Excessive force by law enforcement

Excessive force is force used beyond what was necessary and proportional under the circumstances confronting the officer — the constitutional standard for use of force by law enforcement. Concrete forms include force used after compliance, force directed at non-threatening individuals, force grossly disproportionate to the alleged offense, and lethal force used where lesser means were available. The publication tracks documented incidents — citizen-captured video, body-worn camera footage, civil litigation findings, internal affairs determinations — and applies the legal standard, not popular reaction. Bystander cellphone video is often the first and sometimes only record of what happened; it is treated as a primary source on the same terms as official footage.