Lately, it seems like every time we turn on the news we hear another story in which law enforcement officers are alleged to have responded with excessive force or otherwise acted inappropriately in the line of duty. We’ve been witness to a series of tragic incidents nationwide involving fatal shootings by police of unarmed teenagers, which have made us aware of the grave dimensions of the problem. As these stories have received more attention and news coverage, claims of police misconduct have also become a more frequent occurrence in my legal practice. In the last year alone I have fielded dozens of inquiries from people about potential claims that their rights have been violated by a law enforcement officer -- far more than any previous period in my career. Most of the calls I receive are those relating to “excessive force” claims – that is injuries sustained as a result of an arrest and/or interrogation by someone involved in law enforcement. Over the course of the next few weeks I am going to address this topic here on my blog.