USA

“A black teenager pedalling rapidly is fleeing a crime. A white teenager pedalling at the same speed is feeling the freedom of youth.” - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on the case of a black teenager shot by police after falling off his bicycle in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1993.

Can You See the Pattern: Police Brutality in the USA

Overview Police Brutality Human Rights Violations on the US-Mexico Border Abuse of Prisoners Women in Detention Arbitary detention of asylum-seekers Super-maximum security Death Penalty Racism and the death penalty International Context FAQ

The Florida National Guard "subduing" a suspect" Photo © AP

In November 1997, a deputy US Marshal shot and wounded Andre Burgess, a 17-year-old African American youth. The agent, who was subsequently acquitted of criminal wrongdoing, said he had mistaken Burgess’ candy bar for a gun.

One month later, New York City police shot and killed William J. Whitfield III, an unarmed African American man. The police later said that they thought Whitfield was carrying a gun when in fact what he had in his hand was a set of keys. The officer who killed Whitfield was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Throughout the US, there is a pattern of people being injured and even killed by police using excessive force or deliberate brutality. Police are punching, kicking, beating and shooting people who pose no threat and who are often merely innocent bystanders. Racial prejudice and distrust between the police and members of minority communities - especially African American and Latino youth - appears to be an underlying factor in many of these cases

Tighter guidelines and better training do help. Police shootings are reported to have declined overall since the 1970s as more and more agencies have moved in this direction. Too often, however, the minority of police officers who do commit human rights abuses are getting away with it.

In many jurisdictions, patterns of excessive use of force go unchecked because no one is watching. The officer who shot William Whitfield had been involved in eight prior shootings. Only after public protest over this ninth shooting did the New York City police begin monitoring officers involved in three or more shootings. There is still no civilian oversight of police in 12 major US cities, including Washington. There is also no civilian oversight of most federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. Although the US Congress decided in 1994 to gather national data on police use of excessive force - information that could play a vital part in revealing and stopping patterns of abuse - the funds still aren’t in place to implement this decision.

The US government has an obligation under its own laws and under international law to protect US citizens from human rights abuse by law enforcement officers. As a step toward meeting these obligations, Amnesty International is calling on the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to provide the additional funding necessary so that national monitoring of police use of excessive force can begin immediately.

Case study: Human Rights Violations on the US-Mexico Border