This activity assignment asks you to take an objective look at the topic of police use of force or police conduct during an interrogation/questioning of a suspect. You may select a case where you support or a case where you challenge the actions of the police officers. Either position is fine as long as your discussion and support of your position is based on facts and points from the lesson and reading assignment and that you analyze your case study with critical thought and not with emotional opinion.
Select a case involving either 1) police use of force or 2) police questioning of a suspect. Use the Internet to locate a credible news report regarding this case. Concisely summarize the case to identify when and where the incident occurred and what exactly happened that makes this case newsworthy or of interest to you in this assignment. Explain the actions of the police officers involved and explain what type of controversy or issues are important to this case. Explain what aspects of due process and constitutional rights and protections are involved in the case. Answer some additional points as a guide to your essay and explain anything else relevant to your case study in comparison to this lesson:
Do you agree with the actions of the police officers? Provide a credible and critically thoughtful response.
Is there a court decision or landmark case which applies to the conduct of the police officers in this case? How is the officer's conduct or the facts of the case legally permissible, or is it wrong, and why?
If you were in the police officer's role, how would you have responded or how would you have handled the case differently? This question asks you to respond with something different than what the officer might have done. Answer this question with creativity or answer this question with a step by step analysis on why you would have done everything the same as the officer. And the response to this question also assumes that you are not a trained police officer.