Abuse of power is wrong, and some of the most egregious abuses are those committed by law enforcement acting unlawfully under the authority of their office. Fortunately, the United States Constitution has the Bill of Rights, which guarantees all persons in this country protection from government misconduct.

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The right to be free from excessive force, the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizures, and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment are fundamental rights protected by law. In 2017, 987 people were killed in police shootings, according to the Washington Post’s police shooting database. And many more shootings resulted in catastrophic, but non-fatal injuries. Some of these uses of deadly force were justified, but many were not. Less than lethal force can also cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries. Any use of excessive force by a police officer is violation of the victim's civil rights regardless of the type of force used. There is no excuse for police officers acting with excessive force, and offending officers should be held accountable for unlawful actions.