POLICE BRUTALITY
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The term police brutality refers to the use of unnecessary, or excessive force by police officers when handling civilians. Examples of police brutality can include the use of pepper spray, nerve gas, or batons, though it does not have to be physical abuse or attack. This behavior can extend to such actions as pulling a gun on someone in order to intimidate him, or falsely arresting someone. To explore this concept, consider the following police brutality definition.
Definition of Police Brutality
Noun
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The use of excessive and unnecessary force by a police officer toward a civilian.
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The willful infliction of pain and/or suffering on someone
What is Police Brutality
Police brutality is the use of excessive and unnecessary force on the part of a police officer when he is interacting with a civilian, resulting in a violation of the civilian’s civil rights. The use of such tools as pepper spray, batons, and tasers, as well as hitting, choking, throwing a non-combatant civilian to the ground, and sexual abuse are all examples of police brutality that is physical in nature. While it may sound like police brutality is strictly physical, this is not the case. Examples of police brutality that are not physical in nature include false arrests, verbal abuse, and racial profiling.
While many countries have laws on the books that address the issue of police brutality, and while it is considered a serious offense, many complaints made by civilians do not even reach the investigation stage. Research suggests that, because police are permitted to use physical force when necessary, it is often difficult to prove that excessive force was used in a particular situation. Verbal abuse is never permitted legally, or by policy, but once again, this is a difficult thing to prove in many cases.
Civilians have been using their mobile devices to record interactions with police in order to stream instances of what they believe are police brutality online, alerting the public that this kind of behavior is occurring. Similarly, though, police officers have begun recording their interactions with civilians in order to protect themselves from false claims of police brutality.
Excessive Force
“Excessive force” is defined as force that is beyond that which would be appropriate for the situation. That said, there are no two situations that are alike. Police officers must be able to swiftly decide on a course of action in the moment, and often when they feel their safety, or even their lives, are at stake.
Force is allowed to a certain extent in all jurisdictions when police are trying to secure an arrest, but there is a fine line separating the justified use of force from that of excessive force. Once a police officer crosses that line, his behavior is considered assault, and he can be held criminally liable for his actions. “Brutal” or “cruel” actions have to be evaluated on an individual case-by-case basis, as what may seem brutal in one case may have been entirely necessary in another.
Levels of Force Used by Police
Police officers must exert control over people in a wide variety of situations, whether to gain control of a potentially dangerous situation, to protect themselves or other civilians, or to make an arrest. There are many factors that influence the level of force that may be required, and justified, in any given case. According to the National Institute of Justice, there are levels of force that may be used by police on a continuum:
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Verbal restraint – instructing an individual on where to stand or sit, or telling him to stay put, or telling him that he is under arrest.
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Physical restraint – using hands to physically control an individual, whether causing him to lean against a patrol car, pulling an arm behind the individual’s back, placing handcuffs on the individual, or placing the individual into a police vehicle.
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Less-lethal force – the use of a weapon that is unlikely to cause death, such as pepper spray, and tasers.
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Lethal force – the use of physical force that is likely to cause the death of the individual, such as shooting the individual.
How to File a Complaint against a Police Officer
It may be intimidating for someone to file a complaint against a police officer, especially in light of the fact that many of those complaints have historically gone uninvestigated. However, there are complaints that are looked into further, and for that reason, a civilian with a valid police brutality issue should definitely file a complaint against a police officer.
The first step in this process is to visit the website of the police department where that particular officer is based, because each jurisdiction has its own process for filing a complaint. For instance, one cannot file a complaint against a county sheriff at the city police department. The website should direct the individual to the specific forms that need to be filled out, and give instructions on how to submit them.
Some websites actually post the number to a hotline that is specifically set up for complaints of police brutality and misconduct. It may also be possible to make a complaint in person, depending on the department, though some people find that intimidating. Those with complaints are advised to act immediately after the incident in question because some jurisdictions actually set time limits on when a complaint should be filed. If the deadline is missed, then the chance to file a complaint may be lost forever.