By Anthony McCarthy

The use of excessive force by police officers has become a central national controversy and discussion in recent months. Much of the conversation has focused on stories involving the deaths of unarmed black men. This can be seen in many different ways according to each case. Some view it as an indirect hate crime against persons of color, while others say the police officers in question were acting in self-defense during aggressive struggles.

Most recently, on March 9th, a man was killed in an Atlanta, Georgia apartment complex. Naked and unarmed, he was said to be mentally disabled. The policeman responding to the 911 call fired 2 shots to the chest killing the African American, disabled man. Some people claim that the victim, being dangerous, justifies forgiving the officer for shooting him on sight. In the officer’s defense, he got a call regarding this man, stating he had been acting strangely and disrupting residents in the complex. In my opinion, this is not an extreme enough reason for ending the mentally ill man’s life. This case however, can go a few ways. Obviously, the word of a policeman will hold more weight than the word of the deceased, who is voiceless. Unfortunately, I believe the police officer will most likely get off for killing an unarmed, naked, disabled black man without further investigation, creating a further rift between police and the community.

What’s your opinion on the matter? Leave a comment below.