Police brutality has become an issue in the United States for quite a while. Policemen and women use excessive force when dealing with civilians, disregarding the enforcement laws they have sworn to uphold. The officers engage the civilian and over-perform their duty. They then, verbally attack the person until they are unable to fight against the officers. One of the consequences of their actions is public outrage resulting violent behavior and protests.

Many of the violent activities that occur in the United States is a result of police brutality. The police tend to use verbal attacks against the people, which causes civilian to be aggressive.

Also, the police department fires or suspends the officer for police brutality and then charges them with murder. In the case of Laquan McDonald, a policeman shot and killed the 17-year-old boy inside his father’s home. Officer Jason Van Dyke, the officer who shot McDonald, claimed that the victim was being hostile and was threatening him with a weapon.

As a result of the perceived behavior, the officer fatally shot McDonald 16 times. This case was handled as a misconduct and first-degree murder. The event led to protest and arguments during the upcoming weeks. Until the matter was resolved, the protests continued to happen.

Sometimes the police are racist and kill young men on the streets. The racism that cops bring with them spreads to others and causes an uneasy atmosphere for the community and police alike.

For example, a white officer shot and killed a young African-American boy in Chicago. The officer was charged with misconduct and first-degree murder. Even though witnesses indicate otherwise, the officer claimed that the shooting was an accident. The officer was charged and put in prison.

Another case was in Tulsa when a police officer was accused of manslaughter in the killing of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher. The officer used verbal force to attempt to arrest him but instead shot and killed him.

By Maya Hunter
Edited by Cathy Milne

Sources:
Chicago Tribune: Where trauma centers relate to 2015 shootings (data map)
CNN: Minneapolis police clear officers in fatal shooting of Jamar Clark
The Atlantic: The Corrupt System That Killed Laquan McDonald

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