Dilemmas of Police Use of Deadly Force
Kellog and Harrison (1991, p. 12) report of police brutality that:
Since the Rodney King incident, reports and discussion of police brutality have increased dramatically. Reactions to the incident are varied, opinions are heated, viewpoints are polarized. Often discussed are issues of racism, inadequate police training, police frustration at the coddling of offenders, poor leadership in law enforcement, "sociopathic" cops, the dangers of dealing with drug users, victimization of the poor and vulnerable, rage engendered by reckless use of America's deadliest weapon (the automobile), and so on.
Beyond these myriad issues, there is the probability that police brutality has its roots in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), given that police work in combat conditions and subsequently suffer from the effects of the trauma and violence inherent in their work. Matulia (1982, p. 57) indicates that police officers who have lost partners or other fellow officers may develop concerns about loss leading to anxiety about their personal safety. These officers then commit to memory the circumstances surrounding the killing and characteristics of the perpetrator with this usually subconsciously impacting the way in which the affected officer performs his or her duties. As a result, this commitment to memory of these facts can, and often does, produce overreaction to future such confrontations. Kellogg and Harrison (1991, p. 12) note that "Many police officers in our culture suffer from a diagnosable and treatable condition referred to as PTSD." In addition, police experience numerous traumatic events and/or processes that can result in the manifestation of PTSD. These include: living with unpredictability; being confused about who is friend or foe; fear of making a mistake and possibly injuring innocent people; witnessing or committing atrocities and defensive acts; witnessing grotesque scene...