Final answer:
The new era of police brutality is marked by increased public awareness due to smartphones and social media, along with a continued pattern of deadly force disproportionately used against unarmed Black individuals. High-profile incidents have spurred national discussions and movements calling for police reform and greater accountability to address systemic issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is New About This Era of Police Brutality?
The new era of police brutality is characterized by increased public awareness and rapid dissemination of evidence through social media and other digital platforms.
This change is significantly different from past decades when traditional media had the sole power to determine what constituted news.
Recording devices now ubiquitous in smartphones allow citizens to instantly capture and share instances of excessive force or misconduct by police, which can go viral and spark national discussions and movements.
Instances such as the beating of Rodney King, and more recently, the killing of George Floyd, have not only prompted public outrage but have also highlighted systemic issues within law enforcement, leading to calls for extensive reforms.
Racial disparities in the use of deadly force by police still prevail, leading to disproportionate numbers of unarmed Black individuals being shot and sometimes killed.
While not all police officers are guilty of such practices, the pattern has been persistent enough to warrant wide-scale concern and protest. Social movements like Black Lives Matter have arisen in response to this continued injustice, advocating for change and accountability within police forces across the U.S.
The conversation around police brutality has expanded to consider the ways in which systemic racism influences policing practices and the criminal justice system as a whole.