Michigan Police Misconduct Lawyer

Have you been the victim of police brutality or misconduct in Michigan? If so, contact the Law Offices of Christopher Trainor & Associates for compassionate and reliable legal aid. 

Police officers take an oath to protect their community. When officers fail to uphold that oath, the consequences can cause the victims of the community to suffer greatly. If the police acted out of line and caused you to suffer from their brutality, you need someone to help you seek justice for their actions.

At the Law Offices of Christopher Trainor & Associates, we fight to address excessive force, police brutality, and police misconduct throughout Michigan. Our legal team is well-recognized for our drive to help members of the community who have been harmed by police misconduct. We fight for those who have suffered constitutional and physical harm due to the reckless or negligent actions of police officers.

Injuries from Police Brutality or Misconduct

Acts of police brutality can result in serious injuries. When the conduct is deemed to be unlawful, victims are able to recover compensation to help cover the damages they face. Unfortunately, there are an array of injuries that victims of police brutality endure. These include:

Minor Injuries: There are some instances where victims suffer minor injuries as a result of police brutality. Minor injuries can include soft tissue injuries, like muscle sprains or strains, bruising, abrasions, and cuts.

Major Injuries: Police brutality cases can also result in more serious injuries for victims. These include severe spinal cord injuries that lead to some degree of paralysis, severe head trauma, bone fractures, and internal organ damages. The most severe consequence of police brutality is death.

Mental Anguish: In addition to physical injuries that victims suffer, they are often left to endure overwhelming mental consequences as well. We see many people suffer emotional trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. Having PTSD or extreme anxiety can result in the fear of police officers and any type of interaction with officers in the future.

We should never be afraid of police officers. Victims who are subjected to police brutality or misconduct should act quickly to ensure their legal rights are protected.

Forms Of Misconduct Or Brutality

There are many ways that the police can infringe on an individual’s rights. Police brutality or misconduct can happen in many different ways. We help clients with issues, including:

• Excessive force
• False arrest
• False imprisonment and wrongful convictions
• Jail and prison injuries
• Illegal searches
• Illegal raids of your home
• Malicious prosecution
• Unconstitutional prison conditions
• Unlawful search and seizure
• Excessive use of Taser or stun guns
• Sexual assault
• Forced confessionals
• Unlawful police interrogation tactics and techniques
• Unlawful use of a firearm
• Unlawful police pursuits
• Improperly restraining individuals
• Wrongful shooting
• Racial/Ethnic/Gender profiling or discrimination

When the police violate your rights, we take the time to review all the unique details of your situation to develop a plan to protect your best interests. We want to secure the best possible outcome in your claim against the police while also receiving compensation that accurately reflects the cost of your injuries or suffering.

Examples of Police Misconduct

There are several examples of police misconduct that we see in Michigan. These include:

• Shooting of innocent and unarmed individuals: Every police officer in the state carries a firearm with them while on duty. Although police officers are permitted to use their firearms in various circumstances, they should only be used as a last resort. If an officer irresponsibly uses their firearm against someone, or does so in a negligent manner, and causes injuries or death to that person, the injured victim or their surviving family members may be able to pursue legal action against the offending officer. The shooting of innocent and unarmed victims is a serious problem. No police officer should shoot a person who is not in the commission of a crime. Nor should any officer fire a gun at a person unless that person poses an immediate risk of death or injury to others. Shooting a firearm at any criminal or suspect should always be the last option given the fact that officers are trained to use less deadly measures first.

• Assault and beatings: Police officers should only use a degree of force that is needed to apprehend and adequately subdue a criminal suspect. They should never unnecessarily physically assault anyone for any reason.
• Sexual assault and rape: This type of police brutality is often unreported. Victims are often terrified that reporting an incident of sexual assault or rape by a police officer will result in some type of retribution against them. However, it is imperative that victims do report these incidents so they can get justice.
• Improper search and seizure: The Fourth Amendment prohibits any unlawful searches and seizures on citizens. Although officers are only permitted to search a person if there is probable cause at the time of the search, or when they have a warrant, there are instances where police officers perform illegal searches.
• The unlawful use of a police Taser: Police officers carry tasers that are designed to be a non-lethal weapon that they can use against someone during their apprehension or arrest. However, these tasers can still result in severe injuries or even death. When officers are not adequately trained on how to properly use tasers, or they use their tasers excessively and unnecessarily, they can cause injuries or the loss of life to victims. Our Michigan police brutality lawyers can help you file a lawsuit on behalf of a victim of police brutality that arises from the unlawful use of a taser.

The Growing Problem of Police Brutality in Michigan

Police brutality and misconduct are not new in our state nor anywhere in our nation. However, the use of technology has made it more possible to bring the issue out into the light. We have seen several instances over the past half-decade of police brutality that have been recorded on video and broadcasted on social media or on the news. Regardless of whether a person has a video or a picture of police brutality occurring, officers should be held accountable for their actions.

The unfortunate truth is that the majority of police brutality of misconduct cases go unreported. Just because an instance of improper conduct is not investigated or the officer is never pursued does not mean the incident did not occur. The consequences that the person has to suffer are often long-lasting. Many victims of police brutality experienced devastating mental, physical, emotional, and financial cars.

It is crucial that you understand the rights and restrictions that police officers have when responding to situations. Officers can use force, but only if it is an appropriate amount of force for the situation at hand and there is an active threat to the officer from another person. Our Michigan police brutality lawyers can meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss your case. Our lawyers will meticulously analyze the circumstances surrounding your interaction with law enforcement to determine if you have a case. If a police officer engaged in brutality or misconduct toward you, and you suffered, we will fight to help you get the justice you deserve.

Wrongful or Unlawful Arrests

If you have been arrested in an unlawful manner, you may have legal options available for you. It is crucial that you are able to clearly demonstrate that the officer overstepped their authority. There are two ways to demonstrate this.

• Arrest Without Cause: This is one of the most common types of false arrest cases that we see in Michigan. These cases involve officers that violate your Fourth Amendment right. The Fourth Amendment protects people against unreasonable search and seizure. When an officer arrests a person, they must either have a warrant or have witnessed you committing a misdemeanor or a felony crime. If we are able to prove that an officer did not provide a good reason to think you had personally committed a crime, the officer is guilty of performing an arrest without probable cause.
• Excessive Force: If you are seriously injured by a police officer during an arrest, the officer can be found guilty of using excessive force. This charge does not specifically depend on their intention for arresting you. Even if the officer had a good reason to arrest you, their actions are not justified when they use an excessive amount of force to do so.

Our Michigan police brutality and misconduct lawyers at Law Offices of Christopher Trainor & Associates have a clear sense of what the law considers probably cause. We understand what a reasonable amount of force is. By analyzing these two scenarios, in addition to various other key factors found in unlawful arrest cases, we can help you determine if you were unlawfully arrested and help you get the justice you deserve.

What is a False Imprisonment and Wrongful Conviction?

The term false imprisonment is often used to describe instances where people are incarcerated for crimes that they truly did not commit. However, the term also applies to situations where an innocent party is detained or arrested. There are instances where police officers unlawfully arrest and detail individuals without any legal justification. These incidents can prove exceedingly humiliating and especially traumatic for people who are targeted.

It is terrifying to think that a judge or a jury would convict a person wrongfully. However, this happens far too often. When a person is wrongfully convicted and subsequently incarcerated, it can bring damages like lost wages, pain and suffering, and unnecessary time away from your family. After suffering losses associated with your loss of freedom, you deserve to hold the negligent parties accountable for their actions.

Unlawfully Detained Due to Race Discrimination

Over the past decade, we have witnessed more victims come forward and share their experiences with being unlawfully detained by the police based on their race. Racial profiling involves discriminating against a person by suspecting them of committing a crime or targeting them based on assumption. These acts involve going after a person based on their racial group rather than any of their actual behaviors.

There are reported incidents where police officers target individuals for searches, stops, arrests, or use of force based on the color of their skin or their race. If you have been unlawfully detained by a police officer, you deserve justice. Both state and federal laws prohibit the act of racial discrimination as well as profiling by the police in a variety of ways. Even the United States Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law. Contact our Michigan police misconduct lawyers to see how we can help you.

Legal Options for Racial Profiling by Police

If you have been subjected to racial profiling or another type of police abuse or misconduct, you may have legal options available to help you get justice. These include:

• Federal Civil Lawsuits: Federal law provides people who are racially profiled or subjected to some type of police misconduct with legal avenues that can help them take a stand against the offending officer. Victims are able to bring lawsuits against a police agency in its entirety if it is determined that a specific location has a history of engaging in racially discriminating practices.
• Individual Lawsuits: Under section 1983 lawsuit, civil actions can be filed against specific officers who violate the civil rights of a victim. A second federal statute, section 1981, prohibits any type of racial discrimination by any government official. Although victims are able to sue for monetary damages, prevailing on a lawsuit can be incredibly challenging. For this reason, it is in your best interest to seek the assistance of a skilled Police misconduct lawyer in Michigan who will fight to get you justice.
• Governmental Lawsuits: Federal law authorizes the United States Department of Justice to bring a lawsuit against a police agency that engages in unconstitutional practices. Depending on the specific basis of the lawsuit, the government body may seek relief by requiring the agency to implement plans to address and eliminate their unconstitutional practices. There are also instances where the agency has its federal funding removed.

There are also legal avenues that can be exercised on the state level. A state-level civil rights violation lawsuit can help you personally recover damages as a victim of police brutality. Our Michigan police brutality lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Trainor & Associates have decades of experience helping victims throughout the state get the justice they deserve after being harmed by law enforcement officers. Contact our law firm today to get started on your case.

Actions the Government Has Taken to End Racial Profiling by Law Enforcement

For more than a decade, government officials, communities, and lawmakers have taken various steps toward implementing tactics and creating laws to curb instances of racial profiling by law enforcement. Some of these measures include:

• Requiring police officers to take training on racial profiling, racial and cultural diversity, and training on implicit bias.
• Creating special task forces that evaluate racial profiling within a community in order to determine what policies are needed to address the issue.
• Authorities various disciplinary actions against offending officers.
• Mandating the collection of data, monitoring, and routine review of traffic stops, searches, arrests, and other interactions officers have.
• Develop departmental policies that are against racial profiling.

Although these and other measures have been effective in bringing the issue more notoriety, we continue to see instances of racial discrimination and police misconduct take place. Should you be a victim, you must act quickly to protect your legal rights.

Protection You Deserve

We are ready to help you after your brutality incident, and we want to help you through this hard time.

If you are not sure that your complaint qualifies as police brutality or misconduct, reach out to our Michigan law firm right away. Our Michigan police brutality and misconduct lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Trainor & Associates can meet with you to determine if your incident is pursuable. We can help to identify negligence, intentional injury, or unjustified forces used by police officers during your interaction and hold them to account.

Our lawyers will identify all liable parties and conduct a thorough investigation to collect evidence on your behalf to build the strongest case possible to help you get justice. You do not have to be severely harmed to take legal action. Your suffering is a valid enough reason, regardless of the type of brutality or misconduct you were forced to endure.