The Use of Pepper Spray in Police Brutality
Police brutality has become a growing trend in the United States. The tactics used to apprehend suspected criminals have become cruel and demeaning, not to mention life threatening. There have been numerous cases where police officers have intentionally brutalized people during attempted arrests. Pepper spray seems to be the new weapon of choice among police officers nationwide; it contains a dangerous chemical component known as OC (oleoresin capsicum). Contact with this chemical may, "choke people already impaired by medical conditions such as asthma, enlarged hearts, hypertension or obesity, or people affected by drugs or from being tied up and left lying on their stomachs" (Koury and Reed 19). There have been cases where people have actually died from being sprayed with pepper spray; therefore, pepper spray is a lethal weapon that police officers should use only during life threatening situations.
The safety of pepper spray has never been proven scientifically. Furthermore, "since 1992, there have been over seventy in-custody deaths related to OC/ pepper spray, thirty-seven of which were in California" (Earth First 7). In spite of all those deaths pepper spray is still being used haphazardly by police officers. For example, "San Francisco police are still sticking by the chemical [pepper spray], even though it has been linked to at least a pair of highly publicized in-custody deaths" (Koury and Reed 11). A deadly incident involving pepper spray occurred in Novato, California, when Brian Prosser who reportedly had asthma, "died October 20th, 1997 after ... police doused him with pepper spray to subdue him" (Barak 5). His death was said to have been caused by "cardio...
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3Brophy, L. (1959). The Chemical Warfare Service (1st ed.). Washington: Office of the Chief of
Seals, E. (2007). Police use of tasers: The truth is “shocking”. Golden Gate University Law Review, 38(1), 38-109
In today’s society, police officers are very cautious on how much force they can use on a suspect due to the police brutality going on right now. Police brutality is defined as the use of force exceeding what is necessary, many people argue that there should be new policies to determine how much force a police officer can use and also have laws that will convict officers who have killed people by using too much force, so that there is less incidents in the future.
Almost thirty years after the last troops were pulled out of what was then South Vietnam, its effects are still felt in today’s society. It is hard not to find someone who’s life has not been affected because of this war. One of the most controversial decisions made in the war was to use chemicals to fight the enemy. The most boradly used chemiucal was called Agent Orange. Some people agreed with the use of Agent Orange. They saw it as a very viable weapon that needed to be used in order to keep the Communist from taking control of South Vietnam and subverting their democratic government. Many others disapproved of its use. They knew, correctly, that it would severely devastate the landscape of Vietnam and would forever ruin the land for agricultural use. They also knew of the harmful effect it would have once adults and children came in contact with the harmful chemicals that form the chemical make up of Agent Orange. Once the first bombs carrying Agent Orange were dropped there was no going back. For some people the use of Agent Orange changed their whole opinion of the war and what we were really fighting for. Pictures showing burns and disfigurement were soon to hit the presses. Once the American public could see exactly what was happening and how the civilian life was being treated impacted many people so much that they could no longer support what the United States was doing over in Vietnam. The goal of this paper is to show how the use of Agent Orange changed many people’s perspective of the war in Vietnam.
This essay will aim to explore the controversial issue in regards to whether more police officers should be armed with Tasers. This essay will argue that more officers should not be equipped with Tasers, also known as “Conducted Energy Weapons” (CEWs), and that the issuing of Tasers by police services should be limited to supervisors and specialized tactical units until further research has been conducted on the effects that Tasers have on the human body. Furthermore, the abuse of Tasers by police officers will also be argued as another reason why officers should not be armed with Tasers. This essay will focus on two main points that will support the argument that more Tasers should not be given to more officers. First off, there has not been enough research completed to deem Tasers as a safe alternative weapon that officers can use to gain compliance from violent individuals that they may deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Cheh, M. "Are lawsuits an answer to police brutality." Police violence: Understanding and controlling police abuse of force (1996): 247-72.
Over the years, our nation has witnessed countless cases of police brutality. It has developed into a controversial topic between communities. For instance, deindustrialization is the removal or reduction of manufacturing capability or activity can lead to more crimes when people are laid off. Police officers are faced with many threatening situations day-to-day gripping them to make split second decisions; either to expect the worst or hope for the best. The police are given the authority to take any citizen away for their action that can ruin their lives. With that kind of power comes great responsibility, which is one main concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force might or
Fries, A. A., & West, C. J. (1921). Chemical warfare,. New York [etc.: McGraw-Hill book company, inc..
There has been a lot of controversy regarding the use of police departments using tasers. Many people think that tasers are less lethal and safer for police to use on everyone but, throughout this essay, there will be many reasons as to why tasers are unsafe and pose a threat to someone on the receiving end. Tasers have been involved in many deaths and other injuries. The main topic that will be discussed in this essay is how sometimes shooting is a taser and just stunning the person is not all that happens. There is much more to stun guns than just 5 seconds of paralysis.
"FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: A History." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 81.12 (2012): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
“In a city stung by one incident, regardless of what the science or research shows afterwards, city officials are usually very reluctant to use that weapon or permit a public policy where it would be used again.”
Skolnick, J., Fyfe, J. (1993) Above the law: Police and the Excessive use of force. United States: The Free Press
When hearing the phrase “police brutality,” many people imagine batons cracking skulls, tasers electrocuting bodies and bullets penetrating innocent teens. While police officers have been known to use violence, police brutality does not occur as often as many believe. In many situations, officers have to act on impulse and curiosity, despite the backlash the media may create.
Gul, Zakir, Hakan Hekim, and Ramazan Terkesil. “Controlling Police (Excessive) Force: The American Case.” International Journal of Human Sciences 10.2 (2013): 285-303. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
When you think of a police officer, you think of a hero, someone that will serve and protect your community. Police officers should uphold the law and maintain order for a stable society. They endure rigorous training to obtain this authority, and agree to put their own lives in danger to protect and serve. In recent months, this authority has been abused and has turned into extreme police brutality that is quickly turning deadly. Police brutality can be defined as the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians (Danilina). This excessive use of force includes police assaults, abuse and even killings.