What Constitutes Police Brutality in Louisville?
As crime rates in Louisville rise, police are challenged with maintaining peace and protecting public safety. In their role, police are given discretion to use reasonable force in protecting citizens and enforcing the laws of Kentucky. Unfortunately, the measure of reasonable force is a subjective one and some police officers do not know where to draw the line on the amount of force they use in dealing with suspects. The use of excessive force by police officers is becoming known as we see more of it in news reports and on internet video sites.
Louisville police misconduct or not
Using force beyond what is reasonably necessary to deal with a situation is considered police brutality. Brutality is just one type of police misconduct and it normally involves physical abuse. The physical abuse can include:
- The use of pain holds
- Physical beatings
- Nerve gas or pepper spray
- The use of Taser guns
- Gunshots
Although physical abuse is the most common, verbal abuse or psychological intimidation can also be considered police brutality. Pulling a gun on a suspect or threatening to shoot someone with a Taser can be considered excessive force, if the situation does not merit such severe action.
Taser use or abuse
Recently, the use of Taser guns became popular with police forces. The Tasers are supposed to immobilize suspects with the delivery of a safe electrical shock. However, Taser use causes many deaths and injuries across the United States every year. Taser use in Louisville that causes injury or death can be the basis for a police Taser abuse lawsuit. Proving the abuse can be difficult, but the use of eye witnesses, video surveillance cameras on police cars, and cell phone cameras improve chances of showing the use of excessive force.
What to do about Louisville police brutality
If you suffered injury from an encounter with police, contact a police brutality attorney in Louisville as quickly as possible. The statute of limitations for police brutality cases is usually much shorter than other personal injury cases. A police misconduct attorney in Louisville can help you gather available evidence and collect witness statements in order to support your brutality or Taser injury case. You should also take photographs of your injuries and seek medical treatment.
Contact us
The attorneys at Anderson & Horne, PLLC are aggressive about helping the people of Louisville protect their rights. If you experienced police brutality and want to pursue legal action, we can help. Contact us today.
