Police officers are allowed to use the necessary amount of force to take someone into custody during an arrest.
Louisville, KY – Even though police officers are supposed to prevent crime and detain suspects to protect the public, it is possible that they go too far and abuse their authority. Unnecessary uses of force and other kinds of police misconduct tend to happen when officers start out with a legitimate purpose, but they become too zealous in their pursuit of a suspect. Even people who have committed crimes or are the subject of an investigation have the right to be free from injuries and unnecessary violence when interacting with the police. Anyone who has been harmed by police officers in Louisville or other cities can retain an attorney and attempt to bring a civil lawsuit for compensation.
Resisting arrest
Police officers are allowed to use the necessary amount of force to take someone into custody during an arrest. However, once a suspect starts to resist arrest, officers will often escalate the situation by using additional force to keep a person handcuffed and subdued. If both the suspect and the officer start to become more confrontational with each other, this situation can get very violent quickly, especially if the officer starts using weapons or extreme amounts of force against the suspect. While there needs to be a case by case analysis of each incident of police violence that involves resisting arrest, officers generally should not use such force that they severely hurt or kill a person during a criminal investigation.
Fleeing and eluding
A suspect is not allowed to suddenly run from the police during an investigation or arrest if they have made a lawful detention. Despite the fact that fleeing from the police is illegal, it is also common for officers to use severe or deadly force to catch a fleeing suspect. Flight on its own does not generally justify an extreme use of police force, especially if the suspect is running away on foot and poses little threat to public safety. Unfortunately, many fleeing suspects end up being shot or beaten after they are caught.
Suspects who are impaired by drugs or alcohol
It can be difficult to deal with individuals who are under the influence of large amounts of alcohol or illegal drugs. However, police do receive special training about how to handle these kinds of situations and drunk drivers, and a person does not suddenly become fair game for a police beating because they are impaired. The same use of force protocols apply to officers even when a suspect is clearly intoxicated.
More information about police brutality lawsuits
USAttorneys.com is a website that lists police brutality lawyers in Kentucky. Those who need legal advice in Kentucky and other states can choose their location and a relevant area of practice to get more information.
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