Most of us have witnessed movies portraying police brutality in places like New York. Many people are shocked to find out that similar actions of police brutality are actually happening in real life. If you find yourself being a witness of police brutality, here are the next steps that you need to take to report the incident.
Get your camera out
In the 21st century, most known people have a smartphone with a built-in camera. When you first see excessive force being used, it’s advisable to pull out your phone and videotape the event. Video evidence tends to be one of the best forms of evidence for cases of excessive force/police brutality.
Pay attention to the details
To ensure that you can provide as much information as possible, it’s important to pay attention to the details. Things like an officer’s name, badge number and what they look like are pieces of key information that can be used later. Pay attention to the location that you’re recording, other people that are around you and any other notable pieces of information that can help support your claim.
Consider having a lawyer help
When you go to submit the claim of police misconduct, you’ll need to do so with the head of the law enforcement agency or the Chief of police. Each police department has an internal affairs division that helps to enforce the laws that law enforcement officers are to be following. If you don’t feel comfortable submitting the claim on your own, you may want to consider hiring an attorney to help you with the situation. This enables you to create a third party that can be the middleman between you and the police.
While there are many laws and activists out there that are working to successfully prevent police brutality, there tend to be secluded incidences of it happening. If you find yourself the victim of police brutality or a witness to police brutality, it’s your responsibility to report the incident to the Internal Affairs Department of the police. You may want to consider hiring an attorney to ensure you’re legality and safety throughout the matter.
