Police Brutality Essays (1188 words) - Human Rights Abuses

Police Brutality Unfortunately, nowadays the people who are supposed to protect us and help us when we are in need, can't be trusted. Police brutality has always been a problem, but there's been a dramatic rise in police murders and brutalization of citizens. Police Brutality is anything from harassment from a police officer to being murdered by one. Ayo Martini; Live chat room, 10/27/99 www.mtv.com Of course, harassment is much more common than being murdered by a police officer. Here are some cases of police brutality that have occurred in the past year or two. Will Smith, a famous actor and rapper is pulled over once a week. When he asks the officers why he's being pulled over, they simply answer because he is black and he has a nice car. Young people get followed constantly, just because the officer wants to make sure they aren't getting into any trouble. Unfortunately, these problems are nothing compared to these next cases. Prisoners are put to death, only after they have been strapped to restraints for hours. They were made to suffer before they were killed. A young women was in a diabetic coma in her car. She was shot at and killed because the police felt threatened by her. A young man, sitting in his car with guns pointed at him from every direction was forced to put his hands in the air. When he did so he was shot to death because an officer thought he saw a gun. This 18 year old was innocent and unarmed. Four police officers approached a man's door in search for a suspected rapist. Even though this man was innocent and unarmed, he was shot at 41 times and killed. At least two police officers tortured a Haitian immigrant by driving the handle of a toilet plunger into his rectum and punctured his small intestine. Then they put the plunger in his mouth and called him a racial name and said they'd kill him if he said anything. The most famous of all police brutality cases is, of course, Rodney King's case. On March 3, 1991, four Los Angeles police officers beat Rodney King as eleven other officers stood by watching. Rodney King was in a high-speed car chase with the officers, when his car was finally stopped, he hesitated to get out of his car. When he did, he was said to jump at the officers. He was hit by two darts from a stun gun, which didn't seem to work. Rodney King still refused to obey the officers and lie flat on the ground. But, in less than two minutes, he was hit with 56 baton blows and kicked six times. He suffered from eleven skull fractures, brain damage, broken bones, knocked out teeth and kidney damage. Also, emotional and physical trauma. Not in all cases are the victims of police brutality innocent, obviously, as you can see in Rodney Kings case. But no matter how rude or uncoopitive a suspect is being, this extreme force from officers should not be used. Another case comes from the other side. This one is about a man named Mumia Abu-Jamal. In 1982, he was protecting himself and his brother from the brutal force of a police officer. Mumia Abu-Jamal shot a police officer to protect himself. He was sentenced to the death penalty. When a police officer murders a man to protect himself, he walks free because it's all part of his job. Police have been questioned about why there is so much of this happening. Some say they are just doing their job. Isn't their job to serve and protect? They have also said that it's because they are under so much pressure. Another excuse given is that being a police officer is the most dangerous job in America, and they are just in fear for their own lives. But according to the New York commissioner of police, the average police officer is never going to draw his gun during his entire career. A police officer is at half risk of death and injury on the job than is a farmer, truck driver or logger and considerably less than a heavy-construction worker, roofer or coal miner. An officer