Bob Dylan once sang about how the times were a changin’, but for as much as things have changed since the violent police misconduct that occurred during the height of the American Civil Rights movement during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, so much has stayed the same. While blatant, outspoken racism may have morphed into more subtle — albeit no less painful or demoralizing — forms of discrimination, excessive force by law enforcement officers is still as popular as ever.
The only difference is the ability to record these acts of violence so they can later be used by a police misconduct attorney, a prison abuse attorney, a personal injury lawyer, or a civil rights lawyer, in court to bring the very people that are supposed to serve and protect and uphold the law to justice. Ironic, isn’t it? Unfortunately, many of these local and federal law enforcement agencies abuse their platform of power to serve and protect the problem but instead use tactics such as racial profiling to target innocent individuals.
This unfortunately — and frankly, ignorant — mentality is apparent in many law enforcement agencies throughout the country, in both rural and metropolitan areas. Take for example, the number of high profile cases that have happened in recent years involving acts of police brutality that have lead to the violent, untimely deaths of the victims involved. To add insult to injury, the perpetrators, though relieved of their duties, were often let go with nothing more than a legal slap on the wrist. The sheer violence and disregard exhibited in many of these cases is truly barbaric.
Take for example the case of Tamir Rice, the 12 year old boy who was shot dead in a park while playing with a toy gun. Or the case of Sandra Bland, a woman well informed of her rights and who was active within social activist circles on line, that mysteriously died within police custody after having her head slammed onto the pavement. Then of course, there are extremely high profile cases such as Treyvon Martin and Mike Brown, both of whom were unarmed teenagers that were shot dead by police under mysterious circumstances.
Don’t become another hashtag, another statistic, or another person whose life is cut far too short because of police brutality. It’s important to remember that you still have rights, regardless of what crime you allegedly committed. In most cases, police brutality happens even if no crime is committed or for minor offenses. It’s sad to think that Sandra Bland died as a result of a minor traffic violation. As such, it’s important to be well informed of your rights, which is something a police brutality attorney can help with.
If you believe that you’ve been the victim of police brutality in anyway, it’s important to speak to a police brutality attorney immediately. While you may be eager to recover from this situation and put the entire matter behind you, it’s important not to give up! Again, you have basic human rights — rights that were just violated by the people your taxes pay to uphold the law, serve, and protect you! The best thing to do is to seek medical attention immediately of course, and be sure to document any and all of the injuries you sustained. In addition, it’s imperative that you seek counsel from a police brutality attorney.
An attorney can help you make sense of the entire situation and help you understand your rights. Police brutality attorneys are skilled in identifying ways in which the law let you down and how you can recover from that both physically, mentally, and even financially by getting the material compensation you deserve. It’s understandable that the thought of going through the legal system can be intimidating, especially after suffering a traumatic experience such as an act of police brutality, which can leave you feeling violated, angry, and confused.
However the best way to handle this is to seek the justice and financial compensation you deserve with the help of a police brutality attorney, who can help to empower you and allow you to reclaim your life.