In this assignment, the critical assessment of the Los Angeles rioting case in 1992 will be estimated from the perspective of discretion. The latter can be defined as the right to make choices freely and personally. In any sphere of life, people have to decide which side they are taking and what consequences this selection might lead to. Freedom in decision-making not always leads to successful outcomes. For instance, during my personal experience, I have faced a situation when a physician decided to rely on his personal experience in the treatment of the patient, my friend, and decided to wait before taking an operation. My friend had constant pain in the abdomen, and no treatment implemented could help his condition. The physician was sure that before claiming it was appendicitis, it is important to exclude other pathologies. While diagnostic research was done, my friend has developed a stronger pain.
The operation was taken on a wider scale and proved acute gangrenous appendicitis that prolonged his stay at the hospital and broadcasted the post-operational treatment. Usually, in complicated situations, doctors rely on clinical guidelines. On this occasion, the doctor took time before taking action according to the guidelines which indirectly worsened the condition of my friend. Discretion taken by a physician was poorly used and ended up with the absence of the best solution for the patient’s health.
However, another example that shows a correct usage of discretion is my decision of excluding a member from a group project during studies at school. I was the leader of the project, and I could not let the disinterested and passive member stay and demotivate others. Our team aimed to present decent work and receive excellent marks. Moreover, none of the group members could rely on the disinterested one. After making a group decision of excluding the member, our team reached its goals and made the excluded student reconsider the attitude to studies and personal achievement. This action helped both sides to prioritize values and make an effort towards better changes.
Police discretion is also a complicated issue as policemen must perform within borders of law because they represent the law. However, on most occasions, policemen face complicated situations during which they have to make decisions and act immediately. Sometimes, human factors, general beliefs, and stereotypes lead police to inappropriate actions. One of the cases highlighting incorrect behavior from police authorities was Los Angeles 1992 rioting. The major events started after the excessive force was used towards Rodney Kind, a black African American, who was stopped by the police because of breaking the speed limit (Case number 1588.0, 1992). Four Caucasian officers used force against King and were later released by the court. This was a bright example of discretion used by both police and jury that lead to rioting and disagreements from the public.
The police have made mistakes using non-deadly force that was not “minimum necessary to protect themselves” (Case number 1588.0, 1992, p. 26). Moreover, officers might have been influenced by the common stereotype factor that the black part of the population is committing more crimes and breaking the law. The action taken by the jury to release officers were also showing the relaxation of the rules towards police authorities and ignorance of African American rights. These actions compromised further unrest and rioting. The trust between law enforcement and communities could be built if the policeman followed legitimate rules and did not use force before the latter is used against them. By this action, officers can show they obey the law and serve it equally with others, that their profession does not give them any privilege.
Reference
Case number 1588.0. (1992). The flawed emergency response to the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.