How Do Police Officers Use Excessive Force

Jennifer Romero
Pd.3
Technology has helped solve many cases where police officers were accused of excessive force. Most importantly cameras provide proof of how many police officers have been accused of excessive. The cameras are not only been used to take selfies but have been used to catch how police officers over use their power against people with less power. Not only cell phone cameras from witnesses have helped catch police brutality but police officers own dash cameras in their own police car and video surveillance in the jail cell have also helped prove police excessive force. A video camera from a cell phone caught how the Hammond, Indiana police officers used excessive force on Jamal Jones. Dash cameras have also been used in cases of excessive force by police officers like the case of John Hill. In jail cells there are cameras but this particular camera caught how the Chicago Police used excessive force
on Cassandra Feuerstein. Technology, especially cameras has been used in multiple cases against police officers for using excessive force.
Lisa Mahone and Jamal Jones were on their way to the hospital where Mahone’s mother was dying. They were just stopped for a traffic stop by the Hammond police, soon things escalated and Jamal’s son began to record with his cell phone how the police used excessive force on his father. Officers Patrick Vicari and Charles Turner were the ones being accused of excessive force. Lisa Mahone who was in the driver seat was asked for identification but so was Jamal. Due to the fact that Jamal didn’t have a driver’s license, Jamal tried to give the officers a document that included his information but the officers declined to see it. The officers then went to the passenger window and tried to force Jamal come out of the vehicle. As Jamal refused to leave the vehicle because he felt they were in imminent danger, the officers smashed the passenger-side window and used a stun gun called a Taser on Jamal forcing him to get out of the vehicle. The video token by the Jamal’s son shows how Jamal did nothing wrong for the officers to use that type of force. There was no probable cause to force him out of the vehicle if it was just a traffic stop. Jamal was charged with resisting arrest and for not having his seatbelt on. Jamal states that after using that excessive force that their children are scared of police officers ever since the arrest of their father. Even though the officers were not charged with any excessive force the video camera of the son shows how the officers used too much excessive force in the case of Jamal Jones.
Cell phone cameras are not the only cameras that have been used in these types of cases, dash cameras have also helped with solving excessive force cases. John Hill is suing the Durham Police Department excessive force. On Sep 28, 2013 bicyclist John G. Hill was stopped by the Durham police officer J.A. Daniels while on his way to work. The officer mistakenly believed that Hill had run a red light on his bicycle. After stopping Hill, Officer Daniels left his microphone in the car but the dash camera in the police vehicle captured the arrest of John G. Hill. One minute passed and Officer Daniels forcefully tackled Mr. Hill who is a 58 year old man who suffers from serious physical disabilities throwing him face first into the pavement. The blow broke Hill’s arm and caused serious injuries to his head. After struggling with Officers Daniel other officers quickly piled on Hill. In the video you can hear that Hill started to plead that he was unable to breathe but officers didn’t pay any attention. Later when Officer Daniels testified under oath that he had no reason to think Hill had trouble hearing Daniels states that he may not hear things while doing what he was doing. Officers put Hill in the back of a police car, but only after taking one more opportunity to use excessive force against him. In the video you can see how the officer pushes Hill onto the police car. According to the Constitution of the United Stated police can’t search anything of your property unless they have probable cause or they had consent from the owner. Officers searched Hill’s backpack without any consent from Hill and since there was no probable cause for the search it was illegal. Hill built up a case against them and he was found not guilty of all charges. The Chief District Court Judge found Officer Daniels had used excessive and noted that Officer Daniels testimony under oath was inconsistent with the video evidence. The case was closed thanks to the dash camera in the police officers vehicle.
Dash cameras aren’t the only cameras helping solve cases so are video cameras.
The video camera that was inside the jail cell where Cassandra Feuerstein was sent to catches the police using excessive force. In the video she is taken out of the room to take mug shots and to get her fingerprints. Soon after when they were bringing her back it clearly shows how the police officer purposely pushes Cassandra with a lot of force making her head go straight first on a concrete bench inside of the cell. As the medical officer puts her on his lap you can see there is a puddle of blood on the floor. The officer that pushed her did not come and help or say anything. She had many broken bones in her face which required a titanium plate. The officer from the Skokie police who shoved Cassandra was charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct. The officer has a bond of 75,000$ and he is now facing a sentence of probation to up to five years in prison. If it weren’t for the camera that was inside the cell Cassandra Feuerstein wouldn’t have gotten
justice.
Now technology is a great tool for videotaping incidents like these. The big question of today is should every police officer wear on their clothes body cameras every time there’re on the job? Cameras have been very useful since it shows every single thing that happened with cases like these. Cell phone cameras are the most common to be used by the victims like in the case of Jamal Jones. Dash cameras are cameras that should always be on to record the crime like in the case of John G. Hill. Cell phone cameras and dash cameras are not the only ones being used, so are just regular video cameras like the case of Cassandra Feuerstein where the video camera inside the jail cell caught everything that happened to her under police control. Technology especially cameras have helped prove the excessive force that police officers use against people that don’t have as much power as them.