Opinion: To protect and brutalize?

Arkansas event further demonstrates need for police reform

Man+holds+up+a+sign+in+protest+to+police+brutality.+As+the+amount+of+victims+of+police+brutality+climb%2C+there+becomes+more+of+a+need+for+justice.+

Photo via Flickr (Ivan Radic) under Creative Commons license

Man holds up a sign in protest to police brutality. As the amount of victims of police brutality climb, there becomes more of a need for justice.

On Monday in Crawford, Arkansas, another citizen fell victim to police brutality. The police were responding to a report that a man, who we now know as Randall Worcester, was “making threats to an employee” in a convenience store. 

[T]he officer who was previously punching him in the face grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the concrete.

— Editor Drew McCarthy

The police came and allegedly tried to have a “calm and civil” discussion with Worcester. Although that is what was said, it cannot be confirmed that that is what they actually tried to do. Worcester then, also allegedly, pushed one of the officers who came up to him. 

This action caused all three officers to jump on him, restrain him, and beat him up in the process. It was videoed by an unknown woman. The video shows all three police officers on top of him while he is laying down. They knee him in the side and back, and another officer repeatedly punched him in the face.

Worcester tries to protect his face by putting his hands in front of it. However, that did not help much because the officer who was previously punching him in the face grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the concrete. 

The actions taken by these three Arkansas police officers are in no way acceptable, even with context. While it does matter that he pushed one of them, and he should be arrested for that, what happened to him was not warranted.

Worcester’s story is not unique. There are hundreds of stories just like his all across America. 

In populous cities kids grow up scared of police. This cognition of being scared of police is one that plagues America for a reason. 

Citizens should not live in fear of their so-called protectors.

— Editor Drew McCarthy

It is due to officers that are like the aforementioned ones who go on a power trip and decide that they have the authority to carry out whatever they believe is best. 

In the three branches of American government there is a concept called checks and balances. Each branch has certain powers and limitations in order to dilute the power of the government. 

Just like this, we need to have a kind of system in which police have a severe decrease in power where common citizens are allowed to have some sort of backing to defend themselves before something heinous happens.

Some cops will exercise their job to arrest warranted individuals in a way it is meant to be carried out. Other cops will knee you in the side and slam your head into the concrete. On top of the exceedingly terrible situation this is, the complete disparage in how the police carry out arrests and warrants results in chaos and fear. 

All police officers should practice enforcing the law that promotes citizens to believe they are here as protectors instead of possible attackers. Cops who do engage in a gross misuse of their power should be expelled from the police force and given a hefty sentence. 

Citizens should not live in fear of their so-called protectors. Cops are supposed to be heroes of justice. Cops who invoke fear in the general public are not heroes at all – they are villains. 

Any villain in the community does not deserve a place in it just like criminals. That is the real justice.

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