Category Archives: Police Misconduct
Suing Police Departments for Failure to Train Officers
When officers break the law, many do it because they just don’t care about upholding their oaths to the public, and some may have egos, anger problems, or other reasons for using excessive force. But many officers want to do the right thing, they just are not trained properly or thoroughly enough. Of course,… Read More »
Police Dispatchers Can Also be Liable
When you call 911, you are not just getting a call center telemarketer on the other line, or someone hired off the street. Rather, you are getting a trained professional, and although 911 operators are not in the field, they are as crucial to keeping victims safe as officers and first responders are. Yet,… Read More »
Police and Cities Are Using Bankruptcy to Escape Civil Judgments
Victims of police brutality will often seek money damages for their injuries through a civil suit. The lawsuit is often not just against a police department or law enforcement agency, but may, depending on where the incident occurred and the laws of the state or jurisdiction, also include a lawsuit against the offending officers… Read More »
Police Misconduct Includes Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
Police officers are inherently in a position of authority and control. This is necessary for them to do their job. When they exceed moral and ethical boundaries, it is wrong and illegal. When they exceed those boundaries by sexually abusing someone, the wrong of police misconduct becomes even more grievous. Sexual Misconduct by Officers… Read More »
Confidential Informants Can Lead to Police Violence
Imagine that police, acting on a tip from a confidential informant, burst into a home, expecting to make a drug raid or stop illegal activity going on at the property. Police forcibly enter, only to be met by gunfire from the person (or people) inside. In the end, not only are officers dead, but… Read More »
Police are Often Untrained to Deal With the Mentally Disabled
When police arrive at a scene or encounter a suspect, they generally have warning signs that they look for to determine whether they are in danger. Many of those warning signs are common sense—for example, someone who waives their arms erratically or screams or moves when being told to remain stationary, may pose a… Read More »
First Amendment May Prohibit Police Agencies From Requiring Victim Confidentiality
In almost every type of injury case, including cases that involve police brutality, the police agency or government agency that settles your case will require that you sign a release. This is a document that generally says that whatever you have settled for is all that you are getting, and you are prohibited from… Read More »
Court Says Handcuffing 7-Year Old In School is Legal
Police brutality or misconduct is bad enough when an adult is the victim. But when the victims are young children, the wrongs by policy officers seem even worse. Earlier this year, a story of needless force by an officer on a child was found to be just fine by a court. Boy Handcuffed for… Read More »
Video Footage of Police Brutality Is Not Always Conclusive
With the rise of police brutality came more and more police departments requiring officers to wear body cameras. These small, portable cameras (many of which are also available for consumer purchase) were supposed to catch and record everything an officer says and does. The result would be a deterrent to officers overstepping their boundaries,… Read More »
Is it Police Brutality if the Police Don’t Cause Physical Harm?
On August 3, a man in Texas was arrested for criminal trespassing. What happened afterward became yet another example of police overstepping boundaries, and a good example of a potential case for emotional distress damages. Man is Publicly Humiliated At the time of the man’s arrest, only police mounted on horses were available. The… Read More »
