TO SERVE AND PROTECT…?

A History of Police Brutality in the United States

By Ashley Farr

Introduction This presentation will take a brief look

into police brutality and provide information such as: what is excessive force, cases of police violence, and causes of police brutality in the United States.

What is Excessive Force? “Excessive force by a law enforcement

officer(s) is a violation of a person's constitutional rights. The term �excessive force� is not precisely defined; however, the use of force greater than that which a reasonable and prudent law enforcement officer would use under the circumstances is generally considered to be excessive. “(uslegal)

http://newsjustforyou1.blogspot.com/2013/02/officer-edward-krawetz-received-no-jail.html

Officer Edward Krawetz received no jail time for his assault on this handcuffed woman.

Types of Police Brutality Excessive Force False Arrest Unreasonable Searches Racial Profiling Corruption Sexual Assault

Causes of Brutality Lack of proper training and supervision. “Officers

report that they receive little supervision, guidance, and support from the Division, essentially leaving them to determine for themselves how to perform their difficult and dangerous jobs.”(alternet)

Using excessive force has become the normal routine for police officers. In most cases, the officers face no disciplinary actions.

Job-related stress Racism Elitist police attitude toward civilians

High Profile Cases1. MICHAEL BROWN 2. ERIC GARNER

On August 24th,2014, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a

Ferguson police officer. Brown was unarmed, and had

his hands up. He was 18.

On July 17th 2014, Eric Garner died after he

was placed in an illegal chokehold by a NYCPD police officer. He was suspected of selling

loose cigarettes.

3. TAMIR RICE 4. JOHN CRAWFORD

On November 23rd, 2014 twelve year old Tamir

Rice was gunned down by Cleveland police in less than 2 seconds from arriving on the scene. He had a toy

gun.

On August 5th 2014, Crawford

was killed inside a Walmart by police, for carrying around

a BB gun that he was considering purchasing from

the store.

5. YVETTE SMITH 6. KENDREC MCDADE

Yvette Smith was killed in 2014, by

police after answering the door for them. The officer tried to justify the shooting by saying

that she was armed, which was false.

Kendrec McDade was shot seven

times by Pasadena police after a 911

caller falsely reported that he was robbed at

gunpoint.

Body Cameras After the shooting deaths of Michael

Brown and Eric Gardner, in an effort to document and theoretically reduce crime, many police agencies across the United States have now required that officers wear ‘body cameras’. These cameras are used to document video evidence at crime scenes, and increase accountability. “President Obama earlier this week announced $263 million in funding to purchase 50,000 body cameras for local police agencies.”(theatlantic)

Pro’s and Con’s of Body Cams

Pros Will force officers to

be more conscious of their actions.

Provides accurate record of police whereabouts and behavior.

Footage can protect against false allegations.

Footage can be used as evidence.

Cons Officers can forget to turn

them on. There will be thousands of

hours worth of surveillance for departments to sift through.

Some cameras can cost up to $1200 per unit.

Privacy Concerns Technological issues may

occur. People may be afraid to

come forward as witnesses because their faces are being recorded.

Witness Recordings Police use of extensive

force is not a new occurrence, but with witness cell phone recordings, the public are now able to see unedited raw footage of this police brutality online. So is it happening more frequently, or is it just going viral?

The death of Eric Garner was recorded

by a bystander.

Conclusion We went over possible causes of police brutality, and a

probable solution. As civilians we have a duty to obey the laws set up by our government and to behave accordingly. Police officers are tasked with the job of making certain we follow these laws, but who is in charge of making sure they behave accordingly? Reports have shown that even officers who do not do well in training or on their psychological evaluations, can still be hired. The Cleveland officer who killed Tamir Rice, for example was judged unfit for duty in 2012 at his previous department.

There is a lot that needs to be improved in law enforcement agencies across the US, this “shoot first, ask questions later” attitude has no place among the people who took an oath to keep the general public safe.

Resources "Excessive Force Law & Legal Definition." Excessive Force Law & Legal

Definition. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://definitions.uslegal.com/e/excessive-force/>.

"Pasadena Settles McDade Lawsuits for $1M." Southern California Public Radio. 16 June 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/06/16/44754/pasadena-pays-1-million-to-parents-of-kendrec-mcda/>.

Police Body Cameras: Do They Reduce Complaints of Officer Misconduct?" Police Body Cameras: The Pros and Cons for Officers and Citizens. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.einvestigator.com/police-body-cameras-the-pros-and-cons-for-law-enforcement-and-citizens/>.

"Obama Requests $263 Million for Police Body Cameras, Training." NBC News. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/obama-requests-263-million-police-body-cameras-training-n259161>.

Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/03/officer-who-fatally-shot-tamir-rice-had-been-judged-unfit>.