Recently, the owner of the Burger Joint called 911 in a panic because he thought he heard
gunshots fired from the parking lot area during a scuffle. Officers from the Centervale Police
Department (CPD) arrived on the scene to find several youths involved in a physical fight
provoked by a verbal attack, but there were no visible signs of weapons. Officer Jack Newbie
just completed Taser training at the Centervale Police Academy. Officer Newbie believes
carrying a "non-lethal" alternative to a firearm is beneficial for law enforcement officers.
Officer Newbie and his partner proceeded with caution when attempting to break-up the fight
at the Burger Joint because reports of weapons involvement can create very dangerous
situations for officers as they approach. Sam White, 15 years old, who was not actively involved
in the physical aspect of the scuffle, tried to flee from the scene. Officer Newbie did not give
verbal commands before firing his Taser at White as he fled. The Taser's 50,000-volt of electric
shock caused White to go into cardiac arrest upon impact, but he was revived on the way to
Centervale Memorial hospital. White's girlfriend, Rosey Green, a small-framed female, who was
visibly showing signs of pregnancy, was distraught and angry over White's condition. Green
jumped onto Officer Newbie's back, bit him on the neck and punched him in the ear. Officer
Newbie's partner, Officer Joe Flash, Tased Green during the assault. Later that evening Green
had a miscarriage and lost her baby. Green and her parents are now suing the CPD for use of
excessive force against a minor.
Instructions:
The information from your Power Point Presentation will be used by the CPD to add or change
policies and to make high-level executive polices to reduce lawsuits.
The following information must be included in your presentation:
Based on your research of the history and your research of issues surrounding liability in
policing today, did Officer Newbie's handling of the situation with White and Green create a
liability or potential lawsuit situation for the CPD? Evaluate how the use of force was applied in
this situation with regard to White's attempt to flee the scene and Green's physical assault of
Officer Newbie and suggest a new policy based on your evaluation in your presentation.
The CPD's current use-of-force policy states that the amount of force any officer may use
against any individual may be one degree greater than the amount of force being applied by
any individual against any officer. Compare and contrast CPD's use-of-force policy with the facts
of the Green Case. In your presentation, explain how Green's behavior, the facts of the case
(i.e., dispatch: fight with weapons), and Officer Newbie's response align or misalign with the
terms of the policy.