Arguments Against Police Brutality

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How much is too much? Police brutality is the use of excessive physical force, including beating citizens with hands or batons, or using stun guns, teargas, and even lethal weapons (Walter, Andrew 1). Similarly, many police officers go their entire careers without ever having to draw their weapon or even engage in a serious physical confrontation in order to protect themselves, or the public, from an offender (Walter, Andrew 1). A very small percentage of law enforcement officials, however, are guilty of using excessive force against suspects without reason to do so (Walter, Andrew 1) . Although such actions are illegal--both in the United States and in many other countries--many incidents of police brutality go unreported and unprosecuted …show more content…
Only rarely do officers use excessive force, though they must often make instant decisions in tense situations (“Police Brutality” 1). Supporters contend that critics of police behavior are ignorant of the perils that officers face every day, and blind to the fact that police must often respond in a moment’s notice and make split-second decisions in tense situations (“Police Brutality” 9). People do not understand that police do their jobs, they do not try to harm people. If someone poses a threat or acts upon a threat then they have the right to act back. Some people think that police do harsh things to the public but the public is the one being harsh. Police departments across the country too often use excessive force, injuring and occasionally killing people who pose little threat (“Police Brutality” 1). When a family member dies when dealing with the police, it is hard to understand that the person done something wrong. The police might go overboard sometimes, but it is not intentional. Stories are told and there are always two sides to the story if they were guilty of the situation or not. Policeman are not always guilty for an incident that has happened. The race of someone has become a rising problem throughout the …show more content…
Officers focus their efforts on minority neighborhoods, they contend, simply because such areas tend to have higher crime rates (“Police Brutality” 9). Officers ride around in big cities to where there are problems around in that area. People say racism is the problem, but it is not the racism, it is the people disobeying the law. While so far only the black community in St. Petersburg has responded with such destructive rage, black neighborhoods across the country are seething with anger at the impunity enjoyed by police officers who kill black men (Muwakkil, Salim 1). “On July 5, 2016, police in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota, shot and killed Philando Castile, who they had pulled over (Police Brutality 8). Castile’s fiance, Diamond Reynolds, who was also in the car, began streaming video of the incident live on Facebook after the shooting (Police Brutality 8). The 4th amendment states, “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrant shall issue without probable cause.” In the video, Reynolds explains to the camera that they had been pulled over for having a broken taillight. Castile had “let the officer know that he had a firearm and he was reaching for his wallet and the officer just shot him in the arm” (“Police Brutality” 8).This police officer knew he had a gun, but when
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