Police Abuse, or Police Brutality is a civil rights violation. Police Brutality is the unjustifiable and extreme use of force by police or other law enforcement. This unnecessary violence is often linked to profound and continuing racial and economic inequalities that remain prevalent throughout our nation. Current infrastructure within the nation that holds law enforcement accountable for police brutality is often ineffective. Recently, some reforms have been implemented to try to address police brutality in order to hold law enforcement more accountable, however, we are still fighting for equality for the past, present, and future victims of police abuse, that is too often a systemic response.
According to The Washington Post, who started documenting fatal shootings caused by law enforcement in 2015, there have been more than 5,000 incidents. In the past year, 961 people have been shot fatally by police officers. These numbers come from news sources, social media platforms, and police reports. Despite these alarming numbers, the rate of them remains almost invariable. Although fatal police shootings occur amongst people of varying racial and economic backgrounds, the rate of which black people in the United States are killed by police officers is over double the rate for white people in the United States killed by police officers. More than 95% of these victims are young males in their 20’s and 30’s.
Police brutality is not only seen in the overwhelming fatalities caused by law enforcement. Police brutality can also be harassment, verbal and physical abuse, intimidation, inaccurate arrests, and many other forms of unjustifiable mistreatment. Too frequently, law enforcement officers who have been involved in police brutality are not brought to justice.
Over the past decade, the growing use of smartphones allow most people in the United States to have direct and easy access to cameras. Police brutality can be proved and exposed to the public by documenting these incidents on video. When interacting with police, especially if you have a bad feeling about the situation at hand, try to remember these steps:
The Attorneys at The Cochran Firm Detroit are ready to fight for the rights of everyday people like you. Our experienced team is in a constant pursuit of equal justice and has been fighting in the Civil Rights arena for over 50 years, seeking much-needed justice for the victims of police brutality.
To schedule your free, no-obligation consultation with one of our civil rights attorneys, please contact us today.
