Getting justice or fair compensation after getting injured in an accident or mishap can often be challenging. It may even become more challenging when it involves law enforcement officers. However, firms with experienced lawyers like Mike Morse Injury Law Firm Grand Rapids, MI, are dedicated to handling personal injuries and cases involving violations of rights.
Police misconduct covers a wide range of actions by police officers and law enforcement agents that violate the guidelines of performing their duty.
What acts by law enforcement officers can count as misconduct?
- Police brutality
- Abuse of authority
- Sexual harassment
- Illegal detention
- Racial profiling
- Fraud
- Unlawful torture
Now that you know what counts as police misconduct, what can you do if you’re ever a victim of such an incident?
Get Medical Help
If the police misconduct involved excessive force, it is vital to get medical care and take pictures of visible injuries. Typically, even if it was a case of arrest, the police force is obligated to give adequate medical care to people in their custody.
Gather evidence
The complainant will need to provide adequate information to support their case to prove the case. It could range from pictures to videos, witness statements and contact details, etc. Through a thorough investigation, your lawyer can obtain other detailed evidence like radio transmissions and memo book entries by the police.
Get a Lawyer
It is imperative to get an experienced criminal defense attorney. Your lawyer will decide how best to go about the case based on your account of the event.
File a complaint
With the lawyer’s guidance, the next step will be to file a complaint at the internal division of the police department where the erring officer was hired. This process comes before officially reporting the case or suing.
Officially report the case
You can now go ahead to report the matter to the office of the U.S attorney or the U.S Department of Justice.
Depending on the results these preliminary steps yield, you and your attorney can decide if filing a lawsuit should be the next course of action.
And if it is, you’ll also agree upon which court to file the suit. If your lawyer can successfully prove that you are a victim of improper police conduct, then you have the right to appeal for some compensation.
Getting Compensation
You can receive compensation for damage to property, physical injuries, compensation for wages lost due to physical limitations realized from the ordeal.
There is also compensation for victims who were especially traumatized or humiliated by the incident.
In cases of police misconduct, the victim needs to substantially prove that the law enforcement personnel has violated their rights.
So, it is important to get an experienced attorney for police misconduct cases, as their expertise will come in very handy.
Before you hire, look out for lawyers who understand how to present your interest as a victim of police misconduct. It would help if you also aimed to work with a lawyer who can guide you in the right direction throughout the case.