Lansing Police Brutality Lawyer
WHAT IS POLICE BRUTALITY?
In our modern society, the stated role of a police officer is to protect and serve the local community. A police officer’s job is to enforce the laws as they exist, not how the police want the laws to be. This means that police should not allow personal biases or beliefs to affect how they interact with people as they do their jobs. When you are forced to deal with the police, you should have the confidence that they will not harm you or act inappropriately during that interaction. Unfortunately, history has shown us that too much power can be a bad thing, and that police cannot always be trusted to make the proper decisions and act in accordance with the law when dealing with people on the street. When police make decisions that are clearly against the law and use excessive force against people, then the officers involved, and their departments must be held accountable. If you have been harmed by a police officer due to excessive force or restraint of some kind, then you may have a case for police brutality. Make sure you get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible to discuss your potential options.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLICE BRUTALITY CLAIMS THAT YOU CAN MAKE
As discussed above, the police are required to follow a set of rules and guidelines when they deal with the public. One of the major protections people have from excessive governmental action comes from the Constitution itself. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects citizens against excessive police force including but not limited to:
- Improper restraints on individuals
- Unlawful coercion
- Illegal arrests
- Use of excessive force involving a weapon (gun, taser, baton)
- Use of excessive force involving a physical attack
- Sexual assault
This is not a complete list of offenses related to the use of excessive force by police officers by any means. If you have been the victim of one of the various forms of police brutality, then it is wise to seek the advice of an experienced police brutality attorney as soon as possible to learn what your options might be.
UNDERSTANDING GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY
For a police officer to be criminally charged for their actions, a state prosecutor must file criminal charges against the police officer(s) in question. If you seek to file a lawsuit against the officer, police department, or other governmental authorities related to your situation, then you will have to get past a hurdle known as governmental immunity. Governmental immunity generally provides that the government cannot commit a legal wrong as they do their duties. So, a police officer is generally not exposed to a lawsuit unless you can show that their actions were grossly negligent or intentionally against the law. You then must prove that their action or inaction was the proximate cause of the injuries sustained or death in the most serious cases. If you are able to get past this major hurdle in a police brutality claim against the government, then you stand to be in a powerful position for the remainder of your case. Evidence and proof are powerful when dealing with police brutality cases. It is important to obtain any potential audio or video evidence that the police may have of the incident to prove your claims. We may never have even heard of George Floyd had there not been a video taken of the incident by a bystander. This single video caused an uproar heard across the world because of the lack of care or empathy the officers showed as George Floyd was slowly choked to death in front of our very eyes. This type of police behavior must never happen. The George Floyd case is but one example of how police misconduct can easily be shown with a simple video recording.
WHAT IF I HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT MY CASE?
If you or a loved one has been the victim of police brutality anywhere in the Lansing area, then it is important to speak to an experienced police brutality attorney immediately. Websites such as this can be a great place to start, but the information found online should never serve as an alternative to an experienced attorney’s advice. If you have specific legal questions, then the attorneys at Zeineh Law are available to you now.
THE ZEINEH LAW DIFFERENCE
For a police brutality case to be successful, you must prove that an officer broke the rules and intended to commit or did commit an assault on someone without legal justification. Are the police lying about what happened? Were you defending yourself? Does any video evidence exist? It is important that you are able to not only answer these questions but back your claims up with as much evidence as possible. An investigation done from your side is the best way to answer these and other necessary questions in preparing your police brutality case. Just as a prosecutor will use his or her resources to build a case against you in a criminal case, you can use your resources to build your police brutality case against the government. At Zeineh Law, we pride ourselves on advancing cases by going on offense, by advancing your version of events based on evidence obtained in our private investigations.
ZEINEH LAW PROUDLY OFFERS A FREE CONSULTATION
If you are the victim of police brutality in or around the Lansing area, then it is important to speak to an experienced Lansing police brutality attorney immediately. At Zeineh Law, we are proud to offer FREE consultations to all prospective clients. If you are in the process of choosing your attorney or are looking for an honest assessment of your legal situation, then our attorneys are available to help you now. Call us at (517) 292-7000 or
contact us online. Our advice is free, and our conversations will always be protected by the attorney-client privilege. Make your first choice towards victory with a consultation with an experienced attorney at Zeineh Law today.
