In Their Own Words: Master and Commander edition
The Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors, on their understanding of Officer Safety
:
This time it was a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel, essentially ruling that unless an officer is actually under physical attack, he/she cannot use a Taser to subdue a suspect. And, for good measure, these starry-eyed jurists, who probably have never been in a physical fight in their lives, opined that police officers should not fear irrational suspects defying officer commands as long as the suspect stays 15 feet from the officer.
As every street cop knows, any suspect within 15 feet who is actively resisting verbal commands is a threat to officer safety.
If a suspect complies with an officer's commands, the use of force or a weapon is unnecessary. When a suspect fails to comply with verbal commands, it means the situation is rapidly escalating and some form of force will be required to gain compliance.
(Via William N. Grigg.)
See also:
- GT 2010-01-11: Tiny weapons searches
- GT 2008-10-25: Translation from cop-speak to English
- GT 2009-10-12: The Police Beat: Officer Marc Rios, the Bronx, New York, New York
- GT 2008-06-30: Law and Orders #8: Memphis cop Bridges McRae
exceeds expectations
by punching Duanna Johnson repeatedly in the face with handcuffs over his knuckles for failing to stand up on command in the booking area at 201 Poplar - GT 2008-06-13: Law and Orders #7: Portland cops Erin Smith and Ron Hoesly find it
would be necessary
to pull Phil Sano down off his bike, beat him up, and taser him repeatedly, for biking without a headlight - GT 2008-02-01: Law and Orders #6: Pigs at the Trough
- GT 2007-12-23: Law and Orders #5: Daytona Beach cop takes control at Best Buy by shocking an unarmed,
retreating
woman - GT 2007-12-07: Law and Orders #4: Wichita cops take control by shocking a deaf man for not following orders he couldn't hear
- GT 2007-12-01: What a shock.
- GT 2007-11-27: Law and Orders #3: John Gardner of the Utah Highway Patrol tasers Jared Massey in front of his family for questioning why he was pulled over
- GT 2007-10-11: Law and Orders #2: Florida cop was
within bounds
when he punched and pepper-sprayed a 15-year-old girl for breaking curfew - GT 2006-11-16: Law and Orders: UCLA campus police
found it necessary
to repeatedly taser an Iranian student already lying helpless on the ground - GT 2009-07-29: Clown suits
- GT 2008-10-06: No, seriously, I could swear the water in this pot is getting a little hotter... (#7)
- GT 2008-05-11: Cops are here to protect you. (#4)