Running Head: POLICE BRUTALITY

Annotated Bibliography of Police Brutality in America

Marisol A. Alonzo
University of Texas at El Paso

POLICE BRUTALITY
Bonilla, Y. & Rosa, J. (2015). #ferguson: digital protest, hashtag ethnography, and the racial
politics of social media in the United States. American Ethnologist, 42(1), 4-17.
In this article the author is presenting us with a recent case on police brutality, which is
the Ferguson trial, letting us know that social media can play a major role when
police

brutality occurs. The Ferguson trial was one that many were upset about mainly

because
author

it was targeted towards a African American boy. Throughout the article the
explains to us how the hashtag had a major impact when the Ferguson trial was
happening. The author backs us his work by giving us background

information on the

hashtag and how it is used in the media now. However, the author

lets us know that social

media can sometimes give a misinterpretation when it comes to

racial profiling.

Furthermore, social media creates a digital protest when it

comes to cases about police

brutality.

This article is intended to provide the reader with a recent case involving police brutality
and analyze how social media plays a major role. The information provided is
reliable

because it comes from a scholarly peer article in which has information on

studies

conducted to come to this argument. This article will help me integrate a

recent issue

involving police brutality and relate to how the controversy strikes in

present times

through social media.

Peer-reviewed: Yes
Champion, D. J. (2001). History of police misconduct. Police misconduct in America (pp. 1-34).
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

POLICE BRUTALITY
In chapter one of the book, they author gives us some background history on police
brutality. Furthermore, the chapter starts with a well in depth definition of what
police

brutality really is. The chapter then leads into a paragraph talking about the role

that

police actually have versus the role they actually think they have, which creates

written

and unwritten policies that cops are provided with. However, the author

lets us know that

its up to the police trainers how they decide to teach the police and

this can be a reason

that police brutality occurs. Therefore, the author provides us with

seventeen different

ways that police are brutal to citizens. Finally, the chapter explains

how police brutality

has evolved from ancient times to present times.

This is a helpful source compared to my other sources in my annotated bibliography

because it gives good background history on police brutality. Furthermore, the
chapter is

not being bias because its just explaining the real meaning of police

brutality and how it

has evolved through time. This resource will be useful in shaping

my report because it

will let me introduce the topic well enough with good background

on the topic.
Champion, D. J. (2001). Issues and controversies. Police misconduct in America (pp. 35-62).
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
In this chapter the author examines different arguments and debates that many citizens
have had in the U.S by integrating some of the amendments. To start us off, the author
introduces us in depth to how the First, Second, Fourth and Fourteenth amendments are a
major cause when it comes to police misconduct. In continuation, the chapter goes on
explaining to us what a police officer should do versus what they interpret or

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individualize what they should do. Furthermore, throughout the chapter the author is
explaining to us in detail, the many different types of violent and nonviolent police
misconduct. Therefore, violent police misconduct is when an officer acts physically to
hurt the citizen ending in police brutality and nonviolent police misconduct is when an
officer is corrupt. Concluding the chapter, the author presents us with internal and
external ways that police stations can control and detect certain misconduct.

The goal of this source is to give us background knowledge on police misconduct. This
source is objective because it looks at both the police and the citizen point of
view. This

source will help me with my community report problem because it will

provide the reader

with background knowledge on the topic of police brutality and let the

reader be aware of

the situation.

Chaney, C. & Robertson, R. V. (2014). Can we all get along? Blacks historical and
contemporary (in) justice with law enforcement. The Western Journal of Black Studies,
38(2), 108-122.
The authors of the article are investigating how a person named Rodney Glen King
viewed the world as oppose to being one of the first persons who experienced authoritys
brutal beatings, by examining how a theory developed by race relates to him and
examining how/why a person uses free speech to define themselves .
Starting with a

quote from Rodney, the article explains what the meaning of the

quote is and the story

behind it. The authors then walk us through four reasons why this

topic has meaning

when it comes to investigating it. However, by giving us facts

based on evidence the

authors let us know that they believe police brutality is only

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amongst African American

men. There is a brief definition that is given to the reader

on what police brutality is

according to the authors. In conclusion, the authors give us

several quotes by Rodney to

examine how they relate to the theory mentioned earlier

and to examine how/why

Rodney used his quotes to defend himself.

This is a useful source when it comes to my research because it contains direct quotes
from a person who experienced police brutality. Throughout the source the author
is

being biased because he mentions that police brutality is only amongst African

American

men. This source will help to construct an effective Community Problem

Report because

it seeks a view point of an African American male, thus it will help

me give a solid

argument that police brutality is wrong and that it is mainly

amongst African Americans.

Peer-reviewed: Yes
Healy, J., Stolberg, S. G., & Yee, V. (2015, March 5). Ferguson report puts hands up to reality
test. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/06/us/inferguson-both-sides-see-vindication-in-justice-department-reports.html?ref=topics&_r=0.
In the article, the authors have reported about incidents that have happened in recent
years, like the Ferguson and Brown trials. However, they are letting us know that many
are still being affected by the incidents, therefore people are protesting by using the
phrase Hands up, don't shoot in many scenarios. For instance, the authors mention
many examples where the nation has used this phrase when facing authority, when in a
court case, or when at a football game. Many sides of the story are presented by
interviewing cops and government officials in which have different opinions. In

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conclusion, the authors let us know that if the nations protestors are persistently using the
phrase, Hands up, don't shoot. This may spark a bigger controversy for authorities and
another incidents may come about.

The news article is a useful source because it reports a current problem that has sparked a
big controversy throughout the nation with protests and many other events. This source is
somewhat biased because it also includes quotes from a spokesman who is defending the
officer on the Ferguson trial. This will be helpful when constructing the
community

problem report because it will provide me with current events on police

brutality.
Kishore, J. (2014, December 9). Race, class and police violence in America. In World Socialist.
Retrieved March 23, 2015, from https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/12/09/persd09.html
In this website there are many world issues that are being proposed where citizens
demand equal rights. The website is secured by the International Committee of the Fourth
International, which depicts those who rule the socialist movement. The article retrieved
from this website explains how police brutality happens through race and through class
by showing us scenarios where they have both been encountered. The article uses
President Barack Obama as one of the sources to describe where he stands on the issue of
police brutality in America.

The source has good information on different perspectives of racial groups and class
groups who have encountered police brutality throughout America. The source is

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quite

bias because the race that it mainly describes is blacks but it also describes how

social

classes have been a part of police brutality. This website will help me integrate the
different perspective of those in the racial and social class.

Reimold, D. (2014, December 19). Students debate police brutality, racial bias and the benefits
of body cameras. USA Today. Retrieved from
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/12/19/students-debate-police-brutality-racial-bias-andthe-benefits-of-body-cameras/
In the news article the author gives us some background information on police brutality
letting us know why officers should wear cameras. The author provides us with several
scenarios where cameras may could have been used to eliminate debates or the fact that
an officer is being racist. Throughout the article the author is explaining to us how the
body cameras will function and how they can be effectual. However, the article lists the
many ways that cameras can help citizens, thus it also lists ways that it can help the
officers themselves.

The news article will be helpful because it contains a possible solution when it comes to
police brutality. Furthermore, the article explains how cameras will be placed on
an

officer for the protection of both the officer and the citizen, which implies that the
solution of body cameras is not bias. This resource will help me better shape a

solution

when constructing my community report.

Weitzer, R. (2014). The puzzling neglect of Hispanic Americans in research on police-citizen

relations. Ethnic and Racial studies. 37(11). 1995-2013. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/
10.1080/01419870.2013.790984

POLICE BRUTALITY
In this article there are astounding facts that prove police brutality not only happens
within the blacks, but also happens through Hispanic ethnicity. The author lets us
know

that Hispanic population is growing. However, to prove this the author shows us

different

patterns of police misconduct to prove that Hispanics encounter such behavior

even more

than blacks. Throughout the article, the author is explaining different cases or

issues

where such statistics are being proved.

Throughout the article the author is letting us know that police brutality not only takes a
toll on Blacks, but also on Hispanics. With this being said the source is useful
because it

represents a different perspective on police brutality. This article is

somewhat bias

because it explains how Hispanics are victims of police brutality

but it also integrates

Blacks. This will help create an argument that police brutality not

only happens in a

numerous amount to blacks, but also to Hispanics.

Peer-reviewed: Yes