Guest guest Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Gene, those are excellent, right-on-the-mark comments. Couldn't have said it better myself. Stupid actions such as she did puts a bad light on all law enforcement, whether it is justified or not. Officer Moseley, LP Cleburne PD Oklahoma Trooper > While recognizing that LEOs face a myriad of challenges in their daily work > as do EMS personnel, there are some basic things to learn from this episode. I > preface this by saying that I'm not a police officer, never have been one, > but I have been a police " watcher " for many years as a former prosecutor and > county and city attorney. My perspective is, obviously, from the spectator's > standpoint. Anyway, the lessons I take away are these: > > 1. Don't get a mindset that leads you to " read " a situation incorrectly. > This trooper was concerned because the offender did not stop soon enough. She > had every reason to be suspicious, but she formed a mindset early on and > allowed her mindset to lead her into a course of conduct that might well have gotten > her shot as well. In other words, she developed tunnel vision immediately. > > I did not hear any siren sounds on the tape except just before he stopped, > and then there was just a short whoop. She seemed to be yelling at him on the > PA. People are not used to hearing that in this part of the country, and it's > highly questionable whether or not he could hear it if he had his radio/CD > player on. People are attuned to the siren, and she should have used it to get > his attention. Also, before using the siren she could have simply honked her > horn to get his attention. When you're stewed and especially if you're tanked > and stoned, you tend to be listening to the pretty music. If she's going to > talk to people over the PA, she needs to identify herself as to who she is. > She did not say, " STATE POLICE, STOP YOUR VEHICLE! " She sounded out of > control before she got him stopped. I have found that the PA only works in town > when you're basically stopped in traffic. It obviously isn't effective at > speed. > > 2. Don't use a cannon for a Chihuahua. She used a felony approach for what > appeared to be a DWI/DUI stop. She escalated the situation multifold by her > approach. Also, when you're yelling and screaming, you can't hear what's > happening from the other side of the situation, and you also can't think very > rationally yourself. You're in fight/flight mode made worse by your own actions. > She could have still protected herself, been ready to act in defense if > necessary and actually made her situation safer by a quiet approach to this subject. > Yelling at drunks is like yelling at a deaf person. The louder you get, the > less they absorb. She acted about as unintelligently as can be imagined. > Doesn't OK teach its troopers anything about the psychology of dealing with > drunks and stoners? > > Troopers are taught " verbal judo " which is great when your subject is able to > comprehend who you are and appreciate the situation and circumstances. It > works less well with impaired individuals. A quieter approach allowing > observation of the offender, and quieter but firm and polite requests/orders would > have been better. What you want to do is identify possible dangers such as > weapons and get a " picture " of the offender. She misread her offender from the > beginning. > > 3. Study the principals of exerting psychological control. She doesn't > understand how to exert psychological control. She was trying to get him > stationed in one place away from the vehicle so that she could look for weapons, et > cetera, and that's OK; however, he wouldn't comply, so she started yelling and > cussing him. Not good. What you need to do is repeat one simple, clear > instruction over and over. Use simple, polite, but direct language. Screaming and > yelling only escalates the situation. It is necessary to repeat the > instruction sometimes multiple times until it sinks in. But do not vary your > instruction. Repeat the same thing until it sinks in, and do not use inflammatory > language. > > Too many cops watch COPS on TV and mimic what they do when breaking down > doors. What you do in a felony drug raid is not the same thing you do in a > misdemeanor traffic stop. > > 4. Never lose control of yourself. She lost control of herself. She was in > such a flustered state that the offender quite naturally wondered if this was > some sort of madwoman after him. She did not give him clear directions. She > was out of control from the beginning. Control doesn't mean yelling and > screaming. " When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! " > seems to be her motto. It obviously does not work. > > 5. Call for help early. She didn't call for help. As has been said before, > she should have called for help. True, we do not know where the nearest > backup might have been, and in rural areas you expect it to be miles away, but > if you don't ask for it, you don't get it, now do you? Even here in rural > Shackelford County backup usually arrives within the timespan that these turkeys > were sparring on the side of the road. On a busy turnpike it's likely that > there would have been at least an SO or police officer from a nearby city within > response range. > > 6. Use non-lethal measures if possible. She did not employ non-lethal > measures. Did she employ any non-lethal measures? Not that I can see. Does she > not have pepper spray? Yeah, yeah, it may not work with meth/PCP/speed freaks, > but this guy didn't look like one of those. Does she not have an asp or > stick? Did she fail combat 101? It's hard to subdue somebody with a gun in your > hand. This guy had about 50 opportunities to get her weapon and shoot the > hell out of her. She did nothing to minimize that possibility. I've seen women > cops smaller than she is take big guys down and have them cuffed quickly. > There was no reason for her to have her weapon in her hand. I can't remember if > he had a jacket on or not, but if he did, she missed the opportunity to simply > jerk it down over his shoulders and pin his arms. Of course, she couldn't to > a maneuver like that because she was waving her weapon at him. > > 7. Don't use more force than necessary. She shot a fleeing misdemeanant > without cause. If she had simply reached in and taken the keys when she had the > opportunity, he wasn't going far. No reason to shoot him. > > 8. Think about the consequences of what you do. She will cost the State of > Oklahoma a bundle if the offender sues. Unless they get a jury of ex-police > officers, they'll lose in court. > > 9. Don't employ idiots. They'd better get rid of her before she causes them > an even worse scandal. How would you like to have a turkey like this backing > you up? As has been said, the other troopers must be in constant rotary > nystagmus over this guajolotita (little turkey). > > 10. Think Fashion! The Oklahoma State Patrol badly needs a " Queer Eye " > makeover. Their uniforms are SOOOOOooooo Tres Tacky. > Best, > > GG > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 I agree as well Gene. I have seen officers even using verbal judo on sucidal patients and/or ODs. And it got them nowhere. The suicidal pt kept yelling at the officers who only kept yelling at her that she would be arrested. And she would yell back. My partner refused to grab her and put her in the ambulance, so I took her by the arm while PD kept yelling at her. The officers and my paramedic partner just looked at me and I told both of them your method is getting you nowhere, my turn. I got her in the unit and started talking to her and she opened up. She never yelled and was very cooperative. I just told her I am not PD I am a medic and I am here to help you. At the end she said thanks, that's all I needed, someone to listen. I said I know. This was a 21 y/o female who supposedly tried to OD, ON VITAMINS. Go figure. Salvador Capuchino Jr EMT-Paramedic ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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