Can a police officer face criminal charges for using excessive force?
As we wrote earlier this summer, it’s actually quite rare for police officers to face criminal legal consequences for using excessive force — or even fatal violence — against civilians.
Can a police officer face criminal charges for killing a civilian?
A review of the data we have on police prosecutions shows that it’s uncommon for police officers to face any kind of legal consequences — let alone be convicted — for committing fatal violence against civilians. The data we have on police misconduct is, admittedly, far from perfect.
How much do we really know about police use of force?
No one regularly chronicles the use of police force, how many people are killed in confrontations with officers or how many officers are prosecuted or convicted.
Should police officers be held accountable for their use of deadly force?
Keller, with the National Police Accountability Project, said stricter, more consistent standards are needed for when police officers can use deadly force. Holding officers accountable through discipline or prosecution could reduce instances of unjustified use of deadly force, she said.
What are the barriers to charging and convicting police officers?
There are other barriers to charging and convicting police, too. Prosecutors work closely with police departments, which means they may be reluctant to jeopardize that relationship by pursuing cases against officers.
Is police brutality a serious problem in America?
Protesters aren’t the only ones losing faith in law enforcement. Cops themselves are beginning to question their roles amid outcry over excessive force. Nearly 80\% of Americans say police brutality is a “moderately” or “extremely/very” serious problem in US policing, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
Should prosecutors’ relationship with police be changed?
Altering prosecutors’ relationship with police isn’t a simple or easy reform, for instance — it would be a fundamental shift in the way our criminal justice system works. Of course, prosecution isn’t the only legal route for holding police officers accountable for misconduct.