Boteo 1

Estuardo Boteo-Linares

Dr. Frank

Writing 1E

December 8, 2018

An Insight to Police Brutality in America

Lu, Alicia. “You Have To See This Powerful 'New Yorker' Cover.” ​Bustle​, 13 Nov. 2018,

www.bustle.com/articles/36912-the-chilling-new-yorker-ferguson-cover-references-hands-up-dont-shoot​.

“Hands up, don't shoot.” Four words brought together by a community as a result of the

tragic death of Michael Brown. The 18-year-old, African-American man was shot in Ferguson,
1
Missouri by officer Darren Wilson on the early afternoon of August 9th, 2014. However, this is

not the first tragedy involving excessive force by police officers, but it is just one out of

thousands of cases of police brutality across the country. Over the last decade, the topic of

police brutality has become more prevalent in the United States. Granted, police brutality is not

1
​Corley, Cheryl. “Whether History Or Hype, 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' Endures.” ​NPR​, NPR, 8 Aug. 2015,
www.npr.org/2015/08/08/430411141/whether-history-or-hype-hands-up-dont-shoot-endures​.
 Boteo 2

new to the picture: It can date back to the civil rights movements of 1960’s where more

aggressive behavior started occurring by police in the US against civil rights activists and

minority groups such as African-American and Chicano/as. This idea of police brutality was

very much on people’s minds in 1963, following on the decades of police abuse of power and
2
centuries of oppression of African-Americans. But where did this abuse come from? We can

probably point the finger to the enslavement of African men and women. Back in the mid 17th

century, African slaves were treated with cruelty, thought as being less than human, and

constantly discriminated against because of their darker pigments. There were even laws,

known as slave codes, put into action prohibiting Blacks of many things. Marriages between

slaves were not considered legally binding. Therefore, owners were free to split up families
3
through sale. Slave codes were meant to keep Blacks from rebelling against their masters by

suppressing their behavior. One of the reasons was fear of being overthrown by slaves. Even

after slavery was abolished and slave codes served no further use, African-Americans would

still endure discrimination from their white counterparts.

It is this fear and discrimination that has fueled present-day racism and ultimately

excessive force of police on African-Americans and their communities. Many come to the

conclusion that police abuse in the Black community are excessive and unnecessary. Others

defend the importance of the safety of police officers and their right to protect themselves.

Supporters of law enforcement maintain police have a job to do, and tragedies are sometimes

collateral. On the side of the victims, most visible in movements like Black Lives Matter, the

2
​Nodjimbadem, Katie. “The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.” ​Smithsonian.com,​ Smithsonian
Institution, 27 July 2017,
www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/​.
3
​ushistory.org. “Slave Life and Slave Codes.” ​Ushistory.org​, Independence Hall Association,
www.ushistory.org/us/27b.asp​.
 Boteo 3

4
actions of police amount to a fundamental disregard of their victims’ humanity. I do have to

say in respect to the research done, I do have my bias and I stand for the lives that were taken

away by the police. However, this does not mean I am not aware of the other perspective. We

have to open our minds and be able to recognize both sides of the story.

From excessive abuse of police over the last few years, new movements to counter this

injustice started to rise up against its hierarchy. One of the most noticeable and important of this

time, the Black Lives Matter movement.

Black Lives Matter was founded by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal

Tometi as both a hashtag and a political project after the acquittal of George

Zimmerman in the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin. Distraught at the verdict,

Oakland, Calif[ornia], community activist Garza wrote an impassioned Facebook

plea ending with the words "black lives matter." Cullors, a community organizer

from Los Angeles, shared the Facebook post and put a hashtag in front of those

three words. The ideals expressed — the economic, political and social
5
empowerment of African-Americans — resonated nationwide.

This movement is not only a response to the murder of Trayvon Martin, but it is a symbol of

Black power all across the country. It unites people to fight against oppression and racism that

4
​Anzilotti, Eillie. “Will Seeing Both Sides Of The Issue Help End Police Brutality?” ​Fast Company​, Fast
Company, 22 Jan. 2018,
www.fastcompany.com/40519064/will-seeing-both-sides-of-the-issue-help-end-police-brutality​.
5
Miller, Ryan W. “Black Lives Matter: A Primer on What It Is and What It Stands For.” ​USA Today​, Gannett
Satellite Information Network, 8 Aug. 2016,
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/07/11/black-lives-matter-what-what-stands/86963292/​.
 Boteo 4

has been embedded in the history of African-Americans. The most important directive of Black

Lives Matter, Cullors said, is to deal with anti-black racism, to “push for black people’s right to

live with dignity and respect” and be included in the American democracy that they helped
6
create.

While shooting and killing of African-Americans at the hands of a police officer is never

justified, we also have to be aware of the situations that police officers work in. In a way we

have to accept that not all police officers are “bad apples.” Many officers serve the badge justice

by providing safety and overall performing the job well. Defenders of police emphasize that
7
most officers perform their job justly and appropriately. However, this idea is being swept

away by the media and how they portray the police. It isn’t uncommon to see police being seen

as “bad apples” on the news, especially when one of them shoots and kills an innocent person.

This then in turn makes people revolt against the police, thinking they are all mad serial killers.

When rogue cop after rogue cop gets off scot-free after using excessive force and changes are
8
not made and consequences are not felt, it causes the horrible tension we are feeling today. This

specifically is what the public is angry at. When an officer of the law commits a crime, there

often are not any direct consequences. This is a big slap in the face for families that have to hear

that the killer of their son/daughter is being set free without punishment. This creates hostile

police-community relationships that are not only violent at times but life-threatening for both

the cop and the community.

6
​Miller, Ryan W. “Black Lives Matter: A Primer on What It Is and What It Stands For.” ​USA Today,​ Gannett
Satellite Information Network, 8 Aug. 2016,
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/07/11/black-lives-matter-what-what-stands/86963292/​.
7
​Ballentine, Beth. “Black Lives, Blue Lives: Truth on Both Sides Part II.” ​AllSides​, Allsides, 18 Aug. 2016,
www.allsides.com/blog/black-lives-blue-lives-part-ii​.
8
​Ballentine, Beth. “Black Lives, Blue Lives: Truth on Both Sides Part II.” ​AllSides​, Allsides, 18 Aug. 2016,
www.allsides.com/blog/black-lives-blue-lives-part-ii​.
 Boteo 5

However, a problem does exist in the way we think about some officers. There is no

denying that we as individuals, communities, race and ethnic groups have biases. Consequently,

this thinking leads to implicit biases and are used to judge people of certain communities.

Implicit biases are just stereotypes or assumptions that one identifies an individual with. Many

officers, while not all, can carry implicit biases with them into African-American communities

or communities facing poverty. Research done by Stanford analyzed body camera footage of the

police department in Oakland, California, and found that cops were more likely to say positive

gestures and greetings in white communities and use negative-like greetings in black
9
communities. The researchers’ novel technique demonstrated that white residents were 57

percent more likely than black residents to hear a police officer say the most respectful

utterances, such as apologies and expressions of gratitude like “thank you.” Meanwhile, black

community members were 61 percent more likely than white residents to hear an officer say the

least respectful utterances, such as informal titles like “dude” and “bro” and commands like
10
“hands on the wheel.” While this is not something that is over the extreme, it does highlight

the biases that some cops do carry with them. Just because an officer may be in a neighborhood,

particularly African--American, does not mean the word “bro” should instantly be associated

with whomever the officer may cross paths with. Dan Jurafsky, one of the co-authors of this

research and professor at Stanford University, stated that, “These were well-behaved officers.

But the many small differences in how they spoke with community members added up to

9
​Shashkevich, Alex. “Cops Speak Less Respectfully to Black Community Members.” ​Lack of Brain Protein
Causes Sleeping Disorder Narcolepsy in Humans: 9/2000​, Stanford University , 14 May 2018,
news.stanford.edu/2017/06/05/cops-speak-less-respectfully-black-community-members/.
10
​Shashkevich, Alex. “Cops Speak Less Respectfully to Black Community Members.” ​Lack of Brain Protein
Causes Sleeping Disorder Narcolepsy in Humans: 9/2000​, Stanford University , 14 May 2018,
news.stanford.edu/2017/06/05/cops-speak-less-respectfully-black-community-members/.
 Boteo 6

11
pervasive racial disparities.” Those little differences do mean a lot. They emphasize the

respect that a cop gives to an individual. The little remarks and differences can be seen as

looking down upon someone because they are of a different race, economic status, etc.

Additionally, the generalization of African-Americans being poor, and the implication

that male African-Americans are potential killers play a big role on the implicit biases created.

Think about how they are portrayed in movies and on the news. If all you knew about black

families was what national news outlets reported, you are likely to think African Americans are
12
overwhelmingly poor, reliant on welfare, absentee fathers and criminals. In a study conducted

by Dr. Travis L. Dixon, Professor of communication and the communication alumni

professorial scholar University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, found that:

News and opinion media are 1.32 times more likely to associate Black family

members with criminality compared to White family members. In addition, news

media overrepresent Black family members as criminals by 11 percentage points

while underrepresenting White family members as criminals by 39 percentage

points. That is, 37% of those represented as criminal in news and opinion media

are Black family members, though Black family members constitute only 26% of

family members arrested for criminal activity, according to crime reports, while

28% of those represented as criminal are White family members, though White

11
​Shashkevich, Alex. “Cops Speak Less Respectfully to Black Community Members.” ​Lack of Brain Protein
Causes Sleeping Disorder Narcolepsy in Humans: 9/2000​, Stanford University , 14 May 2018,
news.stanford.edu/2017/06/05/cops-speak-less-respectfully-black-community-members/.
12
​Jan, Tracy. “News Media Offers Consistently Warped Portrayals of Black Families, Study Finds.” ​The
Washington Post,​ WP Company, 13 Dec. 2017,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/13/news-media-offers-consistently-warped-portrayals-of-black-
families-study-finds/?utm_term=.04f2e9bf90cc​.
 Boteo 7

family member constitute 77% of those arrested for criminal activity, according
13
to crime reports.

It is this criminalization of African-Americans that helps provoke dangerous confrontations

with the police. If an officer were to never before be exposed to a Black person, only seeing

Black men being portrayed on television as a criminal, the officer may immediately think and

generalize all Black men as criminals.

Typically, fear is one of the motives for many of the dangerous interactions that happen

between African-Americans and the police. You have officers and African-Americans alike

fearing for their lives. It can be argued that officers have to make quick decisions and the

slightest of hesitation can put their lives on the line. Arkansas state police captain, Mike

Kennedy exclaimed, “Out there, you’re on your own. It’s one-on-one, and backup may be one,

two, three counties away…people don’t understand the level of violence.” Kennedy said, “there
14
are people out there who want to kill you just because you wear the uniform.” Peter Liang, the

killer of 28-year-old African-American Akai Gurley, told the jury during his trial, “when
15
approaching these areas, I feel I need to take my gun out.” He also mentioned, “when you fear
16
for you and your partner’s safety, you would take your weapon out.” On the other side of the

story, you have many African-Americans, who live in heavily policed areas, fearing for their

lives. For an article posted on Pacific Standard, author Nikole Hannah-Jones gave her insight on

13
Dixon, Travis L. “Color Of Change Helps You Do Something Real about Injustice.” ​Color Of Change​, Jan.
2017, colorofchange.org/dangerousdistortion/#key_findings.

14
​Field, Hunter. “Split-Second Decisions Weigh on Officers.” ​Arkansas Online​, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 12
Mar. 2017, ​www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/mar/12/split-second-decisions-weigh-officers/?f=news-arkansas​.
15
​ ​Wallace-Wells, Benjamin. “Police Shootings, Race, and the Fear Defense.” ​The New Yorker​, The New Yorker,
16 July 2016, ​www.newyorker.com/news/benjamin-wallace-wells/police-shootings-race-and-the-fear-defense​.
16
​Wallace-Wells, Benjamin. “Police Shootings, Race, and the Fear Defense.” ​The New Yorker,​ The New Yorker,
16 July 2016, ​www.newyorker.com/news/benjamin-wallace-wells/police-shootings-race-and-the-fear-defense​.
 Boteo 8

what it is like calling the police as a Black women. Jones said, “It carried the very real

possibility of inviting disrespect, even physical harm. We had seen witnesses treated like

suspects, and knew how quickly black people calling the police for help could wind up cuffed in

the back of a squad car. Some of us knew of black professionals who'd had guns drawn on them
17
for no reason.” Montague Simmons, a Black activist and current head for the Organization of

Black Struggle said, “just because I'm black and male, and you may have thoughts that I am

criminal or I am a threat, doesn't make it so, and doesn't give you an excuse to kill or injure
18
me.” And this is a constant thought for most African-Americans in the United States. Fearing

that any day he/her, could be shot and killed.

This fear and violence is only expanding due to the endorsement that the current

president of the United States, Donald Trump, gives to law enforcement. In one of his speeches

regarding gang MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) in Long Island, Trump stated, "Please don't be too
19
nice." He then proceeded to add, "When you guys put somebody in the car and you’re

protecting their head you know, the way you put their hand over [their head]," Trump

continued, mimicking the motion. "Like, 'Don’t hit their head and they’ve just killed somebody,
20
don’t hit their head.' I said, 'You can take the hand away, OK?' The speech, of course, was

mostly directed for the MS-13 issue, but it had seemed as if was talking about all criminals.

What makes this even more disturbing is the amount of officers in the background clapping and

17
Hannah-Jones, Nikole. “Taking Freedom: Yes, Black America Fears the Police. Here's Why.” ​Pacific Standard,​
Pacific Standard, 10 Apr. 2018, psmag.com/social-justice/why-black-america-fears-the-police.
18
​Corley, Cheryl. “Whether History Or Hype, 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' Endures.” ​NPR,​ NPR, 8 Aug. 2015,
www.npr.org/2015/08/08/430411141/whether-history-or-hype-hands-up-dont-shoot-endures​.
19
​Keneally, Meghan. “Trump to Police: 'Please Don't Be Too Nice' to Suspects.” ​ABC News​, ABC News Network,
28 July 2017, abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-police-nice-suspects/story?id=48914504.
20
​Keneally, Meghan. “Trump to Police: 'Please Don't Be Too Nice' to Suspects.” ​ABC News,​ ABC News Network,
28 July 2017, abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-police-nice-suspects/story?id=48914504.
 Boteo 9

smiling about Trump’s remarks. Although it may not have been a direct support to Trump, it

still reinforces the idea that police should act more aggressive with criminals. In spite of that,

many disagree with the remarks the president gave that day. Many police departments across

the country spoke on the issue by tweeting their perspective on the speech. The Portland Police

Department wrote on their tweet, “Portland Police Bureau officers are expected to treat
21
everyone with dignity & respect, even when they are a suspect.” The Burlington Police

department noted, “It is our sworn duty to protect people from unjustified violence and harm, no
22
matter who disagrees.” Finally, Houston police chief Art Acevedo stated, “to be clear,

inappropriate attempt at gallows humor does not reflect values of respect & commitment to
23
constitutional policing of profession.” Many more officers and police departments across the

country disagreed with the remarks, disputing them in disgust.

A video taken by a resident in Baltimore, MD, highlights an interaction with a

13-year-old boy named Deontay, and an officer. The officer received a call of two

African-American kids trying to break into a home. Here is the following clip of what

happened.

21
​Jr., Cleve R. Wootson, and Mark Berman. “U.S. Police Chiefs Blast Trump for Endorsing 'Police Brutality'.” ​The
Washington Post,​ WP Company, 30 July 2017,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/07/29/u-s-police-chiefs-blast-trump-for-endorsing-police-bru
tality/?utm_term=.c1810646ab90​.
22
​Jr., Cleve R. Wootson, and Mark Berman. “U.S. Police Chiefs Blast Trump for Endorsing 'Police Brutality'.” ​The
Washington Post,​ WP Company, 30 July 2017,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/07/29/u-s-police-chiefs-blast-trump-for-endorsing-police-bru
tality/?utm_term=.c1810646ab90​.
23
​Jr., Cleve R. Wootson, and Mark Berman. “U.S. Police Chiefs Blast Trump for Endorsing 'Police Brutality'.” ​The
Washington Post,​ WP Company, 30 July 2017,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/07/29/u-s-police-chiefs-blast-trump-for-endorsing-police-bru
tality/?utm_term=.c1810646ab90​.
 Boteo 10

Double click the image to bring a drawing and click on the video

“Video Shows Interaction between 13-Year-Old, Baltimore Police Officer.” ​YouTube​, YouTube, 25 July 2018, youtu.be/6uRAx663IW4.

Deontay was in no way asking for such a brutal interaction with the officer. He received a

punch to the face by the officer, leaving a nasty bruise on his right eye. While Deontay does

resist the officer and kicks him multiple times, it is still not a justification for such excessive

force to be used against a 13-year-old with a mental disability. The officer in the video said,

with an enraged voice, “yo I’m about to send this kid to the fucking hospital. He spit in my

fucking face, if I see him again I am going to beat the fucking shit out of him.” The officer does

walk away from the car to assess his anger elsewhere, but what he said only further displays the

mistreatment that many African-Americans face.

Excessive force used on African-Americans by the police does not belong in our society,

nor should the fear of an officer interacting with a Black person. While the issue will most

likely continue to go on, it is important to note that change is inevitable. Interactions between

police and the African-American community will remain hostile until we can learn to accept our
 Boteo 11

differences and appraise them. As said by NYPD Commissioner William Bratton, “we've all

come to see only what we represent, instead of who we are. We don't see each other. The police,

the people who are angry at the police, the people who support us but want us to be better, even

a madman who assassinated two men because all he could see was two uniforms, even though
24
they were so much more. We don't see each other.” In a way we have let our superficial

differences define who we are, leaving many oblivious to the fact that we are only one race: the

human race.

​Bratton, William J. “Bratton Eulogy for Officer Ramos.” ​DocumentCloud,​

24

www.documentcloud.org/documents/1386203-bratton-eulogy-for-officer-ramos.html​.
 Boteo 12

Work Cited

Anzilotti, Eillie. “Will Seeing Both Sides Of The Issue Help End Police Brutality?” ​Fast

Company​, Fast Company, 22 Jan. 2018,

www.fastcompany.com/40519064/will-seeing-both-sides-of-the-issue-help-end-police-b

rutality​.

Ballentine, Beth. “Black Lives, Blue Lives: Truth on Both Sides Part II.” ​AllSides​, Allsides, 18

Aug. 2016, ​www.allsides.com/blog/black-lives-blue-lives-part-ii​.

Bratton, William J. “Bratton Eulogy for Officer Ramos.” ​DocumentCloud,​

www.documentcloud.org/documents/1386203-bratton-eulogy-for-officer-ramos.html​.

Corley, Cheryl. “Whether History Or Hype, 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' Endures.” ​NPR,​ NPR, 8

Aug. 2015,

www.npr.org/2015/08/08/430411141/whether-history-or-hype-hands-up-dont-shoot-end

ures​.

Dixon, Travis L. “Color Of Change Helps You Do Something Real about Injustice.” ​Color Of

Change​, Jan. 2017, colorofchange.org/dangerousdistortion/#key_findings.

Field, Hunter. “Split-Second Decisions Weigh on Officers.” ​Arkansas Online​, Arkansas

Democrat Gazette, 12 Mar. 2017,

 Boteo 13

www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/mar/12/split-second-decisions-weigh-officers/?f=n

ews-arkansas​.

Hannah-Jones, Nikole. “Taking Freedom: Yes, Black America Fears the Police. Here's Why.”

Pacific Standard,​ Pacific Standard, 10 Apr. 2018,

psmag.com/social-justice/why-black-america-fears-the-police.

Jan, Tracy. “News Media Offers Consistently Warped Portrayals of Black Families, Study

Finds.” ​The Washington Post,​ WP Company, 13 Dec. 2017,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/13/news-media-offers-consistently-

warped-portrayals-of-black-families-study-finds/?utm_term=.04f2e9bf90cc​.

Jr., Cleve R. Wootson, and Mark Berman. “U.S. Police Chiefs Blast Trump for Endorsing

'Police Brutality'.” ​The Washington Post​, WP Company, 30 July 2017,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/07/29/u-s-police-chiefs-blast-trum

p-for-endorsing-police-brutality/?utm_term=.c1810646ab90​.

Keneally, Meghan. “Trump to Police: 'Please Don't Be Too Nice' to Suspects.” ​ABC News,​

ABC News Network, 28 July 2017,

abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-police-nice-suspects/story?id=48914504.
 Boteo 14

Lu, Alicia. “You Have To See This Powerful 'New Yorker' Cover.” ​Bustle,​ Bustle, 13 Nov.

2018,

www.bustle.com/articles/36912-the-chilling-new-yorker-ferguson-cover-references-han

ds-up-dont-shoot​.

Miller, Ryan W. “Black Lives Matter: A Primer on What It Is and What It Stands For.” ​USA

Today​, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 Aug. 2016,

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/07/11/black-lives-matter-what-what-stands/

86963292/​.

Nodjimbadem, Katie. “The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.”

Smithsonian.com​, Smithsonian Institution, 27 July 2017,

www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-

in-the-us-180964098/​.

Shashkevich, Alex. “Cops Speak Less Respectfully to Black Community Members.” ​Lack of

Brain Protein Causes Sleeping Disorder Narcolepsy in Humans: 9/2000,​ Stanford

University , 14 May 2018,

news.stanford.edu/2017/06/05/cops-speak-less-respectfully-black-community-members/

.
 Boteo 15

ushistory.org. “Slave Life and Slave Codes.” ​Ushistory.org​, Independence Hall Association,

www.ushistory.org/us/27b.asp​.

“Video Shows Interaction between 13-Year-Old, Baltimore Police Officer.” ​YouTube​,

YouTube, 25 July 2018, youtu.be/6uRAx663IW4.

Wallace-Wells, Benjamin. “Police Shootings, Race, and the Fear Defense.” ​The New Yorker,​

The New Yorker, 16 July 2016,

www.newyorker.com/news/benjamin-wallace-wells/police-shootings-race-and-the-fear-

defense​.

Yan, Holly. “Darren Wilson Opens up about Life in Seclusion after Ferguson Shooting.” ​CNN,​

Cable News Network, 4 Aug. 2015,

www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/us/darren-wilson-new-yorker-interview/index.html​.