Brown's Shooting And Organizational Deviance
Michael Brown was fatally shot dead by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9. While the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, the incident contributed to several days of protests and conflicts between citizens and law enforcement officers that have been covered extensively by the media. During the time of the shooting, Michael Brown was shot six times and murdered despite presenting no threat to the life of the officer or any other individual. Therefore, the use of deadly or brutal force by the police officer was not immediately necessary to enforce the arrest of the suspect. The series of protests in the aftermath of the incident was fueled by the fact that the police officer presumably killed an innocent individual and endangered the lives of others by discharging his weapon several times in an area with a high population.
Given the aftermath of the incident, Brown's shooting generates a series of important criminal justice issues,...
Even though deviance has traditionally been considered from an individualistic perspective, it is sometimes carried out in organizational terms. Actually, some of the most crucial and devastating deviance is conducted on behalf of organizations and through resources provided by the organizations. In the criminal justice field, it is important for organizational managers to be aware and sensitive of organizational deviance since such actions by police officers may not only have considerable impacts on individuals and the society but also end up being fatal.
Organizational deviance is evident in Brown's shooting because of the events that happened in the aftermath of the incident, especially the actions of the police department or organization. Pazzanese (2014) states that the incident resulted in accusations that law enforcement officers were using excessive force and harassing citizens by firing teargas and pointing rifles toward peaceful…
