Police Brutality and Killing of Unarmed African Americans

1 Police Brutality and Killing of Unarmed African Americans Over the years, police brutality cases towards African Americans have led to several deaths on the rise. The police have shot dead several unarmed African Americans, and many others have died by their hands. Despite such deaths, their circumstances are not made clear to the public, and no police officer has faced prosecution following their actions. Due to this, there have been numerous debates and protests about the issue, leading to the Black Lives Matter movement. The public demands justice for those who suffered at the hands of the police. Most individuals demand the stop of police brutality and the accountability of the law. The movement also aims to make the United States a better place for the future generation, especially African Americans. In this paper, I will assert that police brutality and the killing of unarmed civilians have become serious issues that should stop. The police officers are responsible for being held accountable.

My first argument is that police brutality should stop since the police officers have caused the death of innocent, unarmed African Americans due to their brutality towards such individuals. As Johnson (2020) notes, the police shot Walter Scott and Rayshard Brooks, yet they did not pose any threat to any individual's life, after which the officers were quite reluctant to help them, leading to their deaths.

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2 Following such incidents, the individuals met their demise at police officers' hands without proper course since it was clear to the police that these people were not a threat. Similarly, people like George Floyd and Eric Garner were only suspects of nonserious crimes, yet the police suffocated them. Johnson (2020) says, “All George Floyd and Eric Garner wanted was to breathe.” The two uttered the words "I can't breathe" several times, but the officers could not let go. Thus, these are valid evidence that the United States government should address the issue of police brutality.

My second argument is that, following the multiple deaths that result from police brutality, every officer should account for their actions and those killing the Blacks to face prosecution. Perhaps accountability may contribute towards taming the police brutality. Peeples (2020) reports that nearly 1000 innocent civilians lose their lives yearly due to police brutality.

Peeples (2020) also notes that African Americans are "two and a half times more likely to be killed" by an officer than Whites. Such huge numbers are alarming and imply that the police officers are not held accountable; hence, they continue to utilize force and their power excessively. Moreover, several officers who either shot or caused an unarmed African American's death have not faced prosecution; most of them resigned or got fired, while others still retain their jobs. Perhaps the lack of accountability in the United States police departments facilitates the use of excessive force and brutality among the officers. To address this issue, holding every police officer accountable for their actions and prosecuting those who kill unarmed civilians without proper course can help reduce their brutality.

Despite my arguments and the shreds of evidence I have provided for them, someone may object to my opinion and argue that the police officers are only doing their job and require time and space to make society a better place. Perhaps society has become the center of all

3 crimes and vices that only the use of force by the police can control. Although an individual may attempt to flee from an officer who is about to arrest them, it is not enough justification for the police to open fire and shoot them. Moreover, if an officer suspects someone of a crime or having an illegal item, they should calmly approach the person and question or search them for confirmation. In the case of George Floyd and Eric Garner, the individuals were only suspects, but the police choked them to death even after uttering the words “I can’t breathe” several times (Johnson, 2020). Thus, I would disagree with someone who argues that the police are only doing their job and need time and space to keep society safe—they should not use excessive force or exercise brutality that results in unarmed civilians ' unjust deaths.

The issue of police brutality and the killing of unarmed civilians have become severe in the United States, and that the government should address and hold the police officers responsible accountable. The police brutality has caused the death of several unarmed African Americans, including Walter Scott and Rayshard Brooks, who were shot fleeing without any imminent threat to any individual’s life. Also, George Floyd and Eric Garner choked to death at the hands of officers without any crime. The police officers who have caused these deaths should face prosecution and every other officer to account for their actions. Such measures can contribute to taming police brutality in various police departments in the United States.

4 References Johnson, G. (2020). Police killings and Black mental health | Penn Today. Penn Today.

Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/police-killingsand-black-mental-health.

Peeples, L. (2020). What the data say about police brutality and racial bias — and which reforms might work. Nature.com. Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01846-z.