Police Assault: Legal and Unlawful Use of Force in Law Enforcement
Overview
This paper examines the distinction between lawful and unlawful police assault, analyzing the legal framework that governs the use of force by law enforcement officers. It uses the 2016 case of Terence Crutcher's death at the hands of officer Betty Jo Shelby as a case study to demonstrate how courts evaluate evidence, including video footage and autopsy results, to determine whether police force was justified or constituted criminal assault.
What this essay covers
- Definition and legal framework of police assault
- Case study: Terence Crutcher incident and Betty Jo Shelby trial
- Evidence analysis including video, dispatch records, and autopsy findings
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Police Assault
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Police Assault
Assault can be defined as inflicting unwanted or harmful physical association on someone. Based on legal definitions, it is an attempt or threat to inflict physical harm. This can be a serious crime if the reasons behind it are not justified and may lead to criminal prosecution in a court of law. Police officers mostly assault citizens as they try to maintain law and order. This assault can be legal or illegal, depending on the specific situation they are handling that requires them to use force. Police assaults can either be lawful or unlawful, depending on the evidence presented in court.
On 26th September 2016, a 40-year-old man named Terence Crutcher was shot dead by Betty Jo Shelby, an officer in Tulsa. The officer was not found guilty by the jury, who suggested thus the assault that led to death was justified and lawful. The police officers who witnessed the killing said that Crutcher tried to reach his pocket several times, which made them believe he wanted to get a weapon. The man refused to show the officers his hands. He headed for his car even after being warned to stop. Shelby was charged with manslaughter but was not found guilty.
The fact evident in this case is that Crutcher disobeyed police orders and was not willing to cooperate. The pieces of evidence for this case included helicopter video, police dispatch audios, and police dashcams that were released after the incident.