Comments on: Police officer draws gun on student http://www.bloggernews.net/13791 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:06:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: aschmails http://www.bloggernews.net/13791#comment-1139 aschmails Sat, 13 Jan 2007 19:32:55 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/13791#comment-1139 “Officer draws gun” I watched the video, and several things indicate a problem with the incident. Regarding the use of force in Police training, Active aggression can be met with active aggression, and whatever force is necessary to justify the arrest. However, the use of deadly physical force (the weapon) as a threat/control technique is unusual. The lack of concern or reaction when the officer is escorting the young man down the hall, would indicate that there was no “shots fired” – or “machete wielding” action occurring just off camera. Police are not trained to threaten someone with a firearm, unless they intend to shoot them or believe they may have to. (That is why police officers are trained not to fire warning shots.) Officers often have their weapons out that is true, but not to threaten as a control technique. There must be more going on, that one can not see. “Officer draws gun”
I watched the video, and several things indicate a problem with the incident. Regarding the use of force in Police training, Active aggression can be met with active aggression, and whatever force is necessary to justify the arrest. However, the use of deadly physical force (the weapon) as a threat/control technique is unusual. The lack of concern or reaction when the officer is escorting the young man down the hall, would indicate that there was no “shots fired” – or “machete wielding” action occurring just off camera. Police are not trained to threaten someone with a firearm, unless they intend to shoot them or believe they may have to. (That is why police officers are trained not to fire warning shots.) Officers often have their weapons out that is true, but not to threaten as a control technique. There must be more going on, that one can not see.

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