Use-of-force incidents have long been a subject of public concern – and rightfully so.
While many police officers adhere to safety protocols designed to minimize harm, an Associate Press investigation reveals some alarming patterns in which these guidelines are frequently ignored – with tragic results.
The pattern of guideline violations
The report looked at 1,036 deaths stemming from the use of force by the police that should have been non-lethal – and found that law enforcement officers’ actions directly either caused or contributed to the fatalities. In approximately 45% of the cases, officers broke multiple safety rules.
The most common abuses by officers included:
- Improper phone restraint: Officers frequently pinned suspects facedown, sometimes for extended periods, which ultimately restricted their breathing and caused death. Federal guidelines have warned authorities since the 1990s about the risks of positional asphyxia, particularly for those with medical issues or under the influence of drugs.
- Excessive use of Tasers: Officers sometimes abused victims with Tasers, flagrantly ignoring manufacturer guidelines about how often shocks should be administered and for how long.
- Force after restraint: Officers continuously used force in hundreds of cases after suspects were handcuffed or subdued, which caused both unnecessary injuries and deaths.
Worst of all, the most vulnerable members of society were often the targets of these abuses, such as people going through mental health crises, the elderly and those with obvious medical issues.
Officers often cite a lack of training, outdated departmental policies and confusion in the middle of high-stress situations. In other cases, officers confuse mental health emergencies as resistance or defiance of their authority. Whatever the case, victims and their loved ones have a right to expect accountability – and it may take legal help to get it.