Other Ways Police Could Take Down an Unarmed Suspect.

First, if you are not familiar with my blog, please know that I have lots of respect for the members of the Law Enforcement community  just as I do with my brothers and current members of our Armed Forces Community. I applauded all the respectable men and women who put their lives on the line for public service.  However, even many police department know that now every person who puts on that uniform does not deserve to wear it. Just as there are people who are in the profession of being doctors, lawyers, mechanics, or soldier, who shouldn’t be. This is why many law enforcement centers have an internal affairs department to weed out bad officers.  That being said in recent months we have seen what is in MY OPINION, lots of bad decision, or a reflection of bad training by police officers when dealing with unarmed suspects. Many may feel that there are different deep rooted racial issue at heart and I’m will not attempt to discuss nor debate them them here. In the course of human history, some people have and will use their differences be they racial, religious, economical, political or other factors to justify not treating another person justly or use these same ‘reasons’ to feel they are superior to the other person. I can’t say that in all cases.  The purpose of this blog is not to discuss this, and I’ll leave it you each of you to debate, discover and discuss  solutions to these issues. Also realize there are many interesting situations that law enforcement officer’s have to deal with, that we can’t even imagine. Let us acknowledge that police officers are humans and carry all the baggage of humanity including sometimes having their feelings override their intellect or training and reacting accordingly. It happens to all of us at one time or another and it’s probably encoded in either our DNA or human legacy.

There are several US cities that have something like a Citizen Police Academy where among other things they demonstrate and show what they have available when dealing with people and situations.  There are also simulators where they give citizen to make those split second life or death decisions. Where there have been much focus on police shootings, and particularly against minorities. According to the United States Department of Justice there are about 300-400 police-involved “justifiable homicides” per a year. This number per capita is higher than any other country.Of those killed by police, roughly 32 percent are minorities and 64 percent are non-minorities.

Recent Stories

There have been several incidents in the history of this country of controversial incidents of how the police deal with a person or persons who are deemed as breaking the law. In other countries the number of unarmed citizens killed by police is much much lower for many factors and reasons. Here are two recent ones that have ignited the country in 2014

• New York Police Department Officer Daniel Pantaleo killed uncooperative Eric Garner while subduing him with a choke hold for selling loose cigarettes. The Officer claimed that he was trained to take down suspects that way.
• Officer Darren Wilson shot several times and killed a belligerents unarmed 18 year-old Michael Brown, who he had an altercation with earlier. In keeping with current Missouri law of when and how deadly-force can be used on unarmed suspects.

Other police involved stories you can research

• Akai Gurley, 28  New York
• Armand Bennet Bennet, 26, New Orleans
• Ezell Ford, 26, Los Angeles
• John CrawfordII, Ohio
• Dillon Taylor, 20, Salt Lake City UT
• Gilbert Collar, 18, Mobile, AL
• Tobbie Tolan, Belliare, TX

The Arsenal of Peace Keeping

Police officers can probably attribute their response to situations to the way they were trained to think and  to deal with suspects. However, I know in the City of Charleston, SC and many towns and cities officer are armed with an arsenal of non-lethal as well as lethal devices to subdue even unarmed suspects.  I ponder why these tools and techniques are not being used when there is not life-threatening issue, other than bad training or another factor. Far too often officers reach from their guns first.

• Here are a few tool law enforcement officers have at their disposal:
  • Talking – Sometimes it is possible to talk a person out of making a bad decision instead of just rushing in with a show of force.  Sometimes it matters HOW you talk to people to diffuse a situation. A wise person said if you treat a person like an animal, expect them to behave that way. Yelling and cursing it the best way to lose control of a potential dangerous situation.
  • Physical or Self Defense Techniques – The human body is its own worst enemy in the hands of someone who takes the time to learn all of its weaknesses. I know many police academies have some basic self-defense or martial arts training. I ponder if more is not required. In reviewing the video tapes of how many suspects are treated from Rodney King to Eric Gardner I there are simple martial arts techniques that could have taken them down easily.  I wonder if these need to be explored more. Of course police officers who are not in great physical shape are not in a good position to use these techniques again someone in better physical shape.
  • Stun Gun or Tasers – These relatively non-lethal electro-shock devices have
    proven to be extremely effective in most cases to take down the most disobedient persons. Stun devices come in all shapes including as flashlight, batons and hand held devices. We know that many officers use these instead of guns.
  • Pepper Spray – this ancient of weapons has proven itself for centuries. Just think what would have happen in many of these cases if the officers had just used Pepper Spray as opposed to outlawed choke holds. Many Police grade pepper spray is 87% hotter than the normal street variety and can subdue a person.
  • Metal Baton/Night sticks – Many officer carry metal batons that can inflict pain and injury to a suspect to try to subdue anyone resisting arrest. A correct  striking blow to the back of the leg, knees, elbows, wrist can subdue many suspects. Pain is usually a good way to make a person think twice.
  • The Gun – Unfortunately in the United State, many police officers are trained to shoot center mass to stop a person. Often of all the weapons in their arsenal, it is the first one they use, because simply it is easiest and most effective way to stop a suspect in some situation. However, I don’t see it as the only solution in some of these situations. I do not have an issue with a police officer defending themselves against an armed suspect with deadly force. I have said in many writings, if it comes down to you are them – choose you. However, when it comes to an unarmed belligerent suspect.  A shot to the knee will stop them from charging at you. However, this too requires proper training at shooting smaller targets, but it is not difficult. After all if people can shoot moving birds, how hard is it to take out a knee or leg.  Again let us acknowledge that when law enforcement officers are dealing with a belligerent person, they can’t always tell if the person is just non-compliant, mentally ill, or on drugs, and often only have moments to stop the person from doing harm to others, or to the officer. However, is killing a suspect first the best solution in all cases. NO.

The Bottom Line

In the 1987 movie The Untouchables ; Officer Malone said that they first rule of law enforcement is to make sure when your shift is over you go home alive.  I am aware that that in some situations a police officer only has a split-second to make a life changing decision to stop a suspect who is endangering their lives  Again when encountering a criminal and the wise choice comes down to you or them, make the correct decision. But would it hurt to make decisions to leave you both alive?

See Also :
History of Law Enforcement (https://peppereyes.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/history-of-law-enforcement-officers/)

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