Police Violence in America, 1869-1920

Download or read book Police Violence in America, 1869-1920 written by Kerry Segrave and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-08-15 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Police violence is not a new phenomenon. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, police officers in America assaulted or killed many ordinary citizens, often during improper detainments or arrests where no threat existed or no crime had been committed. Based on hundreds of newspaper accounts from 1869 through 1920, this history provides a chronological listing of interactions between police and unarmed citizens in which the citizens--some of them minors--were assaulted or killed. Police who committed such acts often lied to protect themselves, assisted by fellow officers and encouraging the media to demonize the victims. The author provides information on the prosecution and punishment of officers where available.