Name: Shubhangi Swaroop

Roll No: MFM/19/130

Link of original article: https://www.insider.com/ahmaud-arbery-timeline-case-

No. of Words: 1000

The case is about Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, who was shot dead by two
White police officers on grounds that he was mistaken for a burglary suspect. Arbery was
shot during an altercation with the pair, and died of his wounds. The officers involved in the
shooting were not even reported until two months later when a video surfaced of the same.
The case is still in trial, since there is lack of evidence and the accused police officers have
been arrested on charge of murder, also the witness who provided the video has been arrested
on felony murder.

This case revolves around Ahmaud Arbery, of Georgia, on 23 rd February 2020 which sparked
a lot of outrage among the Black community and the nation as a whole. He was shot on the
grounds that he resembled a person of interest in a few break-ins. Though the policemen had
no conclusive evidence of the fact and also the only stolen item from the break-in was found
in one of the officer’s truck. Despite this fact they pursued him armed and got into a scuffle
with him where he was shot thrice which proved fatal to him and importantly, he was
unarmed too. Until two months after the fact when a video of the incident surfaced the
officers responsible were not questioned after that they were arrested and charged with
aggravated assault and felony murder. The case is still in trial 4 DA’s have been changed but
justice has not been served.

The case brings to light to certain things which are important. The life of each and every
person is important no matter what ethnicity or stature they might belong to. The
responsibility which comes with the power needs to be reassessed as such. The actions of
public officers should not be condoned and nobody should be subjected to their personal
motives and agendas.

The outrage amongst the people is not just because Arbery was a person of colour (Black
community) it is that the police which is supposed to be for the help of the citizens when
commits such acts of brutality it should not be tolerated.
Having said that there is a strong need for reformation in the police training where personal
bias should not be given free reign. The need to empathise and to understand the
consequences of such actions should be instilled in them.  Adoption of de-escalation training
and techniques may also lead to improvements. Police departments and their unions
should also include more stringent accountability mechanisms in employee contracts. At a
minimum, complaints levied against officers must be investigated, disciplinary measures for
misconduct need to be swiftly enforced, and any appeals for reinstating police officers after
they use excessive force should be more carefully reviewed.

With this there is another side to be considered, police misconduct is sometimes misguided,
because much of this behaviour appears to be a natural by-product of routine police practices.
This does not mean that their conducts should not be questioned. Instead, it is important for
police executives to understand the various factors that foster such acts. This awareness can
be accompanied by appropriate changes to the culture of the organization, which will lead to
destigmatizing less egregious acts and a recommitment to fair and consistent discipline.
Police training should incorporate more case studies of officer misconduct and ethical
breaches from within the officers’ agency.

Discipline imposed for misconduct may also vary, allowing officers to distance themselves
from the possibility of similar consequences from their own agency. Another component of
police training should address aspects of moral disengagement. It is less likely for officers to
behave unethically when us versus them attitudes are eliminated. One approach to achieve
this is through priming participants to feel connected through the thread of common morality.
This moral realism is seen as a mechanism to help people feel connected to even those who
are quite dissimilar from oneself.

In the above case had the officers underwent such kind of training or sensitisation programme
they might not have felt the need to “shoot first ask questions later” approach. Even if a
person is suspected of some crime the need to be overly aggressive is not the answer. Had the
officers approached him without weapons drawn and in a non-threatening manner it would
not have spooked him and avoided the scuffle and the shooting later. Detaining someone is
different than mistreating them and understanding that distinction is important which, if the
officers had realised would have resulted differently. Also, what happened after the incident
where it took more than two months to file the complaint which shows that there is no fear of
disciplinary action and that’s why reform in accountability is needed and strict action needs
be considered. Another action that should have been avoided was the support the department
provided towards the officers involved it hampered with the investigation as the facts were
misinterpreted. As an officer of the law there are certain liberties granted and certain set of
code of conduct to be followed however, letting personal agendas clouding judgement can
lead to disastrous results.

In conclusion the incident which happened unfolded the many flaws in the system as a whole.
What happened could have at best been avoided or handled differently if the changes needed
had been incorporated long before acts like these happened. Racial biasness and police
brutality are not somethings which will just eradicate at the click of the fingers, it’s a long
and tedious process and years upon years’ worth of discrimination will not suffice with just
words. The need for accountability and moral realism at the forefront is something that can’t
be ignored any further otherwise it will prove detrimental for the future. Learning from them
and preventing such things from happening is the only way to move forward. That means to
stand up for change and to recognise its need. To quote the words of Martin Luther King Jr.-
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."