Reality In The Use Of Force

By Charles E. Humes, Jr.

The last decade has brought numerous changes in law enforcement and perceptions of what a police officer does, should do, and is capable of doing. But one of the most dangerous is the nationwide common misperception that if a criminal gets injured while resisting arrest or assaulting a police officer, the police officer must have done something wrong. This may be true in rare cases, but is far from the norm. The general public is often misled by persons who have no idea of what occurs in a physical confrontation; and usually by those who have no experience in physical altercations , and have never had to deal with the people the police frequently encounter.

In a study written by a college professor on the police use of force, she writes, “Both also show that the behavior of the opponent—in terms of being antagonistic, abusive, aggressive, and intoxicated –emerges as a statistically significant explanatory factor in use of force situations. Obviously, in many cases where police encounter such opponents, especially if the opponents are intoxicated, there may be little the police can do to resolve the situation short of using physical force.”

Dr. Croft further pointed out the infrequency that police officers use physical force. Of the 129,491 criminal arrests studied for her report, “The 2,397 use of force incidents represented approximately 2% of the total criminal arrests.”

It’s time for the public, the government, and in some cases, police administrators, to look at reality. Generally speaking, when a police officer has to subdue a resisting criminal, he must chase him, knock him down and handcuff him. Let’s compare this to the time honored sport of football where the players are also chased and knocked to the ground.

1. Physical conditioning. The average football player is a tremendous athlete. Most train year round with strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular training. On the other hand, most violent criminals do not exercise. Most do not even work other than stealing from those who do. While there are exceptions, most are not prepared for physical conflicts.

2. Medical readiness. Before being allowed to take the field and be knocked down, the football player must undergo a complete physical examination by a doctor. On the other hand, most criminals only see a doctor when another criminal shoots or stabs them, or as they drive off after stealing the doctor’s car.

3. Safety equipment. Football players wear state of the art helmets, padding and other protective equipment. Fleeing and/or violent criminals wear none of these.

4. Environment. Football players play on extremely controlled, grassy surfaces, especially designed for the safe play of the game. It has boundaries, and is free of obstructions. When subduing criminals there are no boundaries. The surfaces range from stairways to fields, to glass littered alleys, to living room floors. Often these areas are cluttered with everything from tables, to broken down appliances, to cars.

5. Medical Support. Trainers, doctors and life squads line the playing fields to immediately respond to any unusual occurrence, and they are never delayed by sniper fire, rocks or bottles. Police officers must often wait several minutes for medical help to arrive if a criminal or officer is injured.

6. Referees. There are referees present at a ball game to make sure that everyone plays the game within the boundaries of the rules and regulations. When police officers are combating a resisting criminal, there are no rules to the resisting criminal.

7. Sobriety. Football players are not allowed to play when they are so intoxicated from alcohol or other drugs that any exertion is a danger to them. Studies have shown that a criminal is most likely to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs when he resists.

8. Infractions. When a football player is grabbed for a tackle, he does not turn around and try to punch, stab, or shoot the opposing player. It is not uncommon for police officers to be assaulted in such a fashion when an officer catches up to a fleeing criminal.

9. Lighting. Nighttime football games are played under incredibly bright stadium lights. Police officers often must combat criminals with little or no light whatsoever.

10. Time Out. If a football player is winded or temporarily unable to continue to play, he just calls for a time out and the team regroups. A police officer struggling with a violent criminal gets no breaks, no time outs, no second chances.

Every year, even with all the aforementioned safety details followed; football players are injured, maimed for life and killed on the playing field. It’s accepted as an unfortunate consequence of competition. It’s just part of the game.

Police officers operate under conditions that football players wouldn’t even consider. They engage in confrontations that are much more violent than any football game. And if a violent criminal gets injured, the perception is that the officer must have done something wrong.

It’s time for the public and governing bodies to make a decision. Do they want to ensure the safety of the public, or the unrealistic pampering of the criminal element?

It is just plain ludicrous to expect police officers to not put a scratch on criminals who are violently assaulting them and/or violently resisting arrest. To do so is to ask for the impossible. The fact that a physical confrontation can cause injuries and sometimes death is not a choice; it’s not an option; it’s just the way it is. If it was a choice, football players would never be injured, crippled or killed.

Police officers don’t force criminals to choose a criminal lifestyle, but they are given the task of protecting citizens from the carnage a criminal lifestyle produces. The criminals have made their choice. It’s time for society to make theirs.

Charles E. Humes, Jr. can be e-mailed at NoDonuts@aol.com or visit his website at http://www.primenet.com/~nodonuts/