"the gentle bandit'' is "cold-blooded cop killer"

Hi mpress, I tried to give you a GS flag but the system went bonkers!

Brian, here's some background on this. 

Christopher, there's no one "lesson" to be learned or applied. Every single prisoner interaction, transport, traffic stop or arrest is dangerous and has multiple potentialities. Just like any other job, sometimes things happen. Mistakes are made, etc. I'm not sure that blame has yet been assigned. As best I understand it, this was a planned escape, and this killer carefully plotted to make medical complaints, knowing that then he would get special care and transport.

Ever had someone sneak up behind you, or even be facing you, and suddenly--zing! They've playfully tweaked or tickled you? Ever notice how really good cops always are aware of where their weapon is? One of my friends may look like he has an unusual posture even when lecturing to a class, but in reality, he has an erect posture that keeps his elbow near his weapon, without it being obvious. No one can get behind or near him and grab that weapon. However, if an officer were in the process of helping a prisoner in a wheelchair be loaded into a van, he/she might momentarily be vulnerable.

My question is mostly: why only one officer? Did the killer stage such a convincing demonstration of being in pain and barely able to move that they decided to transport with only a 70-something-year-old officer? If so, that's a judgment call. And criminals tend to be very skilled liars, and also good at manipulating the system.

Around here, Reserve Officers (basically trained volunteers) often do transports of various kinds; primarily taking mental patients to the nearest clinic for a legally-mandated observation period.

Transports, by their nature, have vulnerabilities. But you have to transport--to other facilities, to court, to medical care. 

We hauled a real drunk/nut case with a history of violence off a couple of weeks ago. He was standing in the street, yelling, and attacking cars. Took 3 officers to get him into our car without violence,  and all the way down to the station, behidn the cage, he yelled, raged, and levelled obscene accusations.

Our jail has a sally port. When prisoners are removed from the car, both gates are electronically closed, so if they hit the officer and try to run, they're going nowhere. Also, when the officer gets out, before removing the prisoner, weapons are stashed in a locked trunk. When the prisoner is removed from the car, there's no place to run, and no weapon to grab.

Very efficient.