Police Abuse Jury Verdict Sends Message

Larry Buckfire

Contributor

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No doubt that police officers in the United States have an incredibly difficult and demanding job and are underpaid and underappreciated by many of our citizens for their efforts.  There are times, though rare, when officers get out of control, abuse their power, and intentionally injure innocent people.  In these situations, our civil justice system does provide a legal remedy for the injured person against the police officers.

For most police abuse and police misconduct cases, the lawsuits filed by the injured person alleges violations of both constitutional civl  rights and state rights.  The precise claims and allegations often depend on the conduct of the officers and the facts of the incident.  A jury in Los Angeles recently awarded two men a $4.5 million dollar settlement for their civil rights claims against  several police officers.  The men were at a Halloween Costume Party and were beaten with batons, pepper sprayed, and fired at with a bean bag gun.  The jury felt that the conduct and brutality of the police officers was excessive and unlawful.  The city claimed that the officers acted properly.

Police officers face danger and uncertainty on every single shift of their job.  The public looks to the officers to protect them and their families from criminals.  Unfortunately, there are those ocassions when the officers are the ones acted in like criminals and the law holds them accountable for their actions.  Juries often send law enforcement officers the message that they, like everyone else, are not above the law.