Moral Dilemmas - Research Paper Example

?Understanding the Moral Dilemmas Involved in the Use of Taser Gun Among Police Officers I. Facts of the Case and the Moral Dilemmas The use of taserguns by the police is acceptable in many states around the country but there are many controversies surrounding the practice of using taser to subdue a suspect. In fact, there have been instances when the suspect died when the police office used a taser. Given this situation, there are many people who question the practice of using taser to subdue a suspect. In some instances, the use of taser leads to serious injuries and even deaths (Grant et. al. March 2009). During intense police pursuit, some police officers mistakenly use their pistols instead of the taser gun. The facts of the case so states that BART Officer Johannes Mehserle killed Oscar Grant while trying to subdue Mr. Grant during an arrest. Officer Mehserle mistaken used his pistol instead of his taser to subdue the suspect and accidentally killed the suspect. Note that there are a number of moral dilemmas that often result from the use of taser guns. The people involved in the situation including the arresting officer, police department authorizing the use of taser guns and the suspect often have to deal with a number of moral issues resulting from the incident such as what happened between Officer Johannes Mehserle and Oscar Grant. In the police operation, both the arresting officer and the suspect are at risk. As it is, ethical dilemmas often happen arise in connection with the arrest. The first moral dilemma that we need to look into is whether or not the police department should allow police officers to use tasers when subduing suspects. Note that unruly suspects can endanger the lives of the people around including the apprehending police officers. If the police officers are not allowed to use taser guns on suspects, the suspects may turn against the officers and hurt them on the process. Moreover, if police officers do not use taser guns, they will need to use other forms of deterring force to subdue the suspects. Without the taser gun, the apprehending police officers will need to have direct body contact with the suspect. Using deterring force such as manhandling the suspect who resists arrest can also cause harm on the suspect and may even result to lawsuits against the police force. Note that cases involving “police brutality” are very common and often brings headaches to the police department. We have to understand that when a police officer comes near the suspect and have direct bodily contact with him or her, any can happen. A twist in the arm can have different effect on different people and because we cannot be sure what kind of damage a simple bodily contact can have and what will be the reaction of the person arrested, it is still better for the police officer to maintain distance from the suspect and use taser guns. Also in cases of pursuits when the suspect is running away from the arresting officer, the use of taser gun can be very handy. Come to think of it, if the police officer does not use a taser gun in apprehending an escaping suspect, the suspect may get away and may commit another crime. When the police officer fails to apprehend a known suspect who has committed a series of crimes, he/she gives permission to that suspect to commit yet another crime. Yes, the whole idea that an escaped suspect can cause more harm to innocent people is disturbing so it is very important for police officers to have the right tools to do their jobs. Also if the suspect gets away, the police department will need to use more resources to hunt down and capture the suspect. The cost of hunting down and apprehending a suspect can be enormous and given the limited budget of the police force, the department does not have the luxury of letting a suspect escape. While allowing the police officers to use taser guns to apprehend suspects have many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. Using taser guns involve risk and it may cause harm on people. According to Grant et al. (March 2009), some people have adverse reaction to taser guns and those who have mental ailments or those who are physically and mentally challenged often suffer from severe adverse reaction that sometimes results in deaths. According to reports, cases of excited delirium that are associated to exposure to taser guns are becoming common (Grant et. Al. March 2009). Male subjects who have history of chronic drug abuse and mental problems are most affected by this phenomenon. Aside from excited delirium, some people who have been exposed to taser guns suffer intense pain that some of them go into cardiac or respiratory arrest (Grant et. Al. March 2009). The worst part of it is that some people who go into cardiac or respiratory arrest after being exposed to taser guns do not recover and may eventually go into sudden death. Given this situation, the question is that whether or not it is justifiable for the police department to allow its officers to use taser guns indiscriminately to subdue suspects. The use of taser guns is very helpful, but it also can be risky so we need to find the right balance in this situation so as to promote the interests of the parties involved. Also there is a need to resolve the ethical questions involved in the situation. The second moral dilemma is whether or not the police department should allow its officers to use the taser gun without giving them proper training. Note that in the case of BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, he meant to use the taser gun but end up pulling his service pistol and fired at the suspect. Looking at this situation, we can safely assume that the police officer panicked and used the wrong gun. If BART Officer Johannes Mehserle had the right training in using the taser gun, this kind of incident would not have happened. Yes, the mental state of the officer and the intensity of the situation may play a role in what happened but when a police officer gets the right training, he or she will be more in control of the situation. Keeping the situation under control is very import when it comes to police business so officers should receive the proper training to help them deal with difficult situations. The third moral dilemma that we need to tackle in this essay is “when should police officers use taser guns to apprehend suspects”. Note that different people have different reactions to taser gun exposure and one can not be sure if a specific suspect will have severe adverse reaction to taser gun exposure or not. We have to understand that in most cases of police arrests, the officers do not even know the suspects so they cannot really tell right there and if the suspect is mentally ill or if the suspect is a chronic drug user. Given this situation, the question of “when and when not to use the taser gun,” becomes even more important. If the police officer does not use his or her taser gun at the right moment, the suspect may escape and if the police officer uses his or her taser gun too soon, he or she may cause unnecessary harm on the suspect. Resolving the ethical dilemma presented above can be tricky business so we need to take a look at the values and concepts exposed by well-known philosophers for guidance. Both ancient and modern philosophers have presented a number of relevant values and concepts that are applicable to our case. For purposes of this essay, let us limit our discussions to the values and ethical concepts of three well-known philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant. II. Relevant Values and Concepts Plato, Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant espouse values and concepts used to resolve different types of moral dilemma. Their approaches to moral dilemma resolution are similar in some aspects but we need to look closely on the basis of their conflict resolution processes to find a better way to resolve the moral dilemmas presented herein. a. Values and Ethical Concepts of Plato According to Plato, “human well-being (eudaimonia) is the highest aim,” thus, people must act accordingly to promote the common good (Colett, 2005). In Plato’s dialectics, using the right measure is very important (Colett, 2005). For Plato, applying the right measure in a certain situation is the key, so it is very important for him to do the fitting thing for the right moment to achieve what ought to be achieved (Schofield, 2006; Zuckert, 2009)). Applying the concepts of Plato in the case of BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, we need to look into the different aspects of the case. If we are to promote the highest good in our case, we need to look into the different angles of the incident starting first with the nature of the crime committed, second, the personality of the suspect and third, the different stages of the incident leading to the use of the gun. Assuming that the suspect Oscar Grant is a known criminal who has committed violent crimes and is about to escape from the police, we can safely say that using a taser gun to subdue the suspect is justifiable. Yes, the suspect have rights but we have to understand that under the principle of “promoting the highest good,” protecting innocent people from a well-known criminal is more important. Foremost duty of a police department and its officers is to protect the public and to keep the criminals off the streets so given the situation, using a taser gun to prevent the suspect from getting away may be justifiable. On the other hand, assuming that the suspect is a frail old man who was just being difficult and does not really posed real harm on the arresting officer and the people around him, using a taser gun may not be the right thing to do. Note that what Plato proposes is to use the right measure in the right situation to achieve the highest good so the question here is whether or not using the taser gun on Oscar Grant is the most fitting thing to do. b. Values and Ethical Concepts of Aristotle The moral values and ethical concepts of Aristotle is similar to Plato but whereas Plato’s concepts were more austere in the sense that it focuses mostly on the promotion of the highest good, Aristotle ventures into the exercise of control over ones natural feelings (Knight, 2007). For Aristotle, the use of good values to formulate good judgment and finding a balance between two extremes is very important (Knight, 2007). In other words, where Plato prefers to use the highest good as the ultimate measure of morality (Zuckert, 2009), Aristotle chooses to be moderate in his personal values (Knight, 2007). Following the ideas of Aristotle in resolving our ethical dilemmas, we can safely say that using taser guns in moderation is very important to promote the common good. Note that the police force needs to do its job and apprehending suspects can be a difficult business. Without the right tools, the police officers may not be able to do its job will and when this happens, they will not be able to promote the common good. However, the indiscriminate use of taser guns is not acceptable under the moral and ethical values presented by Aristotle. Note that according to Aristotle, there should be a balance between extremes so the use of taser guns must be tempered to minimize harm while maximizing usefulness. As it is, there is a need for the police department to train its officers well in the use of the taser gun and come up with clear-cut policies regarding when and where they can use the taser gun. The police officers need to be more observant of the physical health and mental conditions of the suspect before they use the taser gun. If the suspect is a frail person who does not pose any real harm on anyone, the police officer should use diplomacy in dealing with the unruly suspect. c. Values and Ethical Concepts of Immanuel Kant The moral values and ethical concepts of Immanuel Kant are similar to ideas of Plato and Aristotle except that his focuses more on the motivation of the person who is doing the act (Uleman, 2010). According to Kant, the right motivation is very important in order for a person to do the right thing or to do ones duty (Uleman, 2010). Kant stressed the importance of “respecting the moral law” and respecting humanity (Uleman, 2010). By using Kant’s ideas of categorical and imperative and hypothetical imperatives in the case of Oscar Grant and BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, we need to look into the motivation of all the parties involved. As it is, we need to determine if the motivation of he police department in allowing is officers to use taser guns is morally correct and we need to look into the motivation of the police officers in using the taser gun when apprehending suspects. In the case of BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, if his motivation of using the taser gun Oscar Grant is simply to prevent him from escaping, and he had no malicious intent whatsoever, we can say that the act is moral. On the other hand, if BART Officer Johannes Mehserle used the taser gun with malice, his motivations become tainted. Because his motives are tainted, under the moral principles of Kant, the officer’s actions are inexcusable. III. Issues to be Resolved and Means to Resolve the Issues As mentioned in the early part of the this essay, there are three major moral issues that need to be resolved in this case, namely, (a) whether or not the police department should allow the use of taser guns, (b) whether or not the department should allow officers to use taser guns without giving them proper training and guidelines for its use, and (c) when should police officers use the taser gun. In resolving the moral issues presented, let us go back to the values and ethical concepts of Plato, Aristotle, and Kant. First, there is a need to consider the common good; second, there is a need to show respect to humanity; third, there is a need to consider the motivations of the person performing the act; fourth, there is a need to apply moderation in judging the morality of the situation. To address the moral issues and prevent situations that may lead to moral dilemmas, before the police department should allow its officers to use taser guns to subdue and apprehend suspects, it should first come up with proper guidelines regarding who can use taser guns, when to use the taser guns and how to use it . Note that the moral obligation of the police force is to protect the people and that includes the suspects themselves. According to Kant, there is a need to respect humanity and because the suspects are also human beings, they need to be treated with respect. In coming up with guidelines on how and when to use the taser guns, the police department must consider the common good so there is a need to consider the different stages of a given incident. Also there is a need to let all officers undergo proper training before they can use taser guns in subduing and apprehending suspects. During the training, police officers must be taught to abide by certain rules, and they must constantly be reminded to observe respect when apprehending suspects. References Colett, J.A. (2005). Interpreting Plato'sdialogues. Las Vegas, Nevada: Parmenides Publishing. Grant J.R., Southall P.E., Mealey J., Scott S.R., Fowler D.R. (March 2009). "Excited delirium deaths in custody: Past and present". Am J Forensic Med Pathol 30 (1): 1–5. Knight, K. (2007). Aristotelian philosophy: Ethics and politics from Aristotle to MacIntyre. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity Press Schofield, M. (2006) Plato: Political Philosophy. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press Uleman, J. (2010). An introduction to Kant's Moral philosophy. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press Weiss, R. (2001). Virtue in the cave: moral inquiries in Plato's Meno. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press Zuckert, C. (2009). Plato's Philosophers: The coherence of the dialogues. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press Read More