While criminal laws protect an individual rather than the public, civil actions are in place to compensate an individual financially, physically and emotionally for any injuries sustained. Although the man had narcotics with him, he was also falsely accused of another crime and injured in the process (Ross, 2013). There may be a potential civil action against Officer Jones for violating an individual's rights. Yes, however, the man has charges pending against him; he has the right to make a complaint about his perception of how the meeting between him and Officer Jones went. In this case, it could be said that Officer Jones used excessive force causing physical injury to the man (this man was unarmed) and did not actually commit the crime he was accused of (Saltzman, 1999). Civil rights laws exist to protect citizens from abuse by the government, including by the police. The officer may argue that he acted only on the information he received from the victim and that he believed the information was true and that the suspect initially showed no cooperation when asked to stop. His civil rights were violated because of the way he acted, leading the officer to think he actually had a gun on him (Ross,