A Community Unraveled: Police Shooting in Ferguson, MO

Author
Charles P. Wilson, Shirley A. Wilson
Region
North America
Topic
Ethics & Social Justice
Human Resources & Organizational Behavior
Strategy & General Management
Length
5 pages
Keywords
personnel/OB
policy/strategy
eithics
Human Resource Management
Diversity
cultural studies
Copyright Holder
Journal of Critical Incidents
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students

This decisive critical incident describes events which took place within the community of Ferguson, MO following the shooting of an unarmed African American teenager by a white policy officer that resulted in mass protests and national debates on racial inequities, police abuse of power, law enforcement militarization, and community protest. Students are asked to discuss both the police department’s and officer’s role in this situation, the community’s response, and whether or not the department bears any responsibility for the level of protests which followed the shooting.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Examine the need for transparency in releasing public information by FPD with regard to the shooting and its aftermath.
  2. Develop strategies for creating positive community interactions when dealing with diverse communities.
  3. Review and examine FPD’s responsibility to investigate and prosecute allegations of police abuse.
  4. Analyze the importance of diversity in the hiring practices of FPD.
  5. Analyze and discuss crisis management strategies that can be effective for use by FPD and other police agencies.