I have to ask, before the advent of the tazers, how did LE's get by????
I'll tell you how.
COPS BEAT THE SNOT OUT OF PEOPLE.
Since the adoption of Tasers by my department, over-all uses of force (as defined as tacklings, macings, taserings, strikings (open-handed and impact weapn), uses of a K9, gunshots, etc) have remained roughly steady (minor fluctuations over the three years, up a little and down a little), but the uses of serious uses of force (strikes, K9, gunshots) have gone down something on the order of 40%.
That's 40% less people who have been punched, kicked, kneed, hit with a flashlight or baton, bitten by a dog, or shot.
I dunno. I call that an improvement. I guess you don't.
Seems like the tazers are used so willy nilly by LE's now adays.
The important word in that statement is "seems."
I think if an LE uses a tazer on duty, he has to explain his actions before a civilian review board. The tazer is a good tool, but it has been used freely with no consequences by the LE community.
Do you have a basis for this, or is this more "seems" stuff? Last time I checked, the same controls over me applied to any and all uses of force, including the Taser.
I have to tell you, honestly if I saw an LE use a tazer against my 80 year old grandmother, I'd consider it a life threating action and probably use my CCW to stop him. I would rather face a jury of 12 with a lawyer by myside than to look in the mirror every morning and realize that I failed to protect my grandmother by letting some SOB tazer her.
Uh, sure. Except that you could not stop it once it was deployed, and you'd probably be facing the undertaker, not a jury. But whatever.
I think the quality of the majority of the people who would want to become a Law Enforcement Officer has been on the steady decline over the years(Not all of them). Becoming a LEO is not about protecting anymore, but more of an ego boost. Been taught to follow the book. But, don't know if they know how to think on their feet. Always resorting to using force.
I think more people avoid LE, or get out of LE after a short period of time, due to the fact that it is a dangerous job and they know you will be armchair-quarterbacked by your chain of command, the judicial system in the criminal case, the media, the judicial system in a civil case, and various internet discussion boards. The general consensus is "screw that." The ones that remain, at least around here, tend to have more of a love of the profession than they do a love of bossing people around.
The image of police and police work has been tainted so bad in the mainstream media. Unrealistic Gung ho actors portraying police has become the accepted cultural norm.
Maybe for the culture as a whole, but cops don't buy it. Most of us just laaaaaugh at Hollywood.
I wonder how the old timers, experienced LEO would have solve this problem. But, then again, we are facing a different society, culture and values than in the times past.
Probably tried verbal commands, de-escalarion, and, if that failed to work, slammed her into the carpet, dragged her to jail, and gone to get a cup of coffee. I don't know it for a fact, but I strongly suspect that the same verbal techniques were tried prior to using the Taser.
Well.....
There are 2 sides to every story. Personally, I think the LEO should have called in backups and then they should have Rodney King'ed her belligerent old self right into the ground. I mean come on, what's the use in having authority if you can't use it?
Well, let's assume that verbal commands and de-escalation and various forms of persuasion were tried and failed. You are the manager of the facility that has called the police there to have this person removed. What would YOU want to happen? You called the police to get her out of there. They have tried talking. They have tried threatening. Both have failed. Do they just leave?
If they did, you would would be furious because they did not do their job.
And you'd be right to be.
Yeah taz the old lady or tackle her? ***? It's nice to see the choices some people present themselves with it is no wonder this crap happens.
The point is that sometimes those ARE the options. Not always. Not even usually. Most of the time you can show up, show a little compassion, say, "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you have to leave" and resolve the whole situation in a dignified manner. Or at least cajole some cooperation. Or, look really mean and say that you'll take someone to jail, the whole time hoping you don't have to go that route.
Sometimes you can't. Sometimes there is nothing to do but physically remove the person. ASSUMING that is the case, you suddenly have to be very concerned about how you do it, when the person who has to be removed is elderly. Grabbing hurts. Joint manipulation techniques can break bones. Tackling is going to break something, perhaps a hip, or a spine, and perhaps irrepairably.
Is the Taser the best option in that case? I have no idea, since I still don't know the details. But, you know? It seems a lot less unreasonable when you look at it in that light, and under those assumptions.
Mike
