Unnecessary Police Violence Is Indefensible

By now you have probably seen the above picture. It shows a policeman pepper-spraying students staging a non-violent protest at the University of California - Davis. And frankly, this image makes me sick. It is inexcusable behavior on the part of the policeman (and the other police at the scene who did not stop him).

Before I go further, I feel I need to say that I am not one of those who believe there is never a reason for the police to use force. I spent over 25 years in various jobs in law enforcement (working in a correctional institution, as a patrol officer for a university located in a high crime area, and as a parole officer -- in both the adult and juvenile systems). I have faced many violent and dangerous situations, and many others that had the potential to turn violent. I know that there are times when force (violence) is required.

But the force applied to control a person or group must always be the minimum amount of force needed to protect the safety of individuals (or the officer). And if the safety of no individual is at stake, then the use of force is never to be used. And the use of both pepper spray and tasers do constitute the use of force (violence). They may be advertised as non-lethal (which is not always true), but that does not mean they are not a use of force.

In the above situation these students being pepper-sprayed presented no danger to the police or anyone else (or any property). The students were peaceably assembled and had made no threats to engage in any violence. In addition, they were sitting on the ground -- the most non-threatening posture they could assume. I do not see how the police officer's action could possibly be justified.

This is certainly not an example of good police procedure. In fact, it is not even an example of bad police procedure. It is simply a mean individual who is using his position of authority to cause unnecessary pain and suffering to other people. If someone else did this, it would be classified as an assault and they would be arrested. And that is exactly what should happen to this officer -- he should be arrested and charged with assault and misuse of authority. Then he should be fired (since he obviously has no respect for the law or the badge he is tarnishing).

There are many thousands of brave and decent men and women who put their lives on the line daily to protect and serve the general public by wearing the badge of a police officer in this country. With his unnecessary and mean-spirited behavior, this officer has not only tarnished the reputation of decent officers all over this country, but he has also made their jobs a little bit more difficult. That is inexcusable.