Police Brutality

Nora Hunt
What is Force?

● Physical Presence
● Verbalization
● Empty-Hand Control
● Non-Lethal Force
● Lethal Force
What is Excessive Force?

Force becomes excessive if it greatly exceeds

the level of the threat at hand.
Police Brutality is Not a Problem

● Being a police officer is dangerous and

stressful
● Police must use their best judgement
● Police may not have enough
information in the moment
● They want to keep others safe
Police Brutality is a Problem

● Police can escalate a situation

● Wide discretion allows for
unnecessarily aggressive actions
● Duante Wright, Breonna Taylor, and
George Floyd
● Systemic Racism
● Inadequate Training
What do YOU Think?
Works Cited
“Excessive Force: Causes, Solutions & Victims' Rights.” DC Law, 8 Dec. 2021, https://texasjustice.com/blog/excessive-force/.

“Importance of Accountability in Law Enforcement.” PowerDMS, https://www.powerdms.com/why-powerdms/law-

enforcement/importance-of-accountability-in-law-enforcement.

Kleinfeld, Rachel. “These Countries Reformed Their Brutal, Biased Police. the U.S. Can, Too.” Foreign Policy, 2 July 2020,
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/02/police-brutality-racism-reform-international/.

Paul Bergman, UCLA Law School Professor. “How Much Force Officers Can Use during Arrest.” Www.nolo.com, Nolo, 18 Aug.
2015, https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-much-force-can-officers-during-arrest.html#:~:text=Police%20officers
%20have%20discretion%20to,way%20police%20officers%20employ%20force.

Police Officers' Decision Making and Discretion. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/213004.pdf.

The Regulatory Review. “Regulating Police Use of Deadly Force in the United States.” The Regulatory Review, 19 Apr. 2021,
https://www.theregreview.org/2021/04/19/salazar-regulating-police-use-deadly-force-united-states/.

“Understanding Excessive Force and Your Rights.” V. James DeSimone Law, 19 Feb. 2022,
https://www.vjamesdesimonelaw.com/understanding-excessive-force-and-your-rights-when-interacting-with-law-enforcement/.