Use of force

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Use of Force
Baton beating of unarmed or subdued civilians by the police is a common type of excessive use of force. In November, last year, a video of the police beating an unarmed suspect went viral, making Chris Ballew a common household name in the US. According to Henry (1), Ballew, an African American, was stopped by the police in Altadena for having tinted windows on his car and also missing a license plate. An altercation soon ensued, and in the video, the police are seen using the baton on Ballew, who upon trying to protect himself was further assaulted and smashed severally on a cemented floor leading to facial damage and a broken leg (Henry 1). Apart from the evident use of excessive force by the police, observers were also questioning police exercising their authority beyond their jurisdiction as the police that assaulted Chris Ballew belonged to the Pasadena Police Department, while the alleged assault occurred in Altadena, which is under the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and, therefore, beyond their jurisdiction.
According to the National Institute of Justice, the use of force continuum consists of policies that guide law enforcement agents on the use of force. It describes a series of actions to take should matter about law enforcement escalate. It consists of five major levels with steps that guide an officer on when and how to switch from one level to another. The first step is an officer presence. According to the National Institute of Justice, this step entails no use of force and is often considered the most appropriate way to resolve an issue.

The second level is verbalization. Officers, when on this level, are required to issue commands that are clear but non-threatening. The third level is Empty-hand control. This entails the use of bodily force in order to control a particular situation. It entails soft and hard techniques such as hand locks and punches, respectively, to restrain an individual (“The Use-of-Force Continuum” 1).
The fourth level involves less-lethal methods. Officers are allowed to use mildly-lethal techniques at this step. It involves three basic techniques, which include blunt impacts such as the use of batons to immobilize a violent or combative individual. Secondly, chemicals such as sprays and projectiles can be used. Pepper sprays are a common example. Thirdly, an officer may use Conducted Energy Devices or CEDs such a Tasers to immobilize a fleeing individual or a threat (“The Use-of-Force Continuum” 1). The fifth and final level is the application of lethal force. As previously explained, this force should always be the last option, as it pertains to the utilization of deadly weapons like firearms to deter a potential threat (“The Use-of-Force Continuum” 1). However, as seen in most cases, police officers often tend to skip the other levels on the use of force continuum and apply the fifth, resulting in unnecessary deaths, countless lawsuits, and humanitarian protests. This is what happened in the case of Ballew. The officers failed to enforce all the levels and chose to go with the fifth level conduct that satisfied criminal activity.
Works cited
Henry, Jason. “Pasadena Police Were Outside the City When They Broke Christopher Ballew’s Leg during a Traffic Stop.” Pasadena Star News, Pasadena Star News, 23 Feb. 2018, www.pasadenastarnews.com/2018/01/19/pasadena-police-were-outside-the-city-when-they-broke-christopher-ballews-leg-during-a-traffic-stop/.
“The Use-of-Force Continuum.” National Institute of Justice, 4 Aug. 2009, www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/use-of-force/Pages/continuum.aspx.