Police Misconduct Attorney Civil Rights Claims
In order to effectively carry out their duties, police officers are granted a broad range of powers. By law, they are required to use their authority responsibly and within certain limits. Unfortunately, some police officers go too far in their law enforcement efforts, abusing their power and directly violating the rights of American citizens. Our nation’s civil rights laws exist to protect you from abuse by the government. If you have been a
victim of serious personal injury because of police misconduct, you can respond by filing a civil rights claim. The experienced Philadelphia civil rights attorneys at Wapner Newman can help you hold abusive police officers responsible for any unjust injuries or losses you have suffered at their hands.
Police Brutality
When questioning people, pulling them over, or pursuing law enforcement in any other way, police officers must treat citizens according to specific standards. If a police officer uses violent force to arrest a detainee who is calmly cooperating, the officer can and should be held accountable. Here are a few questions to ask yourself if a police officer has used force against you:
- Were you injured?
- Were you stopped for a legitimate reason?
- Were you fully cooperating with the officer?
- Was the use of force unprovoked?
- Were any weapons used?
We trust police officers to enforce the law, not to abuse it. Our Philadelphia police misconduct attorneys will work closely with you to analyze the circumstances of your incident and determine how a reasonable officer should have acted under the same circumstances.
Police can operate outside of the law in several other ways, including:
- False arrests
- Improper pursuits or chases
- Assault
- Use of deadly force
- Jail neglect (i.e. failing to provide necessary medical care in custody)
- Illegal detention and abuse
If you or one of your loved ones has been seriously injured because of police misconduct or abuse, please contact our police misconduct attorneys in Philadelphia today to schedule a free initial consultation. Wapner Newman represents injured police abuse victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with offices in Philadelphia, Allentown, West Conshohocken, and Marlton.