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In recent years, the frequency with which we find news of people suffering police brutality seems to have escalated. Heartbreaking videos or testimonies of people, mostly Hispanics and / or Afro-descendants, suffering police abuse in the United States.
These cases are delicate. Taking legal action against people in authority is always intimidating. Additionally, it is not always clear to what extent the use of a certain level of force is justified by the circumstances in which the police must do their job. But what is clear is that you have rights. This article seeks to clarify the main doubts on this subject. We also seek to advise on how to proceed if you are a victim of police brutality. We hope it helps you.
What is Police Brutality?
We speak of police abuse or brutality when a police officer uses excessive force. That is, greater than strictly necessary, against a civilian during a police intervention.
Although the law does not provide an exact definition of what constitutes and what does not constitute excessive use of force, it is generally understood as anything that goes beyond what a reasonable and prudent police officer would do under similar circumstances. The use of force by a law enforcement officer must be kept to the minimum necessary to achieve a valid purpose. For example, neutralizing a violent offender to handcuff him. If the police officer also unnecessarily hits or hurts the civilian, that constitutes abuse of authority.