America – Land of Misconduct and Home of the Mistreated

America is stereotyped as a place where people from every country around the world strive to reside to chase their dreams, provide more for their family, and have their civil rights protected by law. A place where you go to a baseball game and stuff three hot dogs in your face, make friends with other sports fans in the crowd, and can’t get away from the smell of beer. Both stereotypes are true – but in 2017, which seems like a more accurate depiction of this country?

With stories of police misconduct blowing up the newsstands, it is almost impossible to believe that some people use their heroic badges to violate others rather than protect them. Why are we seeing police officers shooting at unarmed African American men who are running away and pose no threat? Why are we seeing unarmed mentally disabled people shot in their homes? These are not stories that are up for debate – with the recent spike in technology and iPhone use, many people have resorted to filming these acts to try and make a change and prove the injustice. Why are we as citizens policing the police?

Civil rights violations can take on many different forms of police misconduct ranging from wrongful death to racial profiling to false arrest and excessive use of force. One of the uncontested issues surrounding these examples of police misconduct is that these are not rare occurrences. Stories of police officers brutally beating, shooting, or using excessive force on citizens is an atrocity that paints headlines across news stations weekly.

In Sacramento, California a video was recently released showing an officer throwing a pedestrian to the ground for jaywalking. The officer used unnecessary excessive force on a victimless crime that usually goes unnoticed – he was placed on administrative leave.

Demetrius Hollins, an African American male was in the process of getting arrested in Georgia when he was assaulted by two police officers – fortunately, everything was caught on camera. He was dragged out onto the middle of the street, handcuffed, and got his head stomped on by an officer with a running start. He was being arrested for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, traffic citations, and obstruction of a police officer.

The officer was placed on administrative leave- not fired for his actions. What is to stop this officer from assaulting another person? Even the Gwinnet County police spokesman said the video of his officer was “very disturbing.” Why would this officer continue to be employed on the police force when there is evidence that he engages in that corrupt behavior?

The Black Lives Matter organization said this about the treatment of tis black man, “This is why we take to the streets and scream #BlackLivesMatter,” the post said. “It’s because American police officers have ZERO regards for black lives, they beat us, shoot and kill us without a blink of an eye and the biggest problem is, it all goes UNCHALLENGED.” It seems like this organization is correct in their assumptions after watching the blood boiling video of this officer assaulting a man who is already restrained, on the ground and in handcuffs. Unfortunately, this is not the first time or first few times something like this has happened – power is in the wrong hands with a badge of immunity attached.

The need to provide evidence of injustices from the people who supposedly fight for justice seems counterintuitive and wrong. In over 97% of police misconduct cases, the officer serves no time at all for their crime. Putting this into perspective, if an officer does get convicted, their sentences will be paralleled with someone who was caught selling less than $30 worth of marijuana.

Why is it that so many people who moved to America for the promise of a better life are being pulled over based on their skin tone or headscarf? Why does it seem like guns are being reached for before a non-lethal weapon? Why are inmates being refused water and medication and suffering until they are pronounced dead?

Terrill Thomas died of dehydration while he was serving time in solitary confinement in 2016 – he was neglected water for 7 full days. An onlooker of Thomas’s death and inmate describes his treatment by saying, "They refused to feed this man for seven days," said Marcus Berry, a fellow inmate in Milwaukee County Jail. "He didn't eat. For seven days, he didn't sleep. Seven days, he didn't drink any water." How is the abuse of inmates acceptable and occurring in a country that has enough money to ensure proper training of each prison guard? The county Sherriff, David Clarke has been asked to be removed from his position by voters but the Wisconsin governor refuses. This is the sixth death that has happened at the Milwaukee County jail in 6 months. Who is accountable for these deaths? And who is going to work to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

It seems that the only way to protect people from the police misconduct is to continue to publish and record incidents about these injustices to raise awareness and hope that the law will revert to the job it once thrived to accomplish – delivering justice.