Police Misconduct & Discrimination: Your Rights as a Human Being

“To Protect and Serve”

This is the motto of the police force of the United States. Men and Women who often do an incredible job of helping to protect our citizens, enforce laws, and do so while putting themselves in extreme danger day in and day out. While the majority of these officers perform their duties to the highest degree, sometimes some officers fail in that task and instead hurt the very citizens they are sworn to protect.

Police officers are bound by law to treat every individual the same – regardless of race, sex, country of origin etc. They are also bound by law to follow certain protocols to ensure they do their duty without disregarding the rights of citizens. We have all heard of stories where this has not been the case and you yourself may have even been the victim of an office of the law abusing their power and thus abusing your rights as a citizen and a human being. 

A few of the patterns of police misconduct in which an officer has failed in their duties and instead abuses the rights of a citizen include:

Profiling

Profiling is the act of an office pulling someone over or otherwise detaining them simply because of the way they look. This could be because of their race, ethnicity, the way they are dressed etc. But if there is no crime committed or other provable reason as to why the office detained someone, then this practice is illegal and represents a person’s civil rights being abused.

Failure to disclose the reason for detainment or unlawful detainment

Another way in which an officer can abuse a person’s rights is simply by detaining them but not disclosing the reason as to why they are being detained. For instance, an officer might SUSPECT that a group of young people are up to something suspicious. If they only have a suspicion and no proof of any wrongdoing, then detaining a person or persons in this case is illegal. If you ask an officer why you are being detained or questioned, they should tell you exactly why. This is your right as a citizen.

Excessive force

If an officer is detaining a suspect or in the process of arresting them, they are only lawfully allowed to use the amount of force necessary to control the individual and the situation. If a person is beaten by the officer, tasered, pepper sprayed, or otherwise harmed in any way that was NOT necessary for the arrest or to control the situation, this represents an egregious abuse of power and is a violation of human and citizen’s rights. Such behavior is unacceptable, and the officer should be punished to the maximum amount allowed by law.

While the above don’t represent all the possible human and civil rights that could be abused by an officer of the law, they do comprise some of the most common forms of discr. No matter what the situation, if you believe that your rights were violated by a police officer, it is recommend that you secure the services of an attorney that has experience in prosecuting such cases. Not only may you be exonerated for any charges that were brought against you, you may also be eligible for substantial financial compensation as a result. Make sure to collect as much information as you can about the incident including the date, time, name of the officer, police report number, any witnesses who may have been present, and a detailed statement of the facts as you know them. The more information and evidence you have, the better it will be for your case. No one should suffer such abuses as those listed above, but if you feel you have, let a qualified law firm take the case to protect your rights and get you the satisfaction you deserve.