 

b. Racial Bias 

Prejudice and implicit biasness against black people by white police officers have negatively impacted the US police force, often being attributed to police brutality incidences. Evidence of racial disparities amounts to the infliction of excessive force to victims, for instance, during traffic stops and drug-related seizures (Alang et al., 2017). Explicit prejudice occurs when white police officers employ us-versus-them’ perception of black populations. Scholarly research stipulates that some white police officers harbor implicit biases characterized by stereotypes and attitudes that influence their actions, decisions, and beliefs towards the black community. Police officers were found to demonstrate a type of implicit bias by perpetuating an unconscious association between the black race and crime. As an impact, white police officers shoot armed individuals more swiftly if they are black targets than if they are white (Alang et al., 2017). Evidence points to the findings that police refrain from shooting in instances where the target is white. The result is usually brightened police brutality against the black communities.  

c. Corruption 

In the police force, corruption ranges from petty and small bribery acts to political and infiltration corruption. Police officers in the US have been accused of perpetrating excessive use of force in an attempt to solicit bribes. A growing body of a research report that police embark on using verbal abuse and physical infliction of force in instances where a person caught in wrongdoing declines to give handouts or attempts to report the police for the perpetration of corrupt practices (Jennings, 2018). The police corruption yields mistrust, consequently amounting to an increase in excessive use of force. Corruption further compromises and undermines the police institutional integrity and code of conduct.  

Analysis: Influences 

a. Potential Causes 

Failure to operationalize the code of ethics and integrity creates a loophole that paves the way for excessive police use of force. Recent empirical research declares that police brutality towards masses results from unethical decisions by law enforcement officers. The police fail to stick to ethical and integrity oath to serve and protect and instead resorts to using force such as shooting to restore law and order. Fridkin et al. (2017) explain that continued engagement in wrong unethical decisions paves the way for incidences of police brutality. Recent cases in Baltimore, characterized by increased reliance on armored vehicles and heavy weaponry, is a typical unethical move that compromises the police force integrity.  

            The police force fails to enforce ethical and integrity code that binds police officers by spelling punitive measures against errant officers. The inaction creates a perception among officers that employment of excessive force to tame crime and maintain law and order is accepted and lawful. Rather than punishing defiant officers through suspensions or termination, police administration condones unethical acts marred by the employment of heavy-handed responses when restraining individuals and crowds (Jennings, 2018). Police brutality thus exudes owing to failure to adhere to ethical and integrity during tense moments. 

b. Residual Impacts 

Some of the impacts that stand to remain even after the operationalization of mitigation measures include damaged mental health among the black communities. Incidences of depression and stress following overwhelming police brutality will leave irreversible mental damages even to populations that have no direct connection to families that have suffered loss from excessive application of force by police (Fridkin et al., 2017). Both physical and psychological impacts will remain, coupled with the shame and fear of living with injuries inflicted. The abuse, either physical or psychological, will leave lifetime impacts manifested by physical wounds and damages. Residual psychological implications include post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal tendencies, frequent panic attacks, and possibly indulging in substance abuse.  

c. Pros and Cons 

Notably, excessive use of force by police aids in the prevention of damage to other people and surroundings. A perfect illustration is the employment of force by police to restrain a man believed to harbor a motive to break in a residential home. Failure to refrain, the individual would have resulted in the loss of property due to theft or infliction of injury by the errant criminal. Application of excessive force safeguards police from dangerous situations when on duty. Incidences of assault towards police have been reported (Worden, 2015). The approach by police officers protects them from life-threatening circumstances and uncooperative citizens. Regarding cons related to excessive use of force, brutality results in loss of trust with the police force, lousy publicity, staff shortages owing to officers leaving employment, lawsuits, and subjection of police officers as targets of retaliations. 

Recommendation: Some strategies of curtailing police misconduct. 

a. Cultural Awareness 

Sensitization on diversity stands to create a more in-depth understanding among police officers on improving community relationships with the black population. Awareness through training would address implicit bias and provide a fresh view of culture on the need to exhibit professionalism with each community member, whether black or white (Alang et al., 2017). Cultural awareness on topics such as equity, inclusion, bias, and diversity would inculcate skills necessary to deal with everyone the same way, whether conducting arrest, detention, or during a consensual encounter. According to Fridkin, Wintersieck, Courey, and Thompson (2017), Officers thus would be in a position to understand different expectations, adapt appropriate restraint approaches, and predict derived cultural behavior hence combating police brutality. Awareness would further equip officers with an elementary understanding of culture and cultural competencies, particularly in conflict management. 

b. Extreme Termination 

Deterrence to engage in excessive use of force can be curbed by implementing disciplinary sanctions such as extreme termination of employment. Police leaders ought to terminate violent officers to sound a warning to officers who may intend to use excessive force against citizens. Termination should be for good without an opportunity to appeal or reinstatement. 

c. Retraining 

Police officers should be bound to undergo a rigorous re-training program on defensive tactics and the use of hands-on mechanisms to restrain defiant crowds and individuals. Training emphasis should focus on hand to hand fighting techniques. The policy should contribute to rebuilding community relationships. The program should be extended to encompass job-related stress, family problems, and building cordial human relations. Retraining should further equip police officers with abilities to make decisions under highly charged conditions and psychological techniques that pertain to situational control (Fridkin et al., 2017). The curriculum ought to further cover defusing methods, anger management, and response to fear stimulated by confrontations.  

Conclusions 

Police brutality remains the culmination of different factors that all have contributed to the realization of social discontent in the US. Unwarranted application of excessive force has been on the rise in the USA. Police brutality to civilians ranges from murder, mayhem, assault, and battery as well as torture. The vice is believed to stem from racial bias, corruption, and inadequate training. Additional factors include the rot characterized by failure to enforce ethics and integrity policy. The above research has isolated residual impacts resulting from police brutality, including mental health damages and fear, stigma. Cultural awareness, extreme termination, and re-training would play a critical role in combating police brutality. Regardless of the political indifference and intolerance, police brutality has remained associated with a disorganized police institution. The disenfranchisement associated with oppressive police attitudes has all ensured that there exists a non-reconcilable difference between the police department and the general public. The government, therefore, needs to refocus its energies into what would then be used as a dimension to categorically outline the coincidences in contexts informing the idea of police brutality. 

References 

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Jennings, J. (2018). Police Brutality, Riots, and Public Opinion: Then versus Now. 

Lopez, G. (2018). There are huge racial disparities in how US police use force. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/identities/2016/8/13/17938186/police-shootings-killings-racism-racial-disparities 

Nodjimbadem, K. (2017). The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S. Smithsonian. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/ 

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