Police Brutality Of The United States - 1378 Words

Over the past few years, the citizens of the Unites States have been witnesses of many cases of police brutality. Police officers are faced with a lot of threatening situations every day. And sadly, the police have to rely on their instincts and hope for the best. They have the power to take anyone’s civil rights away and possibly even their own life. You must have responsibility in order to retain that kind of power. Much less, that much power. The use of excessive force may or may not be a big problem, but I think it should be viewed from everyone’s perspectives. Police brutality falls in the category of the double-standard, whereas police officers are supposed to protect this world from harm and stress, not cause more of it. They should†¦show more content†¦When does justified force become police brutality? New York Times stated that from recent studies black men have a 3.5 times more chance of being killed by cops than white men. New York Times also stated that black males from age 15-19 were 21 times more likely to be killed by police than white males in that age group. Also unarmed black men were seven times more likely to be killed by police than unarmed white men. The National Institute of Justice states that â€Å"Law enforcement officers should use only the amount of force necessary to mitigate an incident, make an arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm. The levels, or continuum, of force police use include basic verbal and physical restraint, less-lethal force, and lethal force† (2015 para. 7). In the book â€Å"How Police Justify the use of Deadly Force† states three different circumstances that gives a police officer the right to use their gun for lethal force. When in danger to protect his own life, when in need to protect other lives, and to stop a violent felony or prevent a prisoner from escaping. It also states the officer can only result to the gun after all other techniques have been used (1984 pg.144). According to US Legal â€Å"Police brutality is a civil rights violation that occurs when a police officer acts with excessive force by using an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is more than necessary† (para. 1 2016).