RESPONSE POST

Respond to two of your colleagues who selected different videos than the one you selected. Explain whether you agree or disagree with your colleagues’ assessments as described in their posts and explain why. Your responses to your colleagues’ posts should each be at least 200 words. RESPONSE A There are times when police officers need to use force, which is a necessary but sensitive duty that needs careful thought to figure out the right and legal reaction. At all times, police officers must always determine what force is legally acceptable. Law enforcement departments have, over the decades, implemented strategies to reduce cases of excessive use of force against civilians, such as through body-worn cameras. However, cases of extreme police brutality are still prevalent. For instance, an internal review found that some of the hits made by former Weymouth Police (WP) officer Justin Chappell on a person in handcuffs were "unnecessary and improper." As this case shows, police should only use force in legal ways. Background of the Case On July 2, the incident happened when Weymouth Police officers were called to a dispute involving a drunk man. During the arrest, Officer Justin Chappell hit the man in bond several times in the head with a closed fist (WCVB Channel 5 Boston, 2023). When the Weymouth Police Department watched the video from Chappell's body camera, they saw that some of his hits were "unnecessary and improper." This is what it means to use too much force. The investigation's results said Chappell should lose his Massachusetts police officer license because he used illegal force against the person who was being held. Analysis Chappell's use of force against the detainee, who was already handcuffed, seems to be against the law. Officers should only use "the amount of force necessary" for the situation, according to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ, 2009). Nevertheless, the internal review found that some of Chappell's strikes were "unnecessary and improper," which suggests that he used too much force (WCVB Channel 5 Boston, 2023). Using force is legal when protecting oneself or someone else who is in immediate danger (NIJ, 2014), but in Chappell's case, there is no proof that the inmate is a threat, that calls for force to be used. Furthermore, his actions go against the reasonableness test set up in Graham v. Connor, which says that the facts must be objectively weighed. Also, hitting a cooperating suspect who is handcuffed seems to go against the Tennessee v. Garner principles that say arrested people can't be hit if they aren't provoking violence. Combining the video evidence with the investigation's results shows that Chappell used too much force for the situation (McCarthy et al., 2019). This means that his actions were illegal according to case law and use-of-force standards. Conclusion Officer Chappell's use of too much force against a handcuffed suspect is a scary example of how police can go too far with the law. His case shows how very important it is to have thorough training, strict accountability measures, and a firm resolve to only use legally allowed and clearly reasonable force. Not following these rules can seriously hurt the public's trust, put officers and units at risk of being sued, and hurt the safety and justice that police are supposed to provide to communities. References McCarthy, M. M., Porter, L. E., Townsley, M., & Alpert, G. P. (2019). The effect of community-oriented policing on police use of force: does community matter? Policing: An International Journal, 42(4), 556–570. https://doi(dot)org/10.1108/pijpsm-10-2018-0148Links to an external site. National Institute of Justice. (2009, August 3). The Use-of-Force Continuum. National Institute of Justice. https://nij(dot)ojp(dot)gov/topics/articles/use-force-continuumLinks to an external site. National Institute of Justice. (2014). Police Use of Force. National Institute of Justice. https://nij(dot)ojp(dot)gov/topics/law-enforcement/use-of-forceLinks to an external site. WCVB Channel 5 Boston. (2023). Police chief seeks to have former officer decertified for excessive use of force. Www(dot)youtube(dot)com. https://Www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=Ps3ofobupUoLinks to an external site. RESPONSE B A woman named Paris Anderson became angry in Miami airport after missing her flight to Chicago. Anderson went behind the ticket counter yelling and threatening employees. Antonio Rodriguez, a veteran police officer, with the Miami-Dade Police Department, intervened because Anderson was belligerent. Anderson stated that she should go punch the man at the ticketing desk. In an annoyed voice, Officer Rodriguez told Anderson, “to go do it then.” Anderson became more aggressive, told Rodriguez that he was “acting White when he was Black,” got into Officer Rodriguez’s face, and asked “what he was going to do.” While Anderson was in Rodriguez’s face, her head touched him, and he punched her in the face. Anderson was charged with battery and disorderly conduct. Rodriguez was relieved of his duties for excessive force. One year later, Rodriguez was not charged, allowed to retire honorably, and received back pay from the initial time of termination (NBC 6, 2021). In this case, the viewing of a punch to the face was previously considered excessive force. Graham v. Connor could have been used to introduce the principle of objective reasonableness because the actions were from the viewpoint of an officer at the scene rather than through observation (U.S. Supreme Court, n.d.). Although the punch was powerful, Anderson was considered the aggressor for getting in Rodriguez’s face. Rodriguez perceived Anderson’s aggressiveness and slight touch as a threat to safety and resorted to empty handed control that required further evaluation (National Institute of Justice, 2009). I learned that this type of action is lawful and considered a justifiable use of force (NBC 6, 2021). The use of force continuum suggests proportional responses to perceived threats (National Institute of Justice, 2009). I chose this video because I was on the fence from both individuals. I think that Anderson should not have taken out her frustrations on others and left. I think that Rodriguez should not have provoked Anderson with the sarcastic comment of “to go do it then” regarding the ticketing agent. I also learned that correspondence bias could occur from videos or just by reading the comments associated with the video. Perception is not always true. References: Justia: U.S. Supreme Court. (n.d.). Graham v. ConnorLinks to an external site., 490 U.S. 386 (1989). Retrieved from https://supreme(dot)justia(dot)com/cases/federal/us/490/386/. National Institute of Justice. (2009). The use-of-force continuumLinks to an external site. Retrieved from https://www(dot)nij(dot)gov/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/use-of-force/Pages/continuum.aspx. NBC6. (2021, December 22). Miami-Dade cop seen hitting woman at airport in video won’t face charges. NBC 6 South Florida. https://www(dot)nbcmiami(dot)com/news/local/miami-dade-cop-seen-hitting-woman-at-airport-in-video-wont-face-charges/2647123/