"The term police brutality is usually applied in the context of causing physical harm to a person. It may also involve psychological harm through the use of intimidation tactics that often violate human rights."
The systemic targeting and mistreatment of African Americans by law enforcement and the criminal justice system, and the ongoing efforts to combat police brutality and promote justice reform.
The history of police brutality: The historical roots of police brutality, including the role of slave patrols, racist policing practices in the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights movement.
The legal framework: Understanding the legal framework that governs police conduct, including the Fourth Amendment, Due Process Clause, and other constitutional protections.
The role of race: Exploring the role that race plays in policing and the impact of racial stereotyping and bias on law enforcement practices.
The impact of police brutality: Examining the effects of police brutality on individuals, families, and communities, including physical and psychological trauma, mistrust of law enforcement, and increased violence.
The response of the criminal justice system: Analyzing the response of the criminal justice system to police brutality, including prosecution of officers and civil lawsuits against police departments.
Reform efforts: Studying efforts to reform law enforcement practices and reduce police brutality, such as body-worn cameras, community policing, and use-of-force policies.
Community activism: Highlighting the role of community activists in advocating for police reform and promoting accountability.
The intersection of race and other identities: Discussing how other identities, such as gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, intersect with race to shape experiences with policing.
Alternative policing models: Exploring alternative models for policing, such as restorative justice, problem-oriented policing, and harm reduction.
Future directions: Discussing future directions for addressing police brutality and racial profiling, including technology, policy changes, and ongoing community activism.
Excessive force: When a police officer uses more force than necessary to make an arrest or while carrying out their duties. This may result in injury or even death to the victim.
Chokeholds: A chokehold is a use of force that restricts a person's breathing or blood flow. It is one of the most dangerous forms of excessive force used by police officers.
Shootings: Police shootings occur when a police officer uses a gun to force compliance or for other reasons. These can result in serious injury or death.
Racial profiling: Racial profiling is the use of race, ethnicity, religion or national origin by law enforcement officials. This can result in unjust targeting of individuals based on their race or ethnicity.
Stop and frisk: It is a police practice of stopping, questioning, and searching people without probable cause. It often targets people of color, particularly black people.
Physical abuse: This includes any physical injury inflicted upon a victim by a police officer, such as punching, kicking, or hitting with a baton.
Verbal abuse: This includes any verbal insults or threats made by a police officer towards a victim. It often targets individuals based on their race, ethnicity, or religion.
False arrests: This is when a police officer arrests someone without probable cause or reason to believe they have committed a crime. It can result in false imprisonment and legal repercussions for the victim.
Denial of medical attention: When police officers prevent a victim from receiving necessary medical attention. This can result in serious injury or death in some cases.
Misuse of Tasers: Tasers are a non-lethal weapon used by police officers for self-defense. However, they can cause serious injury or death if misused, such as repeatedly shocking a victim.
"From the 18th-20th centuries, those who engaged in police brutality have acted with the implicit approval of the local legal system, such as during the Civil Rights Movement era."
"In the contemporary era, individuals who engage in police brutality may do so with the tacit approval of their superiors or they may be rogue officers."
"More often than not, the state apparatus engages in a subsequent cover-up of their repression."
"In 2019, 1,004 people were shot and killed by police according to The Washington Post, whereas the Mapping Police Violence project counted 1,098 killed."
"From 1980 to 2018, more than 30,000 people have died by police violence in the United States."
"The US police has killed more people compared to any other industrialized democracy, with a disproportionate number of people shot being people of color."
"Since 2015, around 2,500 of those killed by police were fleeing."
"These efforts have identified various core issues that contribute to police brutality, including the insular culture of police departments (including the blue wall of silence), the aggressive defense of police officers and resistance to change in police unions, the broad legal protections granted to police officers (such as qualified immunity), the historic racism of police departments, the militarization of the police, the adoption of tactics that escalate tension (such as zero tolerance policing and stop-and-frisk), the inadequacies of police training and/or police academies, and the psychology of possessing police power."
"The US legal doctrine of qualified immunity has been widely criticized as '[having] become a nearly failsafe tool to let police brutality go unpunished and deny victims their constitutional rights.'"
"Those who advocate for police reform offer specific suggestions to combat police brutality, such as body cameras, civilian review boards, improved police training, demilitarization of police forces, and legislation aimed at reducing brutality (such as the Justice in Policing Act of 2020)."
"Those who advocate to defund the police call for the full or partial diversion of funds allocated to police departments, which would be redirected toward community and social services."
"Those who advocate to dismantle the police call for police departments to be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up."
"Those who advocate to abolish police departments call for police departments to be disbanded entirely and to be replaced by other community and social services."
"The psychology of possessing police power" is identified as one of the core issues contributing to police brutality.
"The adoption of tactics that escalate tension (such as zero tolerance policing and stop-and-frisk)" is one of the identified core issues contributing to police brutality.
"The aggressive defense of police officers and resistance to change in police unions" is identified as one of the core issues contributing to police brutality.
"Activists and advocates have taken different approaches," including police reform, defunding the police, dismantling police departments, or abolishing police departments.
"The broad legal protections granted to police officers (such as qualified immunity)" is identified as one of the core issues contributing to police brutality.
"More often than not, the state apparatus engages in a subsequent cover-up of their repression."