At The Zeiger Firm, we believe that police officers who use excessive force or engage in misconduct should be held accountable for their actions. We also believe that victims of such conduct deserve compensation for the harm they have suffered. When you work with us, you can trust that Harrisburg police brutality lawyer Brian J. Zeiger will work diligently to pursue the best possible results in your case.
Attorney Brian J. Zeiger fiercely advocates for his clients. He has extensive experience representing clients in police brutality and misconduct actions and has secured favorable results both through negotiated settlements and by winning jury verdicts at trial.
Whether you were harmed due to excessive or improper force, unreasonable searches and seizures, malicious prosecution and wrongful arrest, or deprivation of your rights in detention, we will fight for the justice you deserve. Contact The Zeiger Firm today for a free, confidential case review with Harrisburg police brutality lawyer Brian J. Zeiger. Don’t wait to learn about your legal options.
How a Harrisburg Police Brutality Attorney Can Help You
If you believe you have been harmed by police brutality or misconduct, The Zeiger Firm can help you hold law enforcement accountable by:
- Investigation – We will thoroughly investigate the underlying facts and circumstances of your interactions with law enforcement, including collecting and reviewing dashcam or bodycam footage and police records. We will also work hard to uncover other evidence, including police reports and officer employment and disciplinary records.
- Documentation – We will fully review all your medical records, invoices, and other evidence t calculate and document the impact of your injuries and losses.
- Litigation – We will file all claims with the law enforcement agencies involved in your case and begin to aggressively pursue full compensation for you. As an experienced trial attorney, Brian J. Zeiger will be prepared to argue your case in court, when necessary.
Throughout your case, The Zeiger Firm will always keep you updated and be there to answer your questions. You will never be left in the dark.
Evidence to Prove a Police Brutality Claim
Police brutality claims are among the most difficult injury claims to pursue. Police officers who engage in misconduct enjoy various protections such as public deference to their actions and certain legal immunities from lawsuits. While these immunities were intended to give some peace of mind to officers engaging in reasonable conduct, they were not designed to shield egregious or clearly unlawful conduct.
For that reason, we work diligently to uncover all relevant evidence that can help show that you have been harmed by police brutality or misconduct. Examples of the kinds of evidence we may use in your case include:
- Video recordings, including police cruiser dashcam recordings or officer bodycam recordings
- Bystander and eyewitness statements
- Bystander cellphone recordings
- Police records, including arrest reports, use-of-force reports, and internal investigation reports
- Employment and disciplinary records of the officers involved in your case
- Photographs of visible injuries you sustained
- Medical records from the treatment of any physical or mental injuries you suffered.
We will work tirelessly to uncover and present evidence to show that you would not have been harmed but for the actions of law enforcement officers who violated your constitutional and civil rights.
Common Types of Police Brutality and Misconduct in Harrisburg
Some common examples of police brutality and misconduct in Harrisburg include:
- False or unlawful arrest – When police arrest an individual without probable cause, or the intentional arrest of an innocent individual
- False imprisonment – Detaining an individual without probable cause or failing to timely release an individual
- Excessive force – When police use force that is not in proportion to the level of threat that a suspect may pose to officers or the public
- Deadly force – The improper use of less-than-lethal devices or unsafe or unauthorized suspect restraint techniques
- Police shooting – When officers discharge service weapons and harm a suspect who was not armed with a deadly weapon
- Forced confession – Using threats of physical assault or withholding food, water, or sleep
- Sexual assault or harassment – Sexual assault of individuals in police custody or detention
- Racial profiling – Presuming criminal activity by an individual on account of their race or color
- Strip searches – Where such searches would not be considered reasonable under the circumstances, or where searches are performed to humiliate or harass a detainee
- Blackmail or coercion – Threatening law enforcement action against a person or a person’s family or friends to coerce false testimony
Causes of Police Brutality in Harrisburg
We have the right to expect police officers to act in a lawful and reasonable manner in all interactions with the public, even when they are detaining an individual or arresting a suspect in a criminal matter. Unfortunately, police officers all too often overstep their legal authority and engage in misconduct that violates the rights of citizens, or worse, causes them to suffer physical, emotional, and mental harm.
Many institutional and systemic factors contribute to police brutality and misconduct, including:
- Insufficient training of police officers in proper procedures and the limits of law enforcement authority
- Impulsive decisions that occur in dangerous or high-stress situations such as chasing suspects at high speed, confronting armed or threatening individuals, or trying to detain an individual physically resisting arrest
- Racism and bigotry among officers, which may be explicit or implicit, and which influences the way officers deal with citizens they encounter
- Intentionally disregarding policy and procedure, engaging in vigilantism in a belief that the system unreasonably restricts law enforcement or does not sufficiently punish lawbreakers
- Police officers improperly expressing solidarity by looking the other way or engaging in cover-ups of incidents of brutality or misconduct by fellow officers or feeling intimidated from speaking up or interfering in incidents
- Insufficient internal investigation and disciplinary mechanisms to respond to complaints of police brutality and misconduct
What Can You Recover in a Police Brutality Claim?
In addition to the impact that police misconduct and brutality has on the public’s trust in law enforcement, the wrongful actions of law enforcement officers have far more direct, long-lasting effects on the lives of the victims. If you have been harmed by police misconduct, The Zeiger Firm will aggressively pursue compensation for the financial and personal losses you have suffered, including:
- Medical expenses – Coverage of all medical costs brought on by the physical and emotional injuries you sustained due to police brutality or misconduct, including emergency room treatment, surgeries, prescription costs, physical and/or occupational therapy, or mental health care
- Long-term care – For permanent disabilities or ongoing conditions caused by harm suffered due to police misconduct or brutality
- Lost income or wages – Due to missed time from work while detained or recovering from injuries inflicted by police misconduct, or loss of employment due to wrongful arrest or false imprisonment
- Emotional distress – When it is inflicted by intentional or reckless conduct by police officers
- Loss of enjoyment or quality of life – Due to permanent injuries and disabilities, or visible scarring or disfigurement
Tips for Protecting Your Rights in a Police Brutality Case
If you have been harmed by police misconduct or brutality in Harrisburg, you can act to not only protect your legal rights but also to begin the process of pursuing a claim to recover compensation for the harm you have suffered. At The Zeiger Firm, we suggest that you do your best to take the following steps:
- Do not attempt to physically resist arrest by the police, even if you think you are being wrongfully arrested for a crime. Resisting arrest under any circumstances is a crime and could undercut your civil claim.
- If possible, try to document the circumstances of your detention or arrest. Get any cellphone video recorded by eyewitnesses and write down your recollection of the events of your interaction with the police.
- If you think you suffered physical injury or harm, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Keep copies of any medical records from treatment you receive for your injuries. Also remember to photograph any visible injuries you may have sustained. Follow all treatment instructions from your medical providers and attend every follow-up appointment.
- Keep copies of bills and invoices from any expenses you incur due to the police misconduct. Consider starting a journal to document how the physical and mental harm you have suffered impacts your daily life.
Don’t wait to talk to a Harrisburg police brutality lawyer to review your options and learn how you can demand justice for what you’ve been through.
Talk to a Police Brutality Lawyer in Harrisburg Now
If you have been the victim of misconduct or brutality by police officers in Harrisburg, contact attorney Brian J. Zeiger today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We can explain in detail your options for seeking compensation for the harm and losses you have suffered.
