Even with that, considering the large numbers mentioned, one can be suppose that not every individual that is being fired at deserves to be shot. Of course, it is logical to believe that police officers receive proper instruction in order to know when it is right to fire a shot. However, considering the fact that police officers are also human, it is possible for them to fail to detect when it is right to use excessive force.
An exceptional account of police brutality is the case of Rodney King vs. The LAPD. King was pulled over by the police on the 3rd of March, 1991, as he was driving his car. Consequent to a disagreement between the police officers and the man, the former started to cruelly beat him. After the confrontation the man was arrested, accused that he had performed several illegalities. The situation became public because of an eyewitness that had the inspiration to film the whole event. As a result, the media began to broadcast images of Rodney King being sadistically beaten by fifteen police officers, without the man appearing to provoke any of the policemen. What is more disturbing is that such offenses might happen more often than people think, with the case of Rodney King having became public only thanks to the passerby that had the courage to tape the whole thing.
It is not surprising that police brutality continues to happen all around the world, considering the fact that police officers manage to go undetected. People are constantly being abused by the police with no one intervening, and, furthermore, those that report police officers have little credibility.
On the other side of the camp, police officers are under extreme stress, as they are being prejudiced. Policemen generally have to behave differently in comparison to simple people, as the slightest mistake can bring a great deal of trouble for them. Policemen have to abstain from talking back at the criminals that they arrest, in spite of the fact that delinquents go through great efforts to provoke the officers....
A policeman constantly has to remain calm and respectful, even in the situations when such a behavior is almost impossible.
All in all, it is difficult to treat the "people vs. police" matter, since people fail from seeing that not all police officers are corrupt. Police officers are often being put through situations which leave them with no other solution than to respond with force. Consequent to them acting accordingly, the public is normally inclined to consider that policemen could have avoided the use of force.
Police brutality will always remain a contentious issue, as the authorities still being unable to come up with a solution for the problem. The fact that cameras are presently becoming widespread might actually be a key factor, with police officers being acquainted with the fact that their every move is being monitored.
Works cited:
1. Alpert Geoffrey P., Smith William C." How Reasonable Is the Reasonable Man?: Police and Excessive Force." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 85, 1994.
2. Knight, Frederick. Justifiable Homicide, Police Brutality or Governmental Repression? The 1962 Los Angeles Police Shooting of Seven Members of the Nation of Islam." The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 79, 1994.
3. Winright, Tobias. "The Perpetrator as Person: Theological Reflections on the Just War Tradition and the Use of Force by Police." Criminal Justice Ethics, Vol. 14, 1995.
Knight, Frederick. Justifiable Homicide, Police Brutality or Governmental Repression? The 1962 Los Angeles Police Shooting of Seven Members of the Nation of Islam." The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 79, 1994.
Winright, Tobias. "The Perpetrator as Person: Theological Reflections on the Just War Tradition and the Use of Force by Police." Criminal Justice Ethics, Vol. 14, 1995.
Alpert Geoffrey P., Smith William C." How Reasonable Is the Reasonable Man?: Police and Excessive Force." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology,…
