Following the fatal police shooting of 22-year-old Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man in Sacramento, protesters have gathered to express anger over his death.
At issue is what is called police “use of force.” That’s when police exert physical force to make an individual comply with their orders. Each police department has policies for when use of force is appropriate. Protesters and Clark’s family members argue shooting at Clark 20 times was excessive. The California Department of Justice is investigating whether the officers involved breached any policies and whether policies need to be changed.
We’ve turned to our archives for a look at what experts say drives how and when police use force, and how it ties in to issues of race and gender.
Read more in the full article from The Conversation.
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