Running head: What You Should 1

What You Should Know About Police Brutality

Emalee Schneider

Arizona State University

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Abstract

This paper provides information about police officers that individuals may not have heard of.

The paper focuses on portraying police officers more positive than how citizens view them

today. The stereotypes that people believe today tend to be false and taken too literally. The law

enforcements job is to secure the communities from danger, and the media does a poor job of

acknowledging the positives of an officers job. Throughout the paper there are many examples

and evidence of how police officers are perceived negatively- including thoughts from a

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officer.

Keywords: Police Brutality, Media, Negative

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What You Should Know About Police Brutality.

As the years continue to pass, law enforcement continues to serve the community, no

matter what difficulties they are forced to face. A police officers job is never easy; they make

difficult decisions on a daily basis that may jeopardize their life, or someone elses. Despite these

risks, officers are often plagued with criticism when they follow their jobs strict laws. As a result

of civilian entitlement growing stronger, rebellious riots have become a frequent occurrence.

These riots are representative of a community that believes that the police are racist and unjust.

Although police officers are perceived negatively through the eyes of some individuals, there is a

collection of overlooked factors that establish officers as beneficial and imperative to the security

of the citizens they serve.

One of the arguments made against law enforcement is that they use excessive force. In

the court case, Graham v. Connor, a police officer was convicted of using excessive force on a

diabetic suspect. Officer Connor was found guilty for the force, and people believed that he acted

with prejudice towards the diabetic. On the contrary, the court stated that The reasonableness of

a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene,

rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight (Miller, n.d). Officer Connor did use excessive

force, but he was unaware of the fact that victim was diabetic; therefore, his actions could not

have been the result of a bias or discrimination.

There is an inaccurate assumption about the knowledge that police officers have. An

officer cannot be convicted of misconduct when they did not have expertise on a suspect with a

disability. I cannot say that all police officers do not break the law, because some do, but each

officer has a certain standard that they must uphold. If they did end up breaking the law, there is

a very small chance that they would get away with it; they would be punished.
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I believe that one of the reasons why law enforcement is misinterpreted is because the

media does not share everything with the public. A lot of people only hear of crimes from the

news, not because they were a witness to it. Usually, the news reporters attend the scene after the

incident and only talk about the basics, not what goes on behind the scenes. The reporters never

explain ...that crime scene investigators collecting evidence, identifying the suspects,

interrogating the suspects, and making the arrests... (Dees, 2016). For example, in 2016,

Charlotte, North Carolina had a serious riot that lasted several days. A Charlotte Mecklenburg

Police Department (CMPD) officer shot a man; Keith Scott, because he was suspected to have a

gun. The media reported an interview with the suspects daughter who pledged that no gun was

present, only a book. After the daughters proclamation was released to the public, the riots

began and The Black Lives Matter organization accused all of the CMPD officers of being

racist against the movement and announced that they wanted them eliminated. Contrary to what

they believe, there is video evidence of Keith Scott with a gun threatening the lives of the

officers.

If the media was fair with what they share with the public and shared accurate news, then

the public would not see the police as detrimental. Assumptions of police officers and their

actions should not be made until all evidence has been released, because officers are often

required to withhold their evidence in custody. Police officers should be given the benefit of the

doubt.

Law enforcement has to follow laws just like all other citizens. They may have a higher

authority, but they are citizens first. You may think that police officers arent entitled to ranking

themselves higher than others, but Until you have actually done the job... you will never

understand what it's actually like to be a police officer (Dee, 2016). While going through
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mandatory rigorous training, officers learn each rule that they must follow while on the job. One

of those rules is that you do not shoot someone until you or someone has been threatened. In the

court case, Garner v. Tennessee, indicates that the use of deadly force against a nonviolent

fleeing felon is unconstitutional (Blume, 2012). In this case, the felon was fleeing from the

scene and posing a threat on the community, so the officer was faced with the difficult choice to

use deadly force. In this situation of to shoot, or not to shoot, most police officers will go to

extremes to avoid shooting people (Dee, 2016).

Another factor resulting in the negative perception of police officers is when people make

assumptions. For example, the riots in Charlotte, NC. The public assumed that the CMPD

officers were after black lives and wanted to purge their race. The assumptions without evidence

tie back to the media portraying the police officers inaccurately. National Public Radio reported

from an officer that, "It's time to change the narrative, because I can tell you from the facts that

the story's a little bit different as to how it's been portrayed so far, especially through social

media..." (NPR, 2016). Unfortunately, stereotypes are formed as a result of assumptions, and the

formation comes from the media. From watching the news, I noticed that reporters usually only

talk about one side of the story from a bystander who does not completely understand the

situation. People form their opinion based on what they hear, and I believe the media needs to

start sharing more than the basic information.

I am the sister of a police officer, which means that I am able to get inside details of what

it is like to be a member of the law enforcement. My brother, Eric Schneider, has been a part of

the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department- east side for seven years. Eric works on a violent

crime and drug task force. Officer Schneider works in the most violent small cites in the U.S that

already have 73 homicides this year. This job entails 50-60 hour work weeks, which doesnt
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include the off duty voluntary services. Erics duties as an officer include investigating crime

trends, finding solutions to the crime trends, getting search warrants, and some undercover work.

For the past seven years, he has worked on busting heroin traffickers, seized guns on a weekly,

and sometimes daily basis, and has seized multiple kilos of cocaine and heroin along with a few

thousand pounds of marijuana during his drug task force unit. Schneider has put numerous

violent convicted felons in prison, and specializes in undercover surveillance. He is involved in

his community, and many appreciate his service; including his family.

Below are a few questions that I asked my brother- Officer Schneider, about what he has

experienced throughout his career so far.

What are your thoughts on the media and what they choose to share with the public?

Mainstream media along with social media is a blessing and a curse. People nowadays

are more informed than ever; however, society needs to understand and try to filter out opinion

with facts as well as take into consideration the totality of the circumstance. Mainstream media

and social media tend to report incidents based off of liberal or conservative views, often one

sided, and without all the pertinent facts. Media can only report what they know, most of the

time they project the truth they seek to report but without the entire picture. There is no way

around this. Regarding criminal investigations (Or internal/departmental policies and

procedures), there is only so much information that can be given out that is not confidential

which would not hinder the integrity of the case. While police departments are adapting to share

as much as possible with the public (like body worn camera releases), certain facts of

evidentiary value cannot be disseminated until the case is cleared, closed, and the court system

has disposed of the case.

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If you encountered a "black lives matter" follower, how do they act towards you, how do

you handle the situation, is there anything you can say that can help them understand you

(as an officer) better?

I try on a daily basis to conduct my official business as transparent, honest, and fair as

possible. I do not discriminate or investigate my business based on race, gender, class, or

culture. I wholeheartedly believe that 99% of Officers do this as well as over the last 7 years, I

have worked with many different Officers from many different social and economic

backgrounds. I encounter resistance on a daily basis and not necessarily from one group or

another but as a whole. People generally do not like to be told what to do or how to conduct

their business, especially if they are legally/morally in the wrong. I take a non-confrontational

approach to policing when possible. I try to empathize with people in their current situation and

that helps keep the peace the majority of the time. As far as a Black Lives Matter supporter or

Anti-Government supporter, I constantly remind myself that they have an issue with the law

enforcement professional and their verbal and or physical attacks are at the uniform and symbol

itself; they are not attacking me as another human being as quite frankly, they do not see us as

such.

Whats the best part of your job? Whats the scariest?

The best part of my job is going into work and knowing that at any moment I can

change someone's life for the better, or make their everyday life just a little bit easier. Knowing

that I can, and have, bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement, makes for a

satisfying career. People tend to take for granted their everyday lives and the safety and security

that they inherently have. They wake up and have their morning coffee or workout, then they
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commute to work, have a scheduled lunch break, return to work, and then go home for the

evening followed by dinner and drinks with friends or time with their family. REPEAT. My life is

somewhat different. Each day I wake up and go to work could be the last. A quick 2017

statistic- There are approximately 1,429,000 active military duty personnel and to date there

have been approximately 20 US military combat casualties. As of November, 2017, there are

765,000 sworn police officers in the US and there have been 113 fatalities in the line of

duty. Police Officers in the US in 2017 are more than 16 times likely to be killed while

conducting normal duties than military personnel. I do not believe that the military is easy nor

police have it harder, but the statistics are alarming. Knowing that one day could be the last

because someone decides to take their frustrations out on me is the scariest part of my job. For

example, I am always on alert and scanning my surroundings when I am in a marked police

vehicle or wearing my uniform. The threat of an ambush while stopped at a traffic light or

parked in a parking lot is a very real possibility. Putting on the uniform is essentially putting on

a target for those who wish to do harm to an Officer.

From experience, what stereotypes are inaccurate, have you ever been accused of one?

There many different stereotypes regarding police officers from funny donut

stereotypes (which I love donuts), to police go out looking to kill someone or shoot unarmed

black people (utterly ridiculous), or we constantly use excessive force and it is an epidemic (not

true). Every day, I encounter resistance and people throw out a race card or racial

profiling. The fact of the matter is from my experience, 9 times out of 10, a person who claims

injustice has broken the law in one way or the other. The other 1 out of 10, some citizen has

called to report suspicious behavior to a crime has been committed and the persons description

has been given to law enforcement. I do not make the laws, I enforce them regardless on my
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viewpoint on the severity of any given law. Regarding use of force as an epidemic, I believe the

stereotype is a result of social media and mainstream media and now within seconds, anyone in

the world can see what is going on in the news just about anywhere. A study in Washington DC

Metro Police with the use of Body Worn Cameras showed that over the course of the study,

complaints and uses of force showed no difference between the areas where officers wore

cameras and areas where officers did not wear cameras. Policing, while it has adapted and

changed over the course of many years, is inherently the same as it always has been. What has

changed is the media and social media outlets now are informing society of the nature of the

job, and people now get a glimpse into the life and work that is policing; the vast majority of the

population would never see what really happens on a day to day basis-it is not easy nor is it

rarely pretty.

Have you ever experienced an officer perform incorrectly? if so, what happened after?

Through the years, officers have gotten in trouble for a variety of reasons such as policy

violations, criminal violations, and even excessive use of force allegations. CMPD has internal

affairs that independently investigates all complaints of misconduct and allegations of civil

rights violations. There is also a citizen review board made up of average citizens not affiliated

with law enforcement that also looks over all allegations. I have witnessed officers be

exonerated from allegations as well as suspended, and arrested. Bottom line is that if an Officer

makes a mistake or breaks the law, they will be held accountable.

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Although I, along with the rest of the public, will never be able to fully understand what

these officers do, I strongly believe that the police are viewed negatively, which should not be

the case. I dont enjoy watching and reading about people insulting the police; I do not

understand why people say such negative things about them. Police officers protect citizens from

harm, and they are not at fault for removing criminals from the street; it is the criminals fault for

committing the crime.

The time must come where we put our differences behind us. Police officers join this

field because they want to bring justice and security to communities. They do not want to harm

or target a certain group. People must begin to realize this, and stop blaming law enforcement for

every mistake that happens on the streets. A great start to this process was the cookout organized

by the Black Lives Matter movement and the police. At the event, both sides were able to

discuss, and understand each other more. The final conclusion of the cookout was that "It takes

two parties to make a healthy relationship..." (NPR, 2016). While there is no doubt that police

officers are viewed in a negative light by the public, there are certain factors that prove that the

officers are valuable members of the community.

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References

Eric Schneider. Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Officer

Jason Weisberger (n.d) Charlotte, NC: "Release the video" of Keith Scott's death by police.
Retrieved from https://boingboing.net/2016/09/22/charlotte-nc-release-the-v.html

John H. Blume (2012, February 23) Deadly Force in Memphis: Tennessee v. Garner. Retrieved
from http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/273/

NPR (2016, September 21) After Fatal Police Shooting, Protest Erupts In Charlotte, N.C.
Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/21/494844130/after-
police-shooting-protesters-in-charlotte-n-c-shut-down-interstate

NPR (2016, July 2016) Police And Black Lives Matter Hold A Cookout, And Praise Rolls In.
Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/19/486581466/police-
and-black-lives-matter-hold-a-cookout-and-praise-rolls-in

Tim Dees (2016, May 18) 15 things cops wish the public knew about policing. Retrieved from
https://www.policeone.com/use-of-force/articles/182662006-15-things-cops-wish-the-
public-knew-about-policing/

Tim Miller (n.d.) Part 1 Graham v. Connor. Retrieved from

https://www.fletc.gov/sites/default/files/PartIGrahamvConnor.pdf