beating, along with surrounding neighbors (Skolnick 22-3).
Between 1987 & 1990, 4,400 misconduct complaints were filed .
by African Americans, who made up 13% of the Los Angeles .
population. In 1989 Los Angeles paid out 9 million to settle .
lawsuits alleging police misconduct. In 1990 that figure rose to .
11.3 million for suits alleging excessive force, wrongful death, .
false arrest, negligence, misconduct and civil rights violations .
(Skolnick 3-4). In Seattle, Washington a black man said he was .
thrown to the ground and arrest because he tried to find out what .
he was accused of; a white club owner said he was harassed for .
catering to black patrons. Also two years ago Seattle police had .
come under scrutiny revealing that 8 officers, including an .
internal investigation sergeant, failed to report that a longtime .
homicide sergeant stole 10,000 dollars from a drug raid that .
involved the murder of the suspect(Police Brutality line 8 June .
1999).
New York also has its share of police brutality cases. A .
police officer accused of holding down a Haitian immigrant while .
another officer tortured him in a station house bathroom was .
found guilty while three other officers were acquitted of all .
charges. The police officer convicted of beating the man then .
held him down while the other sodomized him with a broomstick .
because he thought the prisoner had punched him in a street melee.
The prisoner suffered severe internal injuries. The officers face .
a possible sentence of life in prison because of the sexual .
nature of the assault(Christine Claridge; Police Brutality .
On-line. 17 June 1999). .
Another case a man took a walk outside his Bronx apartment .
and returned after 12:45am. This is all that was known of his .
last moments, except that he was suddenly cut down by hail of .
police gunfire, 41 shots in all, as he stood in the hallway.
Seconds later, the four police gunman "who said" they were .
Investigating a serial rapist in the area discovered that the 22 .
