Police brutality in the United States is a widespread problem that has negatively impacted multitudes of groups, despite their race. Caucasians, Latinos, Asians, etc. have all faced the unjust death of a member of their community at the hands of the police. However, like most political dilemmas, police brutality boils down to prejudice, specifically towards african american men. In 2016 alone, an estimated amount of 258 black people were killed at the hands of policemen. 34% of unarmed black men were killed last year, a percentage quite disproportionate when compared to the 6% of African American males that make up the population of the United States. However, no matter how harrowing the statistics of a tragedy or widespread issue, emotions aren’t truly provoked in the readers and watchers of the news until the stories grow into tales with legitimate faces and technicalities.
In the case of Keith Scott, police wrongfully described the appearance and dangerousness of the black male. He was illustrated to having been armed and unresponsive to the police’s requests. However, his daughter pleaded otherwise, saying that her father was unarmed and disabled, a description that much better fits the appearance and state of Keith Scott in the video she took of the incident. Tamir Rice, a twelve year old holding a toy gun, was gunned down by police officer Timothy Loehmann, who described Rice to be around the age of twenty years old. Philandro Castille, an unarmed man, was shot three times by a white police man because Castille’s tail lights were busted out. As the accounts and deaths grow and grow, a reoccurring trend emerges. In all of the previously mentioned accounts, the victims are black, and described to appear to be something that they are not by their white perpetrators. Police brutality is not a problem with guns or violence, but rather with those who use them. Police sometimes see things differently. Whether this be about Darren Wilson’s description of Michael Brown being demonic and unable to control, or the age misconception of Tamir Rice, the romanticism of black criminality is, ultimately, what led these innocent victims to their demises. In a society where nearly half of caucasians believe that black men are violent and where white people overestimate the amount of violent crimes in relation to black people, prejudice is destined to surface. Unfortunately, the officers defending their citizens also fall under these categories. One cannot expect a racial bias to fail to arise amongst a group that is predominantly white fighting alongside a political system that has historically placed people of color at a disadvantage. Unevenly distributed police brutality will not end until racism does, which is, realistically, bound to never happen. Despite this, the least we, as a society, can do for our black communities is acknowledge the fears and burdens towards the policing system that they must carry and harbor because of the color of their skin. Political systems are malleable, once put under enough force. All we need to do is care enough and get others to care enough so that actions will be taken and African Americans won’t need to fear stepping outside their homes.
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