Home > Journals > JCRED > Vol. 33 (2019-2020) > Iss. 2
Abstract
(Excerpt)
Imagine you are on your way home from work and driving your usual route. You hear police sirens getting louder and louder. You realize you are the subject of their chase, but you cannot imagine why. You slow down and pull over, not wanting to cause confrontation. The officer beats on your car door. You roll down your window and ask why you have been pulled over. The officer informs you that your tail light is broken. Next, the officer orders you out of the car. Your heart races as the officer pats you down. You wonder if the officer knows you are in arrears for child support, a punishable offense in South Carolina. You hope for a chance to explain your situation.
You ask the officer why you needed to leave the vehicle. Rather than offer a verbal explanation, the officer draws a weapon. Gripping his weapon, the officer tries to pin you down and handcuff you. You know you haven’t done anything worth going to jail over, so you resist! You feel like you have fought him off, but suddenly you feel a sharp burn of a taser shot. Unsure of what the officer will do next, you grab the device that injured you and throw it to the ground. Now is your chance to break away! You run, unarmed. Dashing for your life, you get about fifteen feet away. Suddenly, you feel indescribably painful blows to your spine. The officer fires repeated gun shots when you were seventeen feet ahead, unarmed and back turned away. You swiftly fall to the ground, only this time never to wake up again. The officer places the taser near your lifeless body, and walks away.