How would you feel to be pulled over by the cops on a dark stretch of road for no reason? Virginia driver Caron Nazario was understandably scared, especially as he is from a brown-black family. He was pepper-sprayed, had his brand new car illegally searched and was threatened he would be killed. That’s what police brutality in Virginia looks like. The case caused an uproar and forced the state Attorney General to open an investigation into the activity of the police department in Windsor where the incident took place.You don’t have to wait for the authorities to get involved, they rarely do. Instead, you can get in touch with a skilled Virginia police brutality lawyer and file a civil complaint. Racial profiling is one of the most common forms of police misconduct in Virginia. Black and Latino residents are unlawfully targeted by police officers, subjected to random stops and searches, not to mention verbally and physically abused.What happened to Caron Nazario, who, by the way, is a US Army lieutenant, is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment which prohibits illegal seizures and searches. The man was threatened he would lose his job if he spoke about the incident, but Nazario knew exactly what he had to do. You shouldn’t allow police officers to intimidate you when they are clearly in the wrong. An experienced police brutality lawyer in Virginia Beach or whatever city you live in will help you formulate a civil complaint or even a federal one. That’s what the brave lieutenant did, he took his case to federal level. This is just one of the many cases in which local police agents were charged with excessive use of force. Law enforcement agents cannot use force against a civilian who is not resisting and is not threatening. The use of pepper sprays, batons, tasers and firearms is only justified when the agents are trying to apprehend a violent suspect. Even soft hands techniques are strictly regulated. Police officers cannot go around breaking people's arms or choking them to death.

Blue police light; image by Max Fleischmann, via Unsplash.com.

The same goes for detaining a civilian for no reason, even if they don’t take you to jail. Also, they do not have the right to search you, your vehicle or your home without a warrant or at least a serious reason to do so. Simply because you’re black that does not mean that you must be involved in something illegal. Any charges stemming from a false arrest or illegal search can be invalidated if you get yourself a tough criminal defense lawyer.If a police agent breaks the law and violates your civil rights, it’s only fair that they pay for their actions. When you file a civil complaint at state or federal level you can ask for damages. Your lawyers will see to it that you get economic damages for medical bills and missed work if you were injured during the police action. At the same time, you can ask for non-economic damages to compensate you for your pain and suffering. Being stopped on an empty stretch of road by police agents who threaten your life is an experience that will cause significant mental trauma and those responsible need to pay for your nightmare.