COMPREHENSIVE OUTLINE FOR FINAL PROJECT

Comprehensive Outline For Final Project Student Name Program Name or Degree Name (e.g., Master of Science in Nursing), Walden University COURSE XX: Title of Course Instructor Name Month XX, 202X Comprehensive Outline For Final Project Abstract Derek Chauvin’s case represents the persistent police brutality issues in the United States. The concern about the frequent use of excessive force by law enforcement officers has created tension in specific, highly targeted, or profiled communities. African Americans have shouldered a significant proportion of this policing problem, with notable fatalities, including George Floyd, killed by Derek Chauvin. The diverse ills arising from police brutality were prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsening the anxieties and other associated consequences. Bibliographical Summary of the Case Before the brutal murder of George Floyd, people knew little about the implicated police officer Derek Chauvin. He was raised in a predominantly white-populated area of St. Paul and was schooled at Park High School (Mark, 2020) Although he failed to graduate from high school, Derek acquired his GED and enrolled in Minnesota’s Metropolitan State University, where he graduated with a law enforcement degree (Mark, 2020). He later married Kellie Chauvin, who divorced him immediately after the video of Floyd’s murder surfaced (Mark, 2020). The now 48-year-old convict lived in the Oakdale’s St. Paul suburb. Derek Chauvin became a police officer and served for over 19 years at the Minneapolis department. He was recruited into the law enforcement sector at 25 in 2001 (Mark, 2020). Derek previously served as a McDonald’s cook and a security guard. Records also indicate that between 1996 and 2000, he was a military police officer (Mark, 2020). His law enforcement journey highlights an officer with high misconduct cases and public complaints about his aggressive tactics. His file contained over 18 complaints, demonstrating the level of his indiscipline (Mark, 2020). The department closed his cases suspiciously without any disciplinary consequences. Despite these shortcomings, he received several accolades in 2006 and 2008 (Mark, 2020) Besides being a police officer, he doubled as a nightclub security guard. Introduction to the Topic The law allows police officers to use force in specific situations to enforce compliance or defend themselves in their operations. Institutions such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have defined this approach, and it may involve verbal commands and physical actions (Garrett & Slobogin, 2020) However, problems arise when officers exploit this opportunity and use more force than is reasonable, leading to excessive force. Instances where police officers violate their expectations lead to police brutality, represented by injuries and mortality cases such as the death of George Floyd on 25th May 2020. Thus, this paper investigates the escalating issues of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers along racial lines and their impacts during the COVID-19 era. Preview of major research sections: Statistics highlighting police use of excessive force in the U.S. Trends of excessive force in the law enfor...