Law enforcement officers have an extremely difficult job. Each day, officers head out into our communities to defend our homes, counsel individuals, and be a role model to children.
While most law enforcement officers excel in their critically important role within our society some step over the line during encounters with the people they protect. Whether it's during an arrest, traffic stop, or while walking down the street, each moment and officer interacts with a citizen can be tense.
Our law enforcement officers have sworn a duty and obligation to protect the public. If you were injured by a law enforcement officer, then the attorneys at Bautista LeRoy LLC can help you.
Police brutality is when a law enforcement officer uses more physical force than what is necessary to control a situation. There are a lot of videos online that record these types of confrontations, but police brutality can also be:
- Coercion
- False Arrest
- Excessive force
- Strip-searches
- Unnecessary use of a firearm or taser
- Unwarranted use of police authority
- Improper or illegal activity while on official duty
Police Misconduct and Abuse
Lawsuits against law enforcement agencies are complicated as most, if not all, government officials qualify for some level of immunity against legal suits. For law enforcement officers they have “qualified immunity” which allows them to have more latitude to do their jobs without constantly worrying about being sued or threat of disciplinary actions. The theory of qualified immunity is that it is better for the rare occasion where an officer goes out of bounds rather than no immunity where the officer is too afraid to even act. This creates a hard barrier to break into to prove that the law enforcement officer's actions exceeded reasonable grounds which caused the injuries and violation to your civil rights.
If you believe that your civil rights have been violated and that an officer has abused their discretion and has caused you injuries, then it is important that you take action immediately. Law enforcement agencies are more often than not having active body cameras engaged during encounters with citizens and preserving evidence is of vital importance. Additionally, you should:
- Write down everything as soon as possible to avoid missing critical details
- Take pictures of injuries and any other evidence
- Save any damaged property
- Get names, addresses and contact information of any witnesses to the event
The more information you have regarding the events surrounding your incident the better it will be for the attorney representing your case. Give us a call at 816-221-0382 or contact us online.