4 Infamous Police Brutality Cases
Brutal encounters with police reverberate throughout society. High-profile cases have led to rioting, injuries, and deaths, all in a shout for justice. In a time when police brutality is in the news far more often than it should be, it’s worth taking a moment to recount some of the most notable and tragic police brutality cases in modern history.
Rodney King
In 1991, Rodney King was beaten by LAPD officers after he led the police on a high-speed chase. The horrific beating was caught on tape and King suffered multiple fractures and injuries. Seventeen officers who stood by and did nothing were not indicted. Four officers were indicted, then acquitted, leading to riots that left over 50 people dead and caused nearly $1 billion in property damage. A federal grand jury then returned the indictments and two officers were convicted for violating King’s civil rights and given prison time. King was awarded millions in compensatory damages.
Malice Wayne Green
In Detroit, Malice Wayne Green was an unarmed motorist who parked outside of a suspected drug den. Green was approached by two officers who struck him repeatedly with heavy flashlights, and he died later that night from his injuries. The officers claimed Green was reaching for one of their weapons. They were charged with second-degree murder and convicted. Retrials for possible jury bias led to reduced charges and reduced sentences for the officers.
Freddie Gray
Found with a knife in his pocket, 25-year-old Freddie Gray was arrested in Baltimore in 2015 and carried away screaming to a prisoner transport van. Upon arrival at the police station, Gray was taken to a trauma clinic for a severe spinal injury, fell into a coma, and died one week after the arrest. Medical investigators confirmed that Gray’s injuries were suffered while he was being transported in the van. Six officers were indicted, facing charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to reckless endangerment to second-degree depraved-heart murder. Three were acquitted. The charges were dropped against the other three. Gray’s family received a settlement of $6.4 million.
Philando Castile
In Falcon Heights, Minnesota, in 2016, Philando Castile was shot and killed during a traffic stop. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was with him in the vehicle along with her 4-year-old daughter, live-streamed the aftermath of the confrontation, saying that Castile was reaching for his ID when the officer shot him. The officer was charged with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm, to which he pled not guilty and was found not guilty on all accounts. Reynolds settled with two cities for a total of $800,000, while Castile’s family reached a nearly $3 million settlement with the city of St. Anthony, Minnesota.
Have You Been a Victim of Police Brutality?
Police officers enforce the law, but they are not above it. No citizen should ever have to suffer at the hands of law enforcement, the people who are supposed to be some of the most trusted members of society. While not all cases of police brutality make national news or even local news, these situations occur all the time.
If you are seeking retribution for police brutality cases, if you feel you have been unfairly targeted by law enforcement, if someone you love has suffered a wrongful death, the most effective way to get justice is through a personal injury lawsuit. Contact Thurswell Law for a free consultation to discuss your case. We do not charge any fees unless you collect. Call (248) 354-2222 today.
