In the United States, police brutality has been a documented problem for countless citizens for decades. Although some laws have changed and situations can differ, excessive force, unlawful killings and racial abuse still remain persistent problems throughout police departments all over the country.
Regardless of the details, however, one thing is often true: In many cases, citizens end up sustaining personal injuries that have long-term consequences. If this is something that has happened to you, you are not alone. Here are three recent examples of citizens facing personal injuries due to police misconduct.
1. Louisiana
In 2019, a Black man named Ronald Greene died while driving outside of Monroe, Louisianna. At the time, police recorded that Greene died after hitting a tree, despite his family members saying otherwise. Two years later in 2021, law enforcement released a bodycam video revealing that two police offers stopped and abused Greene shortly before his death.
2. Colorado
In a different scenario, former police officers in Loveland, Colorado, currently face assault charges for dislocating the shoulder of a 73-year-old woman with dementia. After she walked out of a Walmart store with less than $30 of unpurchased goods and refused to stop, the lawsuit alleges that officers injured Karen Garner by forcefully pushing her to the ground.
3. Oregon
Sometimes police brutality occurs in a completely different kind of setting. Instead of a one-on-one interaction, law enforcement may use excessive force toward multiple people. An example of this occurred in 2020 when Erin Wenzel alleges that Portland police officers broke her arm during a city protest.
Although police misconduct can appear in many situations, that does not make it right. Understanding what it looks like can help you speak up if it happens to you.