The Michael Brown case was controversial in many respects due to the manner it was handled as well as the actions that led to the demise of the teenager. On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot an unarmed Brown (Shoichet, 2014). The death sparked civil protests bringing limelight to the police killings of the members of the Black community. Various calls on the said issue regarding police brutality and racial profiling were made. The nature of the case meant that the Police officer in question could find the direction of the case easily through his confessions in the courts of law. Despite insistence that Michael Brown engaged the officer in a physical confrontation many questions to crop up on the validity of these claims (Shoichet, 2014). With various precedents in regards to the use of deadly force by the police, the Ferguson case continues to look bleak for the victim and his family. Darren Wilson's psychology shaped the jury's decision and the outcome of the case.
Darren Wilson's actions are not excusable but are also a common feature across various police stations in the country. However, the public outcry that came with the Brown case may have a profound impact on his mental state and may end up impairing his effectiveness as a law enforcement agent. Prior investigations the public was of the belief that Brown would not get justice given past rulings involving the killing of the unarmed black youth. According to the USA Today article by Emily Brown published on August 14, 2014, the aftermath of the shooting saw various things unfolding in the local community (Brown, 2014). The first day of school was canceled in some schools in Ferguson for safety purposes. The tension saw many residents opt to stay at home in avoidance of any conflicts that would ensue between irate protesters and the law enforcement agencies. Some city leaders and Ferguson police received many threats concerning the Brown case. Numerous Ferguson residents also showed up at the Ferguson Police Department picketing and demanding justice for Brown. Additionally, the St Louis County Police Department bowed to public pressure and promised to release Darren Wilson's name to the public (Brown, 2014). It is such events that highlight how affected Wilson and his colleagues were after the shooting. It is agreeable that Wilson would need psychological assessment to ensure that once he resumes duty, he would work diligently in a manner expected of a police officer.
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The actions leading to the death of the youth were unbefitting of a police officer. From the stated or existing facts, Wilson might have operated on racial bias coupled with fear. Darren Wilson was not sure that Michael Brown was involved in a store burglary incident that had been reported before his encounter with the deceased (Brown, 2014). He applied excessive force while pulling over the deceased. The officer claimed that he pulled over Brown for walking in the middle of the road. However, this information was in conflict with the police chief who cited that Brown was a suspect of the reported burglary. On conclusion of the case, it would have been prudent for Wilson to undergo a psychological assessment. This will be fundamental to ensure that he has the right mental faculties to operate as a rational and diligent police officer.
The major distinction between deductive and inductive analytic techniques is dependent on how a profiler interprets information. In the criminal justice field, inductive analytic techniques are reliant on preconceived notions or intuition in regards to an individual. This can be derived from previous encounters, and thus a profiler assumes "one or more facts as self-evident" (Holmes & Holmes, 2008). The deductive analytical techniques entail data collection before arriving at any sound decision. A profiler must collect data which helps in formulating a profile of an individual. This information can be used later whenever the need arises. In the Brown case, the officer decision rests with the simple premise that most black youths fit a criminal profile. This racial profiling is a product of past experiences and historical relations between the law enforcement agencies and the members of the black community.
Agreeableness, empathy, listening, comprehension, and sociability are vital virtues that law enforcement officers ought to possess. These elements ensure that the law enforcement officers coexist with the members of the public and thus promoting the safe and effective application of the law. A level-headed office with such virtues has the power to avoid unfortunate events which may tarnish his or her credibility. Officer Wilson did not possess these attributes. He did not seek to engage Brown in a sociable manner he instead projected his suspicions on the youth. The killing would have been avoided if he had given the young man ample time to explain himself. He should have shown empathy and focussed on the best way to apprehend the criminal without making the scene bloody.
Darren Wilson had the option of waiting for back up to respond to the crime. A backup would have been integral to avail additional information in regards to the suspects of the robbery that took place in the neighborhood . There was no immediacy; therefore, thorough scrutiny ought to have been carried out. Officer Wilson through his inefficiency opted to kill Brown instead of ascertaining that the youth had participated in the robbery.
References
Brown, E. (2014, August 14). Timeline: Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo . Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/14/michael-brown-ferguson-missouri-timeline/14051827/
Holmes, R. M., & Holmes, S. T. (2008). Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool . Los Angeles, LA: SAGE.
Shoichet, C. E. (2014, August 27). Michael Brown shooting: Legal questions loom. CNN. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/michael-brown-shooting-legal-questions/
