Police brutality is the use of unnecessary, excessive force by police in their encounters with civilians. The force used is beyond what would be considered necessary in the situation at hand. This may involve the use of a weapon—a baton, Taser, or gun—when such force is not warranted by the situation. In some cases, the use of tear gas, nerve gas, or pepper spray may be considered police brutality if the people targeted are gathered in a peaceful assembly. Police brutality can also involve psychological intimidation, verbal abuse, false arrests, and sexual abuse. [Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection]
On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland, a vibrant 28-year-old African American from Chicago, was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. After three days in custody, she was found hanging from a noose in her cell. Bland's death was quickly ruled a suicide, sparking allegations of a murder and cover-up, and turning her case and name into a rallying cry nationwide.
This film documents the increasingly common conversation taking place in homes across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police.
This dynamic documentary explores why so many unarmed people of color have been shot and killed by police officers. Police officers, legal experts, local activists all weigh in in this timely documentary, delving into ongoing charges of inequality, unfair practices, and politicized manipulations of America's judicial system.
This documentary welcomes dialogue around racial inequality, policing, and the Criminal Justice System by focusing on Eric Garners case. We hope viewers will increase their understanding of issues plaguing Black and Brown Communities by witnessing a massive group of protesters unite for the purpose of justice.
This PBS town hall meeting, moderated by PBS NEWSHOUR co-anchor and managing editor Gwen Ifill, explores events following Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri. The program, recorded before an audience on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, will include national leaders and prominent thinkers in the areas of law enforcement, race and civil rights, as well as government officials, faith leaders and youth.
The new FRONTLINE documentary, Policing the Police, is a provocative journey inside one police force that's been ordered to reform by the Department of Justice: the Newark Police Department in New Jersey. Take a nuanced glimpse into how topics in the national discussion about race and policing are playing out every day on the streets of Newark, in community members' homes, and in the city's police precincts.
The following is a small representation of articles available via the Library's Research Databases on police brutality:
Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? by 
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Mapping Police Violence
Contains interactive map, reports, and statistics harvested from the three largest crowd-sourced databases of police violence.
