Police Violence Summary

Police brutality is filled with intense violence that threatens the lives of many minorities. Statistics from an article called “The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S” shows that African-Americans make up 13 percent of

Police brutality, or the general brutality towards black people, is not a new issue in America. Over 700 unarmed African-Americans were murdered in 2015 alone. Michelle Alexander argues in “The New Jim Crow” that the criminal-justice system in America has purposely been used as a means for oppressing black people after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. In 1903, Hon. Frank Moss, a former police commissioner of New York City, published this paragraph:

The police are pronouncing a campaign of domination and restraint of populations and that movement has the understood endorsement of every citizen within their precincts. This is not a reprobate officer difficulty; this is a cad society crisis (Russell, 2000). Police brutality is the manifestation of a race issue that has been growing over an extensive period of time. Police brutality cannot be fought without addressing the core issue of racism and proper measures of reform through the auspices of the law. It is important that we as a nation set aside time to really discuss the issues that surround institutional racism and institutional bias that creates the stigma that surrounds the African-American population. The police are simply mediums

Granderson writes in several story highlights he's been repeatedly stopped, and hassled by police for no good reason, as a result, he reports -Trayvon Martin's shooting shows similar injustice, which is, he says,- it has echoes of how police handled Amadou Diallo case, Rodney King, Sean Bell. Lastly, he reports by far the predominant reason, LZ says, Cover ups, lax investigations show black people why they can't trust police (Granderson, 2012). McKay, (2015), shows an appalling video exposing how the police really treat black teens in America. The video uncovers why black Americans are more likely to be restrained with a lethal weapon as opposed to a non-lethal weapon. The results of McKay research also show how American activists have decided to challenge Congress to administratively address the deprivation of Rights under the color of Law Statute (McKay,

On March 2, 1991, a brutal beating of a 26 year old man by the Los Angeles Police department, set tensions high between the black community and the police department, not only in Los Angeles but all across the country. This is not only considered an extremely controversial incident, but also a contradicting case. Is it a coincidence, or has the justice system failed to charge and imprison police officers who use excessive force on black members of society? By analyzing the incidents leading up to this event, the actual evidence presented in the trial, and the police reports and conversations post beating of Rodney King, it will be clear whether or not justice was served and how the results of this trial affected the Los Angeles community, and policing in the U.S for years to come.

Police brutality has become a frequent and sensitive debate for some time now. The encounters between the police and men of color have brought to light an underlying thought in the minds of many. Has racism been resolved or has it manifested itself in modern times? Hinton highlights the unfortunately clear divide in the way that people are policed. Personally, I believe racism cannot and will not disappear in the hearts of people, however, the system, especially the criminal justice and law enforcement systems, with which we all live under should not put African Americans in a state of internal nervousness out of not being sure if the color of their

In the twenty-first century, it seems that the media produces many stories on police brutality, the majority of which surround African-Americans. This is not just coincidence as the majority of citizens in the United States of America that are faced with police brutality are African-American. Prejudice in the force has been an issue for hundreds of years, but just now, with the advancement of technology, has the issue reached citizens across the country in heaping amounts. Whether through unconscious bias or open racism, the violence shown to black citizens across America by precincts and the justice system in general is a widespread issue that needs to be

“What are you following me for?” “You shot me. You shot me!” “Please don’t let me die” “Officer, why do you have your guns out?” “I can’t breathe.” “I don’t have a gun. Stop Shooting.”(The Last Words). These were some of the last words from victims of police brutality against African Americans. Police brutality has been occurring ever since the police force began, but recently, the police have been targeting African Americans. In 2016, more than 250 African Americans were killed by the police. Most of the victims were unarmed and have not committed a serious offense. These frightening statistics do not have to continue. If the average American recognized the severity of the issue and raised their voice, this inequity

Police brutality against black men in America is thought to be something that does not exist anymore due to the civil rights movement in 1955-1968. Unfortunately, a statistic shows a black suspect is killed by a white police officer twice a week. (McKay) “While African-Americans constitute 13.1% of the nation’s population, they make up nearly 40% of the prison’s population. Even though African-Americans use or sell drugs about the same rate as whites, they are 2.8 to 5.5 times more likely to be arrested for drugs than whites.” (Hudson) These statistics confirm that not only are black people more like to be victims of fatal police brutality, they are also more likely to be convicted for a crime as well.

Most of the police brutality cannot be attributed to any significant proof but is only based on racial profiling. As such, the police attempted to detain suspects who they assumed to be behaving in a suspicious manner, any form of resistance resulted in fatal shooting. Furthermore, in most cases, blacks who were shot were not armed even though police tried to prove that they had within their reach dangerous items like knives (Russell-Brown, 2004). While carrying out their duties, police officers justify their actions against black people by arguing that they felt threatened or were in a position that forced them to shoot. It shows that speculation and a negative attitude against black people were the main reasoning behind the brutal treatment

Chapter 4 in The Color of Justice: Race, ethnicity, and crime in America, was about the relations between society and law enforcement officers. This has been a major topic, especially in the United States for a long time. The unfortunate statistic that minorities are more likely to encounter being killed, arrested, and victimized by excessive physical force; has been a real issue even in today’s society. However, police departments are trying to combat the way police officers interact with the community; especially those of color. Although steps have been takes there are still some instances where police aggression happens. With all of the issues that arise between certain minority populated community’s police it is evident that conflict

In our past white Americans use black African Americans as slave labor, now we see many white citizens still hurting and disrespecting them. A major example is police brutality. Police brutality is the act of police using force to deal with suspects that are beyond what is necessary. Police brutality has led America to a bad reputation with cops that go by the term, “to serve and protect.” Not only that, but it has contributed to racism in the country; many white police officers have been responsible for ending many innocent black lives. To the reader, for whoever you are, let this article inform you the many ways police brutality can be confirmed by story examples, racism, and reminding us why we came to our country. Maybe you haven’t seen it yet, but now you will know. Take note of what you have learned from the past about these events and similar events if you have learned about them. Step in someone else's shoes and see what they are seeing.

The brutality of the police force has been a long worldwide problem, but especially between the years of 2012-2016. Black people are being unjustly beaten and shot in plain sight for doing nothing while being unarmed. Journal of African American Studies “Blacks are viewed as deserving of harsh treatment in the criminal justice system” (482). “Black males with more “Afrocentric” features may receive longer sentences than blacks with less Afrocentric features like lighter skin and straighter hair”(482). Nowadays it is important to know about the police force. It’s important to know our rights as citizens and be careful around cops. Not everybody is good, but not everybody is bad also. In The New York Amsterdam News 21 people were killed by Chicago police in 2008. Entire families were being attacked. They believe it’s because of their skin color and how they are different. The year of racism started off with the world seeing the police murder of Oscar Grant. “The media have pushed people away from hearing the issue of police brutality, and it has fallen off of the radar screen.”(2) “You can’t give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit!”(2) African Americans say do not trust the cops with anything. “They will ruin you.”(2)

A young man’s brutal death at the hands of the police is found justified in a court of law due to his “suspicious” appearance: a black hoodie and his hands in his pocket. An elderly woman is fatally shot in her home for her relation to a suspected criminal. A married man with two toddlers is choked to death after a minor traffic stop by an officer who later claimed that his unarmed victim was wielding a gun. These people all have a few commonalities: the color of their skin, their presumed guilt at first sight, and their ultimate unjustified death administered by the law force. These are not uncommon occurrences. Due to the staggeringly disproportionate rate of African-Americans killed by the police, and the underlying rampant racial profiling, police brutality towards blacks in America must be called to light.

Police brutality is not a new subject. It has been around for numerous years, and like most issues, has resurfaced to the public’s eyes. The recent events brought up the question: Does there need to be a reform in the system in the police system? In this year alone, there have been countless cases of individuals being harmed or even killed by police officers for reasons that continuously are not explained. What has people more attentive to this injustice are statistics showing that most victims in these police attacks happen to be African Americans and other minorities.