{"id":17177,"date":"2019-10-29T08:43:04","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T15:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/criminal-defense-law\/?p=17177"},"modified":"2024-10-29T09:38:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T16:38:25","slug":"report-police-misconduct-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/criminal-defense-law\/blog\/report-police-misconduct-arizona\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Report Police Misconduct in Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>Police officers are entrusted to enforce the law and stop or detain suspects as necessary. When a law enforcement official attempts to search you or asks you to stop, you should always obey. However, cops aren\u2019t above the law, and police misconduct is considered a serious crime in Arizona. This type of behavior can include planting evidence on someone or unlawful search and seizure.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the circumstances, you will file a complaint with the federal Department of Justice or law enforcement department in the relevant location. If you believe you\u2019ve been subjected to police misconduct, you might choose to file a lawsuit to try to recover compensation. Keep in mind that it\u2019s best to seek advice from an attorney before submitting a complaint or seeking legal action on your own.<\/p>\n<h2>Understanding Police Misconduct in Arizona<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Police officers have immunity from lawsuits unless they violate specific laws or individual rights<\/li>\n<li>Police misconduct can include civil rights violations, sexual assault, false arrest, and more<\/li>\n<li>If your civil rights were violated by law enforcement, you should make a report with the FBI in your location<\/li>\n<li>Successfully filing a lawsuit against a law enforcement officer is very challenging, so working with an experienced attorney is essential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Qualified Immunity<\/h2>\n<p>Police officers have \u201cqualified immunity,\u201d meaning that they are protected from recourse (including lawsuits) under the condition that they\u2019re performing their job correctly, unless their actions violate certain individual rights. They can only be subjected to a lawsuit if they demonstrate willful, unreasonable actions (not including failure to exercise good care). In other words, a suspect won\u2019t be able to sue the police after a typical encounter with an officer.<\/p>\n<h2>Examples of Police Misconduct<\/h2>\n<p>When a police officer violates your rights, you may pursue recourse through state and federal laws. Civil rights laws exist to protect American citizens from police misconduct and other abuse by the government. You can file a suit against a police officer for negligently or intentionally inflicting injury through excessive force (also called police brutality), abusing a detained individual, entering a residence without the necessary warrant, and violating policies of their department.<\/p>\n<p>Police misconduct can also include verbal abuse, false arrest, abuse of inmates, an unjustified shooting or unjustified use of a taser or stun gun, and police dog attacks. If you were arrested after the incident with the police officer, consulting with a lawyer is a must. But even if you weren\u2019t charged with a crime, you may still wish to file a lawsuit against the officer. An attorney can help you decide whether it\u2019s worth pursuing the case.<\/p>\n<h2>How to File a Complaint for Police Misconduct<\/h2>\n<p>Any individual who has knowledge of or witnesses law enforcement misconduct (actions which violate federal or state law or departmental procedures and policy) can file a complaint. Complaints are generally filed with the involved employee\u2019s supervisor, but you can file one through another supervisor, by mail, through the Internal Affairs Unit, or with the Duty Officer of the department.<\/p>\n<p>An Area Supervisor will be available by phone year-round, 24 hours a day. Keep in mind that falsely reporting misconduct can result in a civil suit or criminal charges.<\/p>\n<h2>Civil Rights Violations<\/h2>\n<p>According to federal law, it\u2019s illegal to willfully deprive a person of any immunities, privileges, or rights protected or secured by the U.S. Constitution or laws. Deprivation of these rights can include sexual misconduct, physical assault, failure to intervene, or deliberate indifference to a serious risk of harm or medical condition.<\/p>\n<p>Police misconduct claims regarding interference with Civil Rights will be investigated by the federal Department of Justice. To get a conviction, it must be proved that the officer acted willfully and deprived the victim to their legal or constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen. If your civil rights were violated, contact the FBI office in your area to file a complaint.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions on Police Rights and Misconduct<\/h2>\n<p>Here are some commonly asked questions related to law enforcement officers\u2019 rights:<\/p>\n<h3>Q: When are police officers authorized to use deadly force?<\/h3>\n<p>A: According to the law, an officer is allowed to employ deadly force when they\u2019ve been threatened with a deadly weapon, they have probable cause to believe the person has threatened to cause or already caused death or serious physical harm to someone, or believe the person is at risk for causing death or harm to another person (including the officer). Deadly force is meant to be used as a last resort and is considered excessive and unnecessary in most situations.<\/p>\n<h3>Q: When is a cop authorized to stop and search you?<\/h3>\n<p>A: While every American citizen has the right to not be subjected to unreasonable frisk actions from law enforcement, officers are allowed to stop and frisk someone if they have reasonable suspicion that they\u2019re engaging in a crime. For instance, if an officer sees what looks like a gun tucked into a suspect\u2019s waistband, they may pat them down.<\/p>\n<h3>Q: How should I behave when a police officer confronts me?<\/h3>\n<p>A: Always remain calm and polite when interacting with a police officer. Don\u2019t talk back or get an attitude with them, even if they\u2019re behaving unreasonably. Resisting or fighting will only make the situation worse. In the event of police brutality, note the location, time, and date the incident occurred. It\u2019s best if you don\u2019t ask for identifying information from the officers, as this could alert them to your intention to file a lawsuit against them.<\/p>\n<h2>What to Do if You&#8217;re Facing Charges<\/h2>\n<p>If you were subjected to police misconduct in front of witnesses, make sure you get their contact information and any other relevant evidence. Successfully filing a claim against a cop for police misconduct is often difficult because it will be your word against theirs. If you believe you\u2019ve been subjected to police misconduct in Arizona, speaking with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/criminal-defense-law\/\">criminal defense attorney<\/a> is an essential next step. They will answer your questions and help you determine whether you were a victim and what to do next, if so.<\/p>\n<p>Call the JacksonWhite Criminal Law team at <a href=\"tel:4804674370\">(480) 467-4370<\/a> to discuss your case today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Police officers are entrusted to enforce the law and stop or detain suspects as necessary. When a law enforcement official attempts to search you or asks you to stop, you should always obey. However, cops aren\u2019t above the law, and police misconduct is considered a serious crime in Arizona. This type of behavior can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2259],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-law-enforcement-process"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - 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