Police Brutality

Police officers have a very difficult job. They must deal with the public every day and many times they have to put their lives on the line in order to save someone. Police officers are human, however, and can make mistakes. Sometimes, police officers cross the line and this is when their conduct constitutes police brutality, which is illegal.

A well known case of police brutality was the beating of Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991. The beating was videotaped by a bystander and it was shown all over the country and led to much discussion and debate about the actions of the Los Angeles Police Department and caused rioting in Los Angeles. Although the police officers in that case were acquitted of any criminal conduct following a jury trial, a lawsuit was later instituted against the Los Angeles Police Department and resulted in a jury verdict of 3.8 million dollars.

Police officers sometime have to use force in order to stop a criminal from committing a crime or to place someone under arrest. This is their job and it is perfectly legitimate. However, when the police officers use excessive force on criminal suspects or even on innocent bystanders, that is when their conduct can cause injuries to those persons who have done nothing wrong. Although an officer is often times justified in using force, the force must be reasonable for the situation at the time. Police officers are humans and sometimes will get caught up in the heat of the moment and use force far beyond what was necessary. This excessive use of force often leads to great injury.

There are many types of police brutality cases and they would include the following:

• Excessive force
• Unjustified deadly force
• Wrongful use of police dogs
• False arrest and illegal detention

Attorney Foley has extensive experience working alongside another Connecticut law firm in litigating police brutality. One such case is that of a Bridgeport man who was arrested by the police, but in the process of making the arrest the man was severely injured to the point of entering a semi-vegetative state. Arrests causing injuries of such a serious extent are not legal and are sad examples of police brutality.

If you or a family member has been the victim of police brutality, please fill out the contact form or call us at (203) 250-7212. We will be happy to assist you with your claim and answer any questions you may have regarding your case.