Police brutality is a term used to describe the excessive use of physical force, assault, verbal attacks, and threats by police officers and other law enforcement officers. The term may also be used to apply to such behavior when used by prison officers. Widespread, systematic police brutality exists in many countries, even those which prosecute it. Brutality is one of several forms of police misconduct which include; false arrest, intimidation, racial profiling, political repression, surveillance abuse, sexual abuse, and police corruption. A police officer is a person who works for a police force. ... A prison officer is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision of prisoners in a prison. ... Police misconduct refers to brutality, corruption or other objectionable actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. ... False arrest is a common law tort, where a plaintiff alleges he or she was held in custody without reasonable cause or an order issued by a court of appropriate jurisdiction. ... Intimidation is the act of making others do what one wants through fear. ... Racial filing is inclusion of race in the profile of a persons considered likely to commit a particular crime or type of crime (see Offender Profiling). ... Political repression is the oppression or persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take part in the political life of society. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about political corruption. ...

Alleged Corruption

Use of force and authority by police to some groups can be — or be perceived to be — disproportionate. Differences in race, religion, politics, and socioeconomic status between police and the citizenry can contribute to the creation of a relationship in which some police officers may view the population (or a particular subset thereof) as generally deserving punishment while these portions of the population view the police as oppressors. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... Socioeconomics or Socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. ... Oppression is the negative outcome experienced by people targeted by the arbitrary and cruel exercise of power in a society or social group. ...

Police are employed by society to maintain order, but by dealing largely with disorderly elements of the society, some people working in law enforcement may gradually develop an attitude or sense of authority over society. The growing number of cases of police brutality is usually attributed not to increased awareness within police ranks, but merely to more widespread use of video cameras. A video camera can be classified two ways: Professional video cameras, such as those used in television production Camcorders used by amateurs This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Alternatively, some members of the public may in fact perceive the use of force by police as excessive, even when the force used is not only reasonable, but is also appropriate under the circumstances. Police use of force is kept in check in many jurisdictions by the issuance of a use of force continuum. A use of force continuum sets levels of force considered appropriate in direct response to a subject's behaviour. This power is granted by the civil government, with limits set out in statutory law as well as common law. Statutory law is written law (as opposed to oral or customary law) set down by a legislature or other governing authority such as the executive branch of government in response to a perceived need to clarify the functioning of government, improve civil order, answer a public need, to codify existing... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ...

Investigation

In the United States, cases of police brutality are investigated by internal police commissions, district attorneys (DAs) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Internal police commissions are often criticized for bias to the officers as they frequently declare upon review that the officer(s) acted within the department's rules, or according to their training. Additionally, the ability of district attorneys to investigate police brutality is called into question, as DAs depend on help from Police Departments to bring cases to trial. In contrast, the FBI is believed by many to be objective in its work in this area, but it investigates only a fraction of suspect cases of police brutality. A district attorney is, in some U.S. jurisdictions, the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

In the United Kingdom, an independent organisation known as the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigates reports of police misconduct. They automatically investigate any deaths caused by, or thought to be caused by, police action. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a UK organisation tasked with overseeing and investigating complaints against UK police forces. ...

Politics

In some cases the police can be seen as siding with or against a government on political issues. For example during the Quebec City Summit of the Americas in 2001, it was believed by the anti-globalists that the police were defending the capitalist objectives of the summit participants, yet many people viewed those anti-globalists' actions as unreasonable and destructive. Another example is when, in March 2006, masked Kenyan police attacked a media outlet during the midst of a government corruption scandal; see Corruption in Kenya for details. The Summit of the Americas held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on the weekend of April 20, 2001, was a round of negotiations regarding a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... Political corruption in the post-colonial government of Kenya has had a history which spans the era of the Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Mois KANU governments to the Mwai Kibakis NARC government. ...

Human Rights

The Amnesty International 2005 report on human rights alleges widespread police misconduct in many countries. Some notable countries include Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Brazil. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an non-governmental membership organization with the stated purpose of campaigning for internationally recognized human rights. ...

Community Response

Various community groups have criticised police brutality. These groups often stress the need for oversight by independent citizen review boards and other methods of ensuring accountability for police action.

Copwatch is a U.S.-based network of organizations that actively monitors and videotapes the police to prevent police brutality. Umbrella organizations including the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation and justice committees (often named after a deceased individual or those victimized by police violence) usually engage in a solidarity of those affected. Phoenix Copwatch logo Copwatch is a network of United States volunteer organizations that police the police. Copwatch groups usually engage in monitoring of the police, videotaping police activity, educating the public about police misconduct, and advocating for more accountable law enforcement practices. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ...

Self-described police monitoring organizations have themselves sometimes been the target of criticism. For example, some have interpreted the response of such groups to police shootings as calls to retaliate against the police, even when not explicitly stated as such.^[1]

Selected Cases of Police Brutality

• Martin Lee Anderson died in 2006 at a Florida juvenile detention facility after allegedly suffering a beating by as many as eight guards, recorded by videotape. An investigation is ongoing. ^[2]
• Anthony Baez died in a confrontation with New York City police in which a chokehold was used on him. Police officer Francis Livoti was indicted and acquitted, but was later convicted in federal court of perjury.^[3][4]
• Steve Biko was allegedly killed by police as a result of anti-apartheid demonstrations in South Africa in 1977. ^[5]
• Oscar Elías Biscet is a Cuban political prisoner, arrested in December 2002, who is reportedly not allowed to have food or medicines brought to him by his wife, a situation which has caused his health to deteriorate.^[6]
• Robert Davis was filmed in an altercation with New Orleans police officers in October 2005. Two officers were later fired and charged with battery as a result of the incident.^[7]
• Amadou Diallo was shot and killed in February 1999 by New York City police officers while unarmed after the officers claimed they believed he was reaching for a gun. Four officers were indicted for second-degree murder but later acquitted.^[8]
• Johnny Gammage was a black motorist who died in a scuffle with white police officers. Three officers were charged with involuntary manslaughter, although at least one was acquitted.^[9]
• Frank Jude Jr. was beaten while unarmed by three off-duty police officers, who were charged but acquitted.^[10]
• Abner Louima was sexually abused by New York City police officers in 1997. A number of officers were convicted in the case.^[11]

Martin Lee Anderson mugshot. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anthony Baez (1965-1994) was a 29-year old security guard who died on December 22, 1994 after being placed in an illegal chokehold by NYPD Officer Francis X. Livoti. ... Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Stephen Biko Stephen Bantu Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a noted nonviolent anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Oscar Elías Biscet (born July 20, 1961) is a prominent Christian activist living within Cuba. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Photo by AP Robert Davis (b. ... Amadou Diallo Amadou Bailo Diallo (September 2, 1975 – February 4, 1999), was a 23 year-old Muslim Guinean living in New York City who was killed under controversial circumstances by four police officers in the NYPDs Street Crime Unit, at 1157 Wheeler Avenue in the Soundview section of the... Johnny Gammage was a black motorist who died in the nearly all-white Pittsburgh suburb of Brentwood in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on October 12, 1995, after being stopped for driving erratically by police. ... Frank Jude Jr. ... Abner Louima (b. ...

See also

• Corruption in Kenya
• Human rights abuses by Hong Kong police
• Paris massacre of 1961
• Police riot
• Prisoner abuse
• State terrorism
• Strip Search, a film that deals with brutality.
• Tompkins Square Park Police Riot
• Vel'd'hiv raid in Vichy France on July 16, 1942

Political corruption in the post-colonial government of Kenya has had a history which spans the era of the Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Mois KANU governments to the Mwai Kibakis NARC government. ... Although police officers from Hong Kong Police are being described by some locals as licensed thugs (有牌爛仔), documented human right abuses committed by Hong Kong Police are mainly concentrated on the handling of peaceful demonstrations, police brutality leading to death in custody, and its accountability to the public. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Police riot is a term that became increasingly more common through the late Twentieth century, describing a situation where police, more recently clad in riot gear such as armor, helmets, padded knee and elbow protectors, and face shields, encounter a group, e. ... Prisoner abuse is the mistreatment of persons while they are under arrest or incarcerated. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A strip search is the stripping (removal of clothing, search of person, or personal effects) of a person to check for weapons or other contraband. ... In August 1988, a riot erupted in Tompkins Square Park when police brutally attempted to enforce a newly-passed curfew for the park. ... The Rafle du VeldHiv (short in French for the Vélodrome dhivers raid) is the name of the July 16, 1942 raid during which Vichy French police forces arrested 12,884 Jews — including 4,051 children which the Gestapo had not asked for — 5,802 women... France under German occupation 1940-44 Presidential flag of Vichy France For other uses of Vichy, see Vichy (disambiguation). ...

References

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

External links

• Amnesty International 2005 World Report