美国有线新闻 CNN 2015-04-27

 The law, the blob and fruits and vegetables are all part of today's commercial-free coverage¹.

 

We're starting with a look at the impact that cameras are having in U.S. law enforcement. Civilians² have them on their phones. Police are increasingly using body cameras. The footage that these cameras capture and the public's access to it, is having a tremendous influence in the court of public opinion.

 

For example, some of the massive protests in different U.S. cities that have followed the controversial deaths of suspects at the hands of police. And some other investigations³ that have cleared officers of wrong-doing when body cameras confirmed they followed the law in confrontations⁴ with suspects.

 

With multiple protests and investigations going on in different cities around the country, we're taking a look today at how the use of police force is defined by the U.S. Supreme⁵ Court.

 

When can police shoot someone?

 

The legal standard for deadly force has been in place since the 1980s, when the Supreme Court in two cases, one was "Tennessee vs. Garner⁶," the other "Graham vs. Connor," explained when cops can use deadly force.

 

In the "Garner" case, Memphis police shot 15-year-old Edward Garner when he was trying to climb a fence after escaping from a home burglary.  

 

He was unarmed. In finding that it was wrong to kill the teen, the Supreme Court said, "Where the suspect poses no immediate⁷ threat to the officer and no threat to others, the harm resulting from failing to apprehend⁸ him does not justify⁹ the use of deadly force to do so." So bottom line, as an officer, you don't shoot, you apprehend, unless you believe the suspect is a danger to you or to others in the community.

 

In 1989, the Supreme Court further clarified the law in "Graham vs. Connor." In that case, Dethorne Graham, a diabetic, went into a convenience store to get orange juice because he felt the onset¹⁰ of an insulin attack. But when he got into that convenience store, he saw the long lines. He then quickly exited. A police officer saw him, thought that his exit from that convenience store was suspicious and proceeded to follow him and stop him. Other backup officers arrived and slammed Graham's head onto the police car hood¹¹. Graham received several injuries and sued, and the case made it all the way to the Supreme Court.

 

There, the Supreme Court found that the officer's actions were justified¹². Why? Because the officers reasonably believed that the force that they used was necessary to prevent or detect a crime in progress. The law entrusted¹³ decision as to when to use deadly force on the officer, and then courts determine whether or not the officer's actions were reasonable, right then and there at the scene, not in hindsight. The law recognizes that cops have to make split-second decisions right at the scene, with the information they have.

1 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

4 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 apprehend   

vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑

参考例句：

• I apprehend no worsening of the situation.我不担心局势会恶化。
• Police have not apprehended her killer.警察还未抓获谋杀她的凶手。

9 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

10 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

11 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

12 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

13 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》