On Aug. 4, Mark Duggan was shot and killed by London police officers attempting to arrest him for planning an attack on another citizen. In the aftermath of Duggan’s death, riots against the police broke out all across London.  Lack of solid and credible evidence lead officials to be uncertain as to whether Duggan fired on the officers or not.

When incidences such as this occur, the public is rarely given the information necessary to make appropriate judgements.  Despite this lack of information, much of the public opinion has been an outcry against the use of violence by the police.

The ongoing problem is due to the lack of media coverage on both sides of the story.  The public either instantly assumes or is falsely led to believe by the media that one side is wrong – the police.

Even though police officers are human and may occasionally respond rashly or with excessive force, their training teaches them not to.  It is the goal of an officer to subdue violence using only what is necessary.

Our ignorance on police “violence” is a major concern.  It’s unfair to the officers involved, it’s an insult to the position they hold and it’s an injustice that we have such one-sided information in the first place.  We must remember that in extreme situations, it’s the police we rely on.

The next time a situation such as this occurs and officers respond with violence, we must remember that there is no one reason, no one side to the story.