Over the years, this country has witnessed many cases of police brutality. It has become a controversial topic among communities that have seen police brutality take place in front of their homes. Officers are faced with many threatening situations everyday forcing them to make split second decisions and to expect the worst and hope for the best. Police officers are given the power to take any citizens rights away and even their lives. With that kind of power comes responsibility, that’s one major concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use force or when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force may or not be a large predicament but should be viewed by both the police and the community.
For example, according to Dara lind “Officer’s aren’t supposed to shoot to kill. They’re supposed to do whatever is necessary to disable the threat”(Lind). Whenever an officer gets caught up in a difficult situation where deadly force is needed for the most part officers do shoot to kill because they feel like there life is in danger themselves. Yes like they said they are supposed to do whatever is necessary so therefore if shooting to kill someone is necessary to them then for police officers it is the right thing to do. But in reality in some occasions deadly force by a cop resulting in someone’s death is not needed and there should be other alternatives to handle difficult problems like that. In addition, “Usually, the point from where the officer believes he has to use deadly force to the point where he uses deadly force -- where he pulls
1). There are rules concerning both lethal and non-lethal force. According to the Moral Penal Code, there are restrictions on police officers regarding lethal force.
What is considered force in law enforcement? Force is the amount of physical interaction between individuals or objects. Law enforcement officers use force when it is necessary, in order to protect individuals from each other. Police officers have the discretion to use force in situations that they see as necessary. What is the limit that law enforcement officers are able to use physical force? The amount used is dependent on the law enforcement officer in the situation. The use of force can be categorized into soft hands, presence, hard hands, baton, and deadly force. We have seen from current events that law enforcement has used the wrong judgment in the force they apply to a situation. Society has have made the image of law enforcement look
It is also used on those who may cause deadly harm to the officer(s) or others around the scene. This is one of the methods police use to control a person who has committed a crime or violation. The use of force is usually the last resort for police officers, however not always. Some police officers will encounter a situation where their life or others is immediately in danger and the use of force will be used then. The use of force includes empty-handed control, restraining a person, and deadly force. Deadly force is when a police officer cannot control the person with just physical force, so they have to resort to using their weapons on an
In order to get all of the answers to these questions, we must first define deadly force. According to the Legal Dictionary "Use of deadly force" is often granted to police forces when the person or persons in question are believed to be an immediate danger to people around them. For example, an armed man in a shopping mall shooting at civilians without regard to the safety of anyone around him, and refusing or being unwilling to negotiate, would warrant usage of deadly force, as a means to prevent further danger to the community. The use of deadly force is also authorized when a person poses a significant threat to a law enforcement officer, usually when the officer is at risk of serious bodily injury or death.
No Law Enforcement Officer should use more force than he is required in order to make an arrest. According to the law an Officer is allowed to to use any sort of force necessary in any circumstance in order to make the arrest. Guidelines for the use of force are based on many factor including the number of experience a officer has. For
Criminal justice as a socially constructed theoretical perspective by Kraska (2004) emphasizes the idea of emotions influencing criminal justice. In order to understand law-breaking we have to look at the process of how we defined behaviors as illegal as well as looking at the reactions of the criminal justice system. “It is not the quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender” (Kraska, 2004) There are criminal justice actors that influence the definitions of criminal behavior which are police portraying the idea of the impossible mandate of curing crime, criminal statistics, and organizations working to maintain justice.
Police officers make split-second decisions every time they interact with a suspect. These decisions can impact the lives of the officers, the suspects, and even civilians. Therefore, officers must decide when it is necessary to exert violent or lethal force to subdue a suspect. When the police use force, it can result in the death of the suspect or witnesses. However, failing to apply force in a confrontation, can endanger the officer or allow the suspect to allude police custody. Officers receive training in observing a situation and reading body language, so that they can assess a suspect’s threat. When an officer ignores their training and uses excessive or deadly force against an unarmed or yielding civilian, it is police brutality. Police
As a result of the recent rise of the use of excessive force cases against police and law enforcement, I have chosen to research the definition of that excessive force. When is it considered justifiable? What training do officers receive? What liability issues are there? In an ABC news article, Sascha Segan states there is no specific definition of excessive force. A part of everyday police work is to subdue criminal and suspects. Another everyday task of police officers is personal discretion - making the right decision based on the specific situation. It has been documented in multiple viral videos that law enforcement officer’s discretion is not always favorable in the public eye and is quick to be judged. Yet shouldn’t we be asking if the officer’s actions were justifiable within the court system and if
When is it appropriate to use force? The only time police should use force is when they're in trouble and the bystanders are also. “A homeless man called the police after an argument with a shop attendant. He was far away from the cops, holding a small knife, the guy was shot about 46 times, killing him, this was all captured on video...
In conclusion, Tushnet writes an excellent review of the Court, and one that helps the reader understand the decisions that were handed down in recent years, and why they were made. His easy writing style and attention to detail makes for a marvelous read for any law student or layman who wants to understand what makes the Supreme Court justices tick.
Denzel Washington plays veteran L.A.P.D. Det. Sgt. Alonzo Harris. For thirteen years this highly decorated cop has been on the front lines in the war against narcotics. He's pledged to protect and serve the citizens of Los Angeles, but his optimism about police work has long since been chipped away by the reality of life on the streets. He and the tight-knit group of officers that report to him have crossed the line between legality and corruption. They find themselves breaking the laws they're supposed to enforce. Alonzo's ethics and his logic are in complete opposition to the "book" which most cops must follow. "It takes a thief to catch a thief,"
Was the intrusion based on a lawful objective, such as a valid arrest, detention, search, frisk, community warden guardian of mentally ill, defense of an officer or a citizen, or to prevent escape? If these answer yes then an officer may have legal ability to use the levels of force listed below to apprehend the suspect. Another list of things to consider when determining if it was a lawful use of force is; was the use of force relative to the person’s confrontation? Was there a crucial need to terminate the condition? Even though there is no duty to retreat, could the officer have used lesser force and still safely accomplish the lawful objective? These are the questions that the jury need to answer to determine if they should side with or against the officer in any court case brought to them that deals with such a controversial topic as this.
The use of force by law enforcement officers is necessary and permitted under specific circumstances, for example self-defense or in defense of another individual or group. Police Officers should only use the necessary amount of force needed. An officer’s goal is to regain control as soon as possible while protecting the community. In the United States, this is governed by Tennessee v. Garner, (U.S. Supreme Court 1985) which said that "deadly force...may not be used unless necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others." The excessive use of force by police officers is an epidemic