[American Policing]
Perceptions of a few “bad apples” within police departments are quickly being dispelled due to such data and video recordings from cell phones and security cameras.
Photo: Anika Jackson
Former LAPD Detective Timothy T. Williams, Jr. says American Policing use disproportionate lethal violence in Black communities.
According to a 2019, USA Today report, at least 85,000 law enforcement officers across the United States have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade.
Moreover, in minority communities throughout America there has been an urgent crisis in policing since the early 20th century.
Presently, there is a perceived uptick in the media concerning improper police procedure and use of force, including killings of unarmed African-American citizens like that of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia. While no two cases are alike, there is a universal set of rules that governs when and how police officers should use force.
Timothy T. Williams, Jr, the nation’s leading expert on Police Procedure, Use of Force and Wrongful Convictions, believes that “Unfortunately, in minority and White communities, law enforcement has a different approach as it relates to policing the respective groups. Also, if additional racial bias training isn’t embraced, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and for protests, there will be continued civil rights violations that will cost municipalities millions of dollars. The easing of Coronavirus stay at home orders and use of masks, increases the opportunity for different types of policing, subjecting minorities to a higher probability of being stopped vs. White counterparts.”
A study of 100 million traffic stops by 21 state patrol agencies from 2011 to 2017, found that police had a lower bar for stopping and searching Black and Hispanic drivers than they did for stopping White drivers, NBC News Reports. Research also shows that police are more likely to target and use unnecessary force against them too. Although, “deaths due to use of lethal force by law enforcement were majority White (52%), Black victims (32%) disproportionately had a fatality rate 2.8 times higher than Whites. Also, Black victims were more likely to be unarmed (14.8%) than White (9.4%) or Hispanic (5.8%) victims” per a 2016 study produced by The National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Perceptions of a few “bad apples” within police departments are quickly being dispelled due to such data and video recordings from cell phones and security cameras. Such visual evidence captures what appears to be a culture of violence in an almost daily onslaught of misconduct by police officers, especially toward minority communities.
In his timely debut book, A Deep Dive: An Expert Analysis on Police Procedure, Use of Force and Wrongful Convictions, Williams recounts his experiences as a retired Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Senior Detective Supervisor. Also, he applies that knowledge as a Use of Force, Police Procedure and Wrongful Convictions Expert in State and Federal Court involving criminal and civil rights cases across the country.
An over 29-year LAPD veteran, Williams launched his private consultancy practice in 2003, and has provided expert testimony in over 200 cases and analysis of over 1,200 cases. Williams has been hired by some of the most recognizable names in law including The Innocence Project, The Cochran Firm, Carl Douglas, Mark Geragos, and Thomas Mesereau.
For more information about Tim Williams, Jr., his practice, or to order a copy of A Deep Dive: An Expert Analysis on Police Procedure, Use of Force and Wrongful Convictions visit www.timwilliamsjr.com.
