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Tyler Canaday Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 January 22, 2014 Topic Proposal: Police Use of Force Introduction I ill be e!amining the ethics in"ol"ed ith police use o# #orce in the $nited %tates& 'olice use o# #orce is de#ined as the use o# #orce to subdue a person ho is not complying ith the o##icers ill& $se o# #orce can include "erbal and physical #orce including the use o# commands or lethal #orce& (llo ing use o# #orce by o##icers allo s the police to protect themsel"es against harm or death& $se o# #orce is an ongoing debate bet een citi)ens and the police system& Currently in our nation there is no set rule o# hich an o##icer can ta*e #orce#ul actions during any situation& +iscretion is used by o##icers to decide the amount o# #orce necessary, ho e"er, during certain situations the amount o# #orce used is seen as e!cessi"e or unnecessary& E"idence sho s that hen e!cessi"e us o# #orce is used, tension is created in that area bet een the police and the citi)ens& To gather research #or my topic I started to read cases and Internet articles concerning the police use o# #orce& -ast semester I too* Intro to -a En#orcement in hich e brie#ly discussed this topic& I."e read notes as ell as my te!tboo* to gather insight& /or #urther in#ormation to begin my proposal I began to read Police Use of Force by Joseph 0& 1uhns and Johannes 1nutsson& This boo* ga"e me insight on di##erent perspecti"es o# police use o# #orce& (lso this boo* iterates the di##erence in "ie s bet een the police and citi)ens&

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'olice $se o# /orce has t o main positions& /orce used is either "ie ed as e!cessi"e by citi)ens hile police may "ie the use o# #orce is necessary& 2hile most use o# #orce is legitimate according to the +epartment o# Justice, some use o# #orce is used e!cessi"ely and ithout discretion& Police Use of Force outlines the di##erence bet een the "ie o# the police and the "ie o# citi)ens& ( large amount o# the general population describes #orced used by the police as e!cessi"e and not necessary& The media as ell as e!posed incidents guide the public perception& Citi)ens both directly in"ol"ed as ell as indirectly in"ol"ed ha"e a common opinion o# the lac* o# discretion in the o##icer.s use o# #orce& 3n the other hand, police "ie use o# #orce as a necessary tool to apprehend uncooperati"e sub4ects& 'olice "ie the legitimate use o# #orce is an e##icient tool o# police or*&

Initial Inquiry Question(s) 2hy is no guideline ritten #or police use o# #orce5 +o citi)ens ha"e misguided perceptions o# police due to the media5 In hich situations is use o# #orce acceptable5 +o police abuse the use o# #orce in certain situations5 2hy do citi)ens belie"e that e!cessi"e use o# #orce is a common occurrence5 2hat amount o# #orce can be used during common situations o# incompliant sub4ects5 In hich area o# our nation is police use o# #orce most con"erse5 2hat is the procedure #or in"estigating cases o# e!cessi"e #orce5

My Interest in this Topic I am interested in 'olice $se o# /orce because I gre up hearing about police or* #rom my grand#ather because he as the sheri##& I am also interested in this topic because I ha"e seen many cases in the ne s and on the Internet about police use o# #orce& I ant to *no ho this

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use o# #orce a##ects communities as ell as the indi"iduals in"ol"ed& I ant to #urther e!plore the di##erent "ie points concerning my topic& I *no that there is tension bet een citi)ens and police concerning the issue o# police use o# #orce but I ant to ans er 7uestions I ha"e on this topic& Next Steps To #ind #urther research on my topic I am going to use Internet sources connected to the +epartment o# Justice as ell as sites that identi#y opposing "ie points on my topic& (rticles on police use o# #orce ill be help#ul in my research because I can use in#ormation #rom articles ritten by both "ie points& (long ith the Internet I ill use databases in order to #ind in#ormation& +uring my research I ill be going to the $8CC library to #ind more boo*s as ell as use the re#erences a"ailable to me to #ind in#ormation&