The Use of Pepper Spray in Police Brutality
Police brutality has become a growing trend in the United States. The tactics used to apprehend suspected criminals have become cruel and demeaning, not to mention life threatening. There have been numerous cases where police officers have intentionally brutalized people during attempted arrests. Pepper spray seems to be the new weapon of choice among police officers nationwide; it contains a dangerous chemical component known as OC (oleoresin capsicum). Contact with this chemical may, "choke people already impaired by medical conditions such as asthma, enlarged hearts, hypertension or obesity, or people affected by drugs or from being tied up and left lying on their stomachs" (Koury and Reed 19). There have been cases where people have actually died from being sprayed with pepper spray; therefore, pepper spray is a lethal weapon that police officers should use only during life threatening situations.
The safety of pepper spray has never been proven scientifically. Furthermore, "since 1992, there have been over seventy in-custody deaths related to OC/ pepper spray, thirty-seven of which were in California" (Earth First 7). In spite of all those deaths pepper spray is still being used haphazardly by police officers. For example, "San Francisco police are still sticking by the chemical [pepper spray], even though it has been linked to at least a pair of highly publicized in-custody deaths" (Koury and Reed 11). A deadly incident involving pepper spray occurred in Novato, California, when Brian Prosser who reportedly had asthma, "died October 20th, 1997 after ... police doused him with pepper spray to subdue him" (Barak 5). His death was said to have been caused by "cardio...
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Koury, Renee, and Dan Reed. "Berkeley May Ban or Limit Police Use of Pepper Spray" San Jose Mercury News 28 October 1997. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services. 25 pars. Online. Internet 19 April 1999. Available HTTP: www.inspire-indiana.net
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3Brophy, L. (1959). The Chemical Warfare Service (1st ed.). Washington: Office of the Chief of
This essay will look into the history of the TASER and analyze the pros and cons of the use of the TASER in the police force. This essay will look into a controversial case, where a man died at the Vancouver International Airport as a direct result of multiple TASER shocks by the police. I will also discuss excited delirium and how this mysterious syndrome has created a mass of discussion and disagreements. The TASER The word TASER is an acronym for Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle can deliver 50,000 volts to a human target (Seals, 2007).
Schuck, Peter H. Agent Orange on Trial: Mass Toxic Disasters in the Courts. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986.
Over the years, our nation has witnessed countless cases of police brutality. It has developed into a controversial topic between communities. For instance, deindustrialization is the removal or reduction of manufacturing capability or activity can lead to more crimes when people are laid off. Police officers are faced with many threatening situations day-to-day gripping them to make split second decisions; either to expect the worst or hope for the best. The police are given the authority to take any citizen away for their action that can ruin their lives. With that kind of power comes great responsibility, which is one main concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force might or
Fries, A. A., & West, C. J. (1921). Chemical warfare,. New York [etc.: McGraw-Hill book company, inc..
When hearing the phrase “police brutality,” many people imagine batons cracking skulls, tasers electrocuting bodies and bullets penetrating innocent teens. While police officers have been known to use violence, police brutality does not occur as often as many believe. In many situations, officers have to act on impulse and curiosity, despite the backlash the media may create.
“In a city stung by one incident, regardless of what the science or research shows afterwards, city officials are usually very reluctant to use that weapon or permit a public policy where it would be used again.”
"FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: A History." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 81.12 (2012): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
In America, police brutality affects and victimizes people of color mentally and socially. Social injustice has become a major issue, which involved the principle of white supremacy vs minorities. The current police brutality that has been occurring is culturally disconnecting ethnicities from one another. According to Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell, “…the cultural disconnect is very real; you have the weight of generations of abuse on African Americans,” (Flatow, 2016). For example, over the past four years, there have been countless acts of police brutality. The three key deaths of Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and Alton Sterling have become the face of police brutality in the year 2016. People knew that it was unequal treatment of black people by police in the United States and they made it known by creating #BlackLivesMatter.
In today’s society, police officers are very cautious on how much force they can use on a suspect due to the police brutality going on right now. Police brutality is defined as the use of force exceeding what is necessary, many people argue that there should be new policies to determine how much force a police officer can use and also have laws that will convict officers who have killed people by using too much force, so that there is less incidents in the future.
There has been a lot of controversy regarding the use of police departments using tasers. Many people think that tasers are less lethal and safer for police to use on everyone but, throughout this essay, there will be many reasons as to why tasers are unsafe and pose a threat to someone on the receiving end. Tasers have been involved in many deaths and other injuries. The main topic that will be discussed in this essay is how sometimes shooting is a taser and just stunning the person is not all that happens. There is much more to stun guns than just 5 seconds of paralysis.
Cheh, M. "Are lawsuits an answer to police brutality." Police violence: Understanding and controlling police abuse of force (1996): 247-72.
Skolnick, J., Fyfe, J. (1993) Above the law: Police and the Excessive use of force. United States: The Free Press
According to the National Police Academy, in the past year, there have been over 7,000 reports of police misconduct; fatalities have been linked to more than 400 of these cases (Gul). Police brutality is often triggered by disrespect towards the police officer. The most noticeable form of brutality is physical, where Chemical gas, batons, tasers, and guns, can be used for physical intimidation or to actually hurt people. Police brutality can also take the form of verbal abuse or psychological intimidation. It seems reasonable to understand that sometimes the police are put into situations where excessive force may be needed. But, because some officers use these extreme actions in situations when it is not, police brutality should be addressed and looked into by both the police and the public. For instance, a police officer who beats a nonviolent protester with a baton would probably be accused of excessive use of force, under the argument that the police officer probably could have dealt with the situation less violently.
When you think of a police officer, you think of a hero, someone that will serve and protect your community. Police officers should uphold the law and maintain order for a stable society. They endure rigorous training to obtain this authority, and agree to put their own lives in danger to protect and serve. In recent months, this authority has been abused and has turned into extreme police brutality that is quickly turning deadly. Police brutality can be defined as the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians (Danilina). This excessive use of force includes police assaults, abuse and even killings.