Monday, February 25, 2013

Avoid Police Brutality Through Cooperation


Posted on Behalf of Attorney Ross Goodman for Criminal Defense


A person arrested is still entitled to be treated in a very humane way possible. Whether the arrestee is already proven guilty or not, police enforcers are expected to minimize the physical amount of force needed to contain a person or situation. However, there are cases where police enforcers use wanton force as a wrong way to intimidate a person.

By definition, police brutality is the use of excessive force that can either be in the form of psychological intimidation, abuse, police misconduct, false arrest, and police corruption that violates the civilian's rights. In United States, police brutality is not tolerable and is subject to the Fifth and Fourth Amendments of the Bill of Rights Law.

If you find yourself a subject of police brutality, protest the way the police are mishandling you. It is a common fact that being a police is not an easy job. Part of their job is to control and apprehend alleged criminals that enable them to use force appropriate means to protect themselves. Protesting and making them understand that you will cooperate with them peacefully is the first step to stop police brutality.

Always engage yourself in calm dialogues to settle matters easily. Understand their position that they are doing their job and by no means have a way to estimate your character except on how you respond to them.  While there are states that address this issue very seriously, the very first step to resolve these kinds of conflict is to understand the situation and make sure the arresting officer understands it too. 

But when things get a little off-hand, make use of your camera. Since situations involving arrests can change rapidly, the complainant can support his/her claim by showing evidences. Be mindful to use this method only as your last resort. Police enforcers don't appreciate being recorded and used as a viral video to uproar the public. 

If all else fails, take appropriate actions by filing a legal complaint with some help from your domestic violence attorney. Governments are very mindful of how police enforcers perform their duty especially during arrests.