Police Brutality

Police brutality refers to violent or abusive acts inflicted by police officers against civilians. Acts of police brutality often involve the use of physical force, but may also include verbal abuse, including threats, intimidation and sexual harassment.

Fast Facts

1. Incidents of police brutality occur worldwide
2. Most incidences of police brutality are unreported by the abused¹
3. In 2002, 26,556 complaints of police brutality were filed with United States law enforcement agencies that oversaw approximately 60% of police officers nationwide²
4. The Rodney King incident in 1991, in which King was videotaped being beaten by four police officers sparked riots in Los Angeles after the involved officers were exonerated of charges
5. After the Rodney King incident, a study found that 10% of officers were involved in 33.2% of police brutality cases in Los Angeles³

Related Pages on Mahalo

Rodney King

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