Law enforcement and police are supposed to uphold the law and maintain peace and order in society, and for the most part they do this well. Unfortunately, there are cases in which law enforcement officers abuse their powers and treat people brutally. While policy brutality often is associated with physical violence, it actually also can involve verbal and/or psychological abuse as well.
There have been many instances or accusations of policy brutality. The Rodney King riots in Los Angeles erupted because people felt that white police officers had treated Rodney King, a black man, violently. Recently, a man who could not speak English was tasered to death at an airport when he arrived in North America because he was panicking and was said to be dangerous. He indeed may have been dangerous, but not enough to warrant his death.
There are a number of reasons why law enforcement may resort to brutality. For example
- They may fear the situation that they are in
- They may feel pressured to be “macho,” as many of the colleagues may be acting in such a way
- They may have personal stresses that get released upon their victim(s)
Important to note is that these are only a few reasons police may become abusive.
Regardless of why police resort to abuse, however, it is usually inexcusable. If you have been the victim of police brutality, contact the Minnesota personal injury lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen by calling 612-362-0000.
