Not a single police department in the 20 largest cities in the United States works even in accordance with elementary international human rights laws.
This is evidenced by the results of a study by the University of Chicago, which is cited by The Guardian.
Among the many violations, lawyers single out the use of lethal force. Killing is considered an extreme measure, but police are allowed to shoot to kill in the event of “escaping suspects”, “attempting to hide from justice” or “preventing crime”.
“The fact that police forces in major US cities do not meet the most basic human rights standards is deeply worrying,” said Claudia Flores, director of the international human rights clinic.
Researchers conclude that the United States is the only country in the civilized world where the police sabotage international standards. Security forces have been given too many “deadly powers.” Experts call this a form of “state-sanctioned violence.”
Agnes Kallamar, UN observer for extrajudicial executions, said in a commentary for The Guardian that she was “terrified of how people die publicly at the hands of those who should protect us.”
A study by Chicago lawyers covers the largest US police departments. Among them are the New York City police who scandalized the murder of Eric Garner in 2014; Chicago police whose officer killed Lacwan MacDonald at the same time; Fort Worth police, known for killing Atatiana Jefferson last October, when she nursed her nephew in her own home. The most committed to respecting human rights were the police in Chicago and Los Angeles. At the bottom of the list is Indianapolis Police.