Common Police Brutality FAQ’s
Are You the Victim of Police Misconduct?
Were you wrongfully accused of a crime and falsely arrested because of racial profiling? Was your home searched by officers without a valid warrant? Did you lose a loved one because a law enforcement official deployed a firearm, despite the fact that the victim was unarmed?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you may have suffered from police misconduct. As a victim, you may be entitled to compensation and may benefit from seeking legal counsel with a police brutality lawyer. That’s where we step in to assist.
What is Police Misconduct?
We often hear the term “police misconduct”, but what exactly does it mean? Police misconduct occurs when an officer of the law acts in a manner that is beyond the scope of their abilities. In most cases, this equates to the use of “excessive force”, otherwise referred to as any action or measure taken by an officer than is considered unreasonable. Unreasonable force can include a wide range of incidents and actions, such as racial slurs, sexual harassment, and the infliction of unnecessary physical harm upon an individual.
What is Police Brutality?
With police-related incidents being on the rise all over the country, it is concerning to know that you must be on the lookout for misconduct from law enforcers. Many real police brutality cases are not reported at all, and it’s either because people don’t identify misconduct correctly or they refuse to file a complaint, out of mistrust and disappointment with the system and authorities.
It’s important to be able to identify police misconduct properly and prevent the offending officers from continuing doing the same to other citizens. Any victim of police brutality is entitled to a trial and compensation if the court decides that their rights were indeed violated.
The key to correctly identify police brutality is the “excessive use of force” principle. Did the officers use their power and authority to unlawfully put a civilian in a dangerous, harmful, humiliating or discriminating position? Did they use excessive force, be it physically, verbally or by creating an intimidating situation?
Here are examples of ways in which police officers can use excessive force on you:
- Using their weapons and equipment to intimidate or even hurt you: guns, tasers, batons, pepper spray, et
- Faking your arrest when they don’t have any legal reason to arrest you
- Sexual abuse, mostly covered by body searches
- Verbal abuse and intimidation
- Harassing you through racial profiling or other types of discrimination
- Unjustified searches
- Destruction or misplacement of evidence
What Will a Police Brutality Lawyer Aim to Do?
Police brutality lawyers can help you defend your rights and claim proper compensation. It can be tricky to prove that you were indeed mistreated, as the police are entitled to use force if needed. Your case will be built against an officer who already knows the law and how to defend his actions best, so it helps to have someone on your side who knows the system and how to avoid any legal loopholes.
Police brutality lawyers have the role of voicing your complaints, backing them with enough evidence and arguments to demonstrate that the thin line between normal police procedures and excessive use of force was crossed. They aim to protect Federal Law and the Fourth
Amendment and to recover the prejudice caused by criminal police officers.
What Should You Do in Case You Are a Victim of Police Brutality?
If you ever feel that your civil rights were violated by the police, then you need to gather as much evidence as possible. If it’s possible, do it immediately after the incident. Identify witnesses and ask for their statements, go to the doctor if you have physical or psychological injuries or trauma and ask for a detailed report of your condition and what caused it. Write down as many details as you can remember and review them mentally to prepare for the trial.
No matter how successful you were in gathering your evidence, get in touch with police brutality lawyers as soon as possible. Describe them the chain of events as detailed as you remember, and answer all their questions honestly. Look for an attorney who has similar cases in his portfolio.
