Question

Can someone critique my paper please ?

Excessive force has been defined as using more force than required to gain compliance in an incident (Phillips, 2015).

One of the most controversial incidents of deadly force by police officers involved an unarmed teenager named Michael Brown. Michael Brown was a black teenager from Ferguson, Missouri. The incident occurred on the 9th of August in 2014; a Ferguson police officer shot and killed the eighteen-year-old. The argument is that because Brown was unarmed, the officer should not have shot him, even after Brown charging at the officer. According to some though, Brown was attempting to flee with his hands up in the air as he was shot. In national poll conducted, a vast division between whites and blacks was revealed, in reference to how police and the shooting is seen. It is evident from media sources that white citizens see a majority of black related police shootings as justifiable. It is also evident that blacks are more likely to believe they are discriminated by police officers. In reference to the Brown case, blacks are much more likely to see the shooting as unjustified. Some may see this as racial resentment yet historically speaking, minorities have had a more negative experience with law enforcement. According to scholars, racial resentment is a combination of negative affect and belief that minorities lack a strong work ethic (Carter, Corra & Jenks, 2016).

An interesting aspect in reference to excessive force are police recruits’ opinions on force. Incoming recruits are not affected by police socialization, in a sense, they are still “green”. An unfortunate aspect of this study is how 40% of recruits stated they would be unsure of reporting excessive force. This ties into the “code of silence” that exists amongst law enforcement agencies and officers. The mentality of police officers watching each other’s backs is common in the field as it is with children. Children are also found to avoid tattle-telling in order to avoid conflict resolution. Yet, if recruits remain with the notion of secrecy in their careers, they may be at risk for keeping unacceptable behavior to themselves as well. It is important for recruits to fully understand that excessive force is unacceptable and to report it as early as possible.

One frightening aspect in the use of excessive police force is the use of policing. Officers involved in K-9 units will utilize a police dog to assist in a pursuit of a suspect or to sniff for contraband. Ultimately the dog handler is responsible for the dog’s actions. There are specific policies set in place, varying by state, which describe the activities the animals are authorized to engage in. The questions is then presented: does the use of police dogs account for excessive force? The notion of excessive force is questionable as there is no set answer that determines when the use of police dogs is excessive force. However, an aspect of this type of force includes the “bite and hold” notion. This is when a police dog is trained to bite down with all force. The dog will not let go until commanded to do so. Yet, a police officer can determine when to allow the animal to release the bite. If the dog handler is given the authority and leeway to determine this, consistent injuries are preventable. It is natural for a human to struggle if bitten by a dog. However, a dog’s training includes to bite down on another location if the suspect breaks free.

It is found that police dog bites result in higher rates of hospitalization, operations and multiple bites than domestic dog bites (Meade, 2006). However, a large majority of deaths related to police dogs only occur when the animal and person are out of view of the officer or dog-handler. Ultimately, police dog bites are not merely “band-aid injuries” as some police dog trainers and public officials state. A careful approach should be taken by trained law enforcement officials in order to remain from being accused of excessive force with police dogs.

Answer 1

US society is very race intolerant and the institutionalized racial discrimination in various aspects of society such as education, policing etc. shows exactly that. There were lots of incidents where the white officers illegally treated the other race people in inhuman ways. It is evident in the Brown case where he was shot although he didn’t have any weapon just because he was a Black.

Excessive force, according to different opinions, is becoming a weapon to justify institutionalized discrimination against people from different races. Police officers are protected by the policy of excessive force fitting the scenario and the scenario is always determined by the police officer in question. If the officer deems other races as their enemies, then the chances are more that they would involve in an unjust act and justify it against the victim.

The use of police dogs again brings another debate where the one who handles the dog determines how much force the dog has to enforce. The question is the distance and visibility of the dog and the trainer in question. If the dog chases and goes out of site of the handler, the chances are more that it would bite the victim because anyone would be naturally afraid of dogs. The dog is trained in such a way that it should bite if the victim tries to run away from it. In the absence of the trainer in the scene to control it, the dog would act on its own.

This raises serious questions about the aftermath of such shootings, biting etc. If the person is proven innocence who is going to compensate for the loss of a life, the injury caused by the dog bite or the excessive force. Probable, it’s time to reconsider the acts of the police officers thus bringing more responsibility and sensitivity in their actions.