In recent months, police departments throughout the nation have been the target of scrutiny for alleged misuse of force. From New York, to Missouri to California, fatal shootings of unarmed men by police have prompted public outcry and a special investigation into the use of police force was ordered by the White House. Even Dover has garnered some of the unwanted attention.

Stephen DiFlorio of West Chester, Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against the Dover Police Department. In the suit he alleges the police used excessive force when they shot him with a stun gun without warning. He also says the police came to his house without justifiable cause and, according to a summary of the complaint in a Delaware Online article, "beat him, then took him into custody and filed bogus paperwork to justify the arrest."

Regardless of the facts in the case, such an incident may be viewed differently by the public in light of recent events. The majority of police officers in the nation are highly professional. However, mistakes by just a few of them make the job of policing that much more difficult for all of them.