Police Brutality Essay

It is not hard to hear on the news that black men was killed by a white police. It is also everywhere on social media, saying how men was not armed, or was threatening but was shot to death. By reading articles and watching the news about this, it made me curious if it is actually associated with racism like how it’s been written on social media, which has been going on for hundreds of years, although there were some significant changes. In 2015, more than 920 people died from police brutality, and deaths are still increasing this year. It probably started when Rodney King’s effort to limit the harshness of law enforcement on individuals, especially individuals of color, but was beaten by Los Angeles police department officers. Police have took the advantage of guns and force, with unjustified shootings, severe beatings, fatal choking, and rough treatments that caused many people to their death, and which 97% of cases did not result any officer(s) involved in being charged with crime. There were also more deaths of black male then a while male, which can be seen, and explained as racism.

The article, “‘Can We All Get Along’ Blacks’ Historical and Contemporary (In) Justice With Enforcement” describes Rodney King's efforts to limit the harshness of law enforcement on individuals, especially individuals of color. After Rodney King endured a brutal beating by Los Angeles police department officers, he became the face of police brutality in America. It stated that, “It was 25 years ago, on March 3, 1991, that four white Los Angeles police officers brutally beat Rodney King, an unarmed black man. Police were seen kicking and clubbing King 56 times” (Chelsea Matiash, Lily Rothman). Rodney was unarmed, and was caught by Los Angeles police after a high-speed chase on March 3, 1991. Yes, it is true that Rodney was not a good guy with previous accidents, but it is unacceptable that he was beaten by police officers, and all four of them were not charged; he suffered from 11 fractures and other injuries due to the beating.

Police have took the advantage of their power that have gotten out of control. More than 950 people were killed by police in 2015, 32% of black men unarmed while only 15% of white men unarmed (AOL.COM EDITORS). “Last month at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina, a police officer, Senior Deputy Ben Fields, yanked a 16-year-old girl from her desk and dragged her across the classroom after she ‘resisted arrest.’ ‘The police officer used excessive force towards a young girl because she allegedly refused to put away her cellphone away or leave the class.’” No one needs to be treated this way, especially when violence is not needed in the situation. The police officer could have removed the girl from her desk calmly, and could have avoided violence in many ways. It wasn’t declared that the police was in danger, or was threatened by the girl. Just because she did not obey his words, he decided to handle situation by violence. Another situation like this happened to a 14-year-old carrying a puppy that was tackled and police just because he gave the police a funny look. “McMillan says he obeyed orders, and was leading the officers towards his mother when they jumped him. The teen adds that he was holding and feeding his puppy at the time, who got injured during the encounter.‘I don’t like it. I feel sad. He got in front of me on the ATC and he slammed my hand,’ McMillan said. ‘Then he started choking me. Then my 6-week old Pit Bull mix named Polo got hurt and bruised his front paw when the police grabbed me and slammed me down. It makes me feel sad.’” (Steven Hsieh/ Alternet). McMillan was an unarmed boy who was just feeding his dog, when police pulled over and used violence. He was also unarmed, which gives no reason for the police officers to attack