New York City Police Shootings Lawyer

Police shootings have been rampant in our country in recent years and many have been completely unwarranted. Families that suffer from the consequences of police shootings should receive justice, and a New York City police shootings lawyer can fight for their civil rights.  Barely over halfway into 2016, there were already at least 508 police shootings in the United States. Sources vary when it comes to tallying the numbers. A study undertaken by The Guardian found that the death toll for 2015 totaled 1134, including:

The U.S. Leading in Police Killings of Civilians

Among the world’s developed countries, the United States has a shockingly higher incidence of civilians being killed by police. Police killings of U.S. civilians occur at a rate of 311 killings per 100 million population annually; the next highest was Australia, with a rate of only 21 per 100 million population!

Rarely does a day go by when those who have been charged with keeping us safe are not responsible for taking a life. Shockingly, 98 percent of the time the officer is not even charged with a crime. The few who are charged are rarely convicted.

Police are given the authority to enforce the law and maintain public safety. Every arrest must be made only after establishing that there is probable cause to believe the suspect violated the law, and then must be made using the least possible amount of force. The United States Constitution guarantees to anyone accused of a crime the right of due process; it is never a police officer’s right to act as judge, jury, and executioner. While circumstances may arise in which the life of an officer or civilian is in immediate danger, requiring an extreme response to prevent loss of life, shootings by police officers should be rare.

Being a law enforcement officer is a serious responsibility. It is not a job that is suitable for an individual who is prone to using violence to solve problems or gain control of a situation, and it is not a job for a person who harbors racial bias.

Is Racial Bias a Factor in Police Shootings?

People of color have more encounters with police and are more likely to be victims of force and rough handling and many credit that to racial profiling demonstrated in New York City.  According to the database maintained by The Guardian, young black men were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers in 2015. According to The Guardian, although only 2 percent of the total US population, black males between the ages of 15 and 34 made up more than 15 percent of all deaths at the hands of police in that year.

High profile police shootings around the nation that have garnered media attention have been primarily of blacks. However, recent research at Harvard University conducted by Professor Roland G. Fryer, Jr., himself an African-American, found that white suspects are shot by police even more often than blacks. Clearly we need more research and better data to make an accurate determination of the role of race in police killings.

Regardless of race, a New York City police shootings lawyer like Jon Norinsberg knows no American citizen should have to fear for his life at the hands of those who have been charged with protecting and maintaining the peace. When law enforcement officers overstep their boundaries, apply excessive force, and injure or kill civilians, they need to be held accountable—for all of our sake.

How Can We Put an End to Police Killing Civilians

The answer is clear: police must be help legally accountable for their actions. If you have been a victim of a non-fatal police shooting, or if a member of your family has been killed by police, you owe it not only to yourself but to every member of American society to ensure that those officers responsible for using excessive force answer for their actions in a court of law.  At the forefront of the fight are civil rights lawyers like New York City police shootings lawyer Jon L. Norinsberg who is committed to obtaining justice for victims and making police who kill answer for their wrongdoing.

Damages You May Claim

You may claim damages for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are medical expenses, funeral expenses, lost earnings and benefits, and others that can be proven and assigned a dollar value by producing receipts, bills, and employment records. Non-economic damages are those related to a diminished quality of life but that don’t come with a price tag: pain, suffering, mental anguish, damaged relationships, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, and more.

Furthermore, when the office and department have shown a particularly blatant disregard for your life and well-being or that of your deceased family member, a jury may choose to award you an additional sum of money in the form of punitive damages, meant to punish the behavior and serve as a deterrent to this type of behavior in the future.

Stand Up to the NYPD With Our New York City Police Shootings Attorney

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the shooting or other use of lethal force, you may be able to pursue a civil claim for damages against the City of New York and the officer (s) involved in the shooting. With the assistance of an experienced NYC police brutality lawyer that specializes in police shootings, you may be able to recover money in compensation for your damages. This can happen even if no criminal charges have been filed, because the standard of proof in a civil action is lower than that required for a criminal conviction. You can get the help you need by contacting the law offices of civil liberties attorney Jon L. Norinsberg, who has more than 25 years of legal experience and a record of successfully helping New York City victims of police misconduct to obtain the compensation they deserve, while holding the police accountable for their wrongdoing.

If you or a loved one has been shot or otherwise brutalized by the police in New York City, New York City police shootings lawyer Jon Norinsberg will evaluate your case at no cost to you and advise you of your options. But don’t wait, because time limits on filing your claim are in place, and you could lose you right to sue by waiting too long, so call the firm today.