What many people don't realize is that: a) people tend to be heavily armed these days and often officers don't know what they have on them until they're subdued b) the effect of drugs c) the effect of adrenaline and d) how officers really don't want to be beaten up if they can avoid it. Taser is an intermediate step.
When someone refuses to obey orders, and then is hard for even more than one officer to subdue, and indicates that he/she will keep on fighting, should officers take continued risks? If they hit back, with fists or batons, even if the suspect has hit and kicked, sometimes bitten them,then people yell "brutality." Should they just let them go if they fight? If they fight back, charges of brutality. If they taze, ditto.
One of my police friends, whose first K9 partner came from me, one night got called out with his dog. Seems that some guy was fighting being arrested. He'd battled 11 officers, had hurt a few, and had bitten off part of one officer's ear (gone forever). Yes, there are legitimate fears of AIDS, too, and other diseases--when suspects spit, bite, etc. they're adding another layer of danger. My friend and his dog rolled up, got out of the car, and my friend said "stop or I take the dog off the leash."
The guy stopped. But when they put him in the car, he kicked out the rear window, cursing and yelling and threatening. So my friend said "stop or the dog rides with you." The guy stopped.
Had the officers had Tasers then, maybe several of them wouldn't have gone to the hospital.
All too often, those who aren't there, don't know police procedure, don't know all the dangers involved (syringes in pockets, spitting, biting), or maybe just plain hate cops (until they need one) criticize if officers put someone on the ground, hit them, taze them, bring a dog in to scare them. If officers are arresting someone, especially someone they believe to be dangerous to themselves or others, they simply can't just back off and give up if someone fights or wn't obey.
Yes, officers need to exercise care in the use of batons or tazers. Because they have to file reports on what level of force they have to do, and must be able to justify force, officers on the whole aren't indiscriminate with their tools. Are there "tough cops" or cops who make mistakes? Sure thing. Any profession, any job, has different levels of competency-- doctors can be dangerous, too.
If you are an officer and there's a suspect who will not listen to your instructions, are you then obligated to let the suspect do bodily harm to you in order to pre-appease the public? No.
Truemors
Sign in to NowPublic
at 10:51 on October 15th, 2007
What many people don't realize is that: a) people tend to be heavily armed these days and often officers don't know what they have on them until they're subdued b) the effect of drugs c) the effect of adrenaline and d) how officers really don't want to be beaten up if they can avoid it. Taser is an intermediate step.
When someone refuses to obey orders, and then is hard for even more than one officer to subdue, and indicates that he/she will keep on fighting, should officers take continued risks? If they hit back, with fists or batons, even if the suspect has hit and kicked, sometimes bitten them,then people yell "brutality." Should they just let them go if they fight? If they fight back, charges of brutality. If they taze, ditto.
One of my police friends, whose first K9 partner came from me, one night got called out with his dog. Seems that some guy was fighting being arrested. He'd battled 11 officers, had hurt a few, and had bitten off part of one officer's ear (gone forever). Yes, there are legitimate fears of AIDS, too, and other diseases--when suspects spit, bite, etc. they're adding another layer of danger. My friend and his dog rolled up, got out of the car, and my friend said "stop or I take the dog off the leash."
The guy stopped. But when they put him in the car, he kicked out the rear window, cursing and yelling and threatening. So my friend said "stop or the dog rides with you." The guy stopped.
Had the officers had Tasers then, maybe several of them wouldn't have gone to the hospital.
All too often, those who aren't there, don't know police procedure, don't know all the dangers involved (syringes in pockets, spitting, biting), or maybe just plain hate cops (until they need one) criticize if officers put someone on the ground, hit them, taze them, bring a dog in to scare them. If officers are arresting someone, especially someone they believe to be dangerous to themselves or others, they simply can't just back off and give up if someone fights or wn't obey.
Yes, officers need to exercise care in the use of batons or tazers. Because they have to file reports on what level of force they have to do, and must be able to justify force, officers on the whole aren't indiscriminate with their tools. Are there "tough cops" or cops who make mistakes? Sure thing. Any profession, any job, has different levels of competency-- doctors can be dangerous, too.
If you are an officer and there's a suspect who will not listen to your instructions, are you then obligated to let the suspect do bodily harm to you in order to pre-appease the public? No.