Every year, there are more than 31 million people who wind up under a doctor’s care due to accidents and injuries, according to statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics. About three million of these injuries, and about 40,000 deaths, can be attributed to car accidents, and some 10,000 result from medical malpractice.
Something you may not have realized, however, is how many deaths and injuries result from police violence and general law enforcement misconduct. Because of the nature of these crimes, they are often not talked about until its too late, and there are little to no definitive statistics tracking the real damage of such violence over the years.
Here are some important things to keep in mind as a citizen with legal rights, even against the police:
- Law Enforcement officers may be more sensitive to accusations and resistance since police brutality has received much national attention in the light of killings of unarmed black men, like Mike Brown and Eric Garner. More recent cases, like those of Freddie Gray and Sandra Bland, have further urged authorities and the country as a whole to reassess the way law enforcement officers are instructed and how they conduct themselves.
- You have legal rights, too. Make sure to get educated and know your rights when it comes to searches and detainment. For instance, if you are being questioned, you have the right to excuse yourself if you aren’t being detained. Recording or otherwise documenting your encounter with an officer is advisable for latter legal records, but beware this could inflame an encounter.
- Abuse may not just be physical. People most often associated police brutality with physical force, but the truth is that there are many other scare tactics that may be used. For instance, verbal and physical intimidation, as well as radical discrimination, may be used to physiologically scare you.
If you were the victim of police misconduct, it is important to contact a police brutality attorney immediately. A police brutality lawyer knows the ins and outs of what is and what is not acceptable for an officer, and can help you figure out how to really get justice.
