An Oklahoma City police officer was charged Friday with 16 counts, including rape and sexual battery, after being accused of assaulting at least eight women while on patrol. The officer Daniel Holtzclaw, 27, also faces charges of forcible oral sodomy and indecent exposure.
This is just one of many recent incidents of assaults or misconduct on the part of police officers around the country.
A Chicago police commander who had been praised for his crime fighting in some of the city's roughest neighborhoods appeared in court on Thursday to face charges he put a gun in a suspect's mouth, officials said.
"The alleged actions, if true, are unacceptable to both the residents we serve and to the men and women of this department," Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said in a statement. He added that the police would cooperate with prosecutors.
A woman who was punched repeatedly in the face by a California Highway Patrol officer beside a Los Angeles freeway was caught on video. Marlene Pinnock, 51, said she feared for her life and wanted the officer involved the July 1 incident fired.
And most notably in news recently is teenager Michael Brown whom was shot dead by a police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, triggering violent protests that rocked Ferguson - a St. Louis suburb - and shone a global spotlight on the state of race relations in America.
The frequency and brutality of these incidents regardless of what stance one takes is a growing concern and demands attention from the citizens of the country and those sworn to leadership of the citizens.