Was This Justified ?

[tint123]

What do you think ?

Be good material for Mdogs class to discuss..........

http://www.khow.com/pages/caplisandsilverman.html

[Guest Sunlimited]

An officer isn't judge & jury. Listen to what they say, if you feel they were wrong, have your day in court.....Than you wont get punched in the face....... ............I think more cops need to take out that night stick myself...........

[TintJunkie]

The race pimps are ready to fight now. I think the chief summed it up perfectly.

I do feel officers have better things to do than cite people for jaywalking.

[flat rock stan]

The race pimps are ready to fight now. I think the chief summed it up perfectly.

I do feel officers have better things to do than cite people for jaywalking.

like stopping m*th heads

[Mdog]

We watched that in class last week. They were resisting arrest and the one girl shoved the cop. Although it looks bad on camera there is actually nothing wrong with what he did IMO.

The force continuum here in Texas says you can use REASONABLE FORCE to make a arrest...The force continuum allows you to take it "force you are using" up one notch above what the person is doing to make the person comply.

SO basically if somebody is fighting you can fight back as equal force or take it to the next level which would be pepper spray or tazer and be OK.

Punching a woman looks bad but those two chick looked pretty tough to me and the crowd of onlookers make it a little dicey also.

[Mdog]

Jaywalking......I agree, must have been a slow SLOW day

They shouldnt have resisted though, bottom like. Take your ticket and go home. Argue it in court. Fighting with the cops is never a good idea.

[Mdog]

Level One

Officer Presence. The mere presence of a police officer in uniform or in a marked police unit is often enough to stop a crime in progress or prevent most situations from escalating. Without saying a word, the mere presence of a police officer can deter crime by the simple use of body language and gestures. At this level gestures should be non-threatening and professional. This "zero" level of force is always the best way to resolve any situation if possible.

Level Two

Verbal Commands. Used in combination with a visible presence, the use of the voice can usually achieve the desired results. Whether you instruct a person to, "Stop.", "Don't Move.", "Be quiet.", "Listen to me.", "Let me see your ID.", or, "You're under arrest." Voice commands in conjunction with your mere presence will almost always resolve the situation. The content of the message is as important as your demeanor. It is always best to start out calm but firm and non-threatening. Your choice of words and intensity can be increased as necessary, or used in short commands in more serious situations. The right combination of words in combination with officer presence can de-escalate a tense situation and prevent the need for a physical altercation. Training and experience improves the ability of a police officer to communicate effectively with everyone he/she comes in contact with.

Level Three

Empty Hand Control. Certain situations will arise where words alone will not reduce the aggression. This is the time police officers will need to get involved physically. This is a level of control employed by police officers minus the aid of equipment or weapons. There are two subcategories called, soft empty hand techniques and hard empty hand techniques. Soft Empty Hand Techniques: At this level minimal force would involve the use of bare hands to guide, hold, and restrain -- applying pressure points, and take down techniques that have a minimal chance of injury. Hard Empty Hand Techniques: At this level the use of force includes kicks, punches or other striking techniques such as the brachial stun or other strikes to key motor points that have a moderate chance of injury.

Level Four

Pepper Spray, Baton, Taser. When the suspect is violent or threatening, more extreme, but non-deadly measures must be used to bring the suspect under control, or affect an arrest. Before moving to this level of force, it is assumed that less physical measures have been tried and deemed inappropriate. Pepper spray results in considerable tearing of the eyes, as well as temporary paralysis of the larynx, which causes subjects to lose their breath. Contact with the face causes a strong burning sensation. Pepper spray, once thought an effective street tool for police officers has lost popularity over the years because of its ineffectiveness, especially on intoxicated persons. The typical baton is a round stick of various lengths, and is made of hardwood, aluminum or plastic composite materials. A blow with a baton can immobilize a combative person, allowing officers to affect an arrest. Common impact weapon used by police today include the PR-24 and collapsible baton. Of all the options available at this level the Taser, in my opinion, is the most effective. The Taser discharges a high voltage spark (50,000 volts) at very low amperage. The Taser fires two small darts, connected to wires, which drops a suspect at non-contact distance. These devices are easily carried. They are lightweight and affordable. Extensive training is not required, and they may be more effective on persons under the influence of PCP and other drugs who do not respond to chemical irritants. They can be especially useful for controlling non-criminal violent behavior, such as persons who are mentally impaired, or under the influence of mind-altering substances.

Level Five

Less Lethal. This is a newer, acceptable and effective level of force that numerous police agencies have added to their use of force continuum policy and procedure. Less-lethal weapons were developed to provide law enforcement, military and corrections personnel with an alternative to lethal force. They were designed to temporarily incapacitate, confuse, delay, or restrain an adversary in a variety of situations. They have been used in riots, prison disturbances, and hostage rescues. Less-lethal weapons are valuable when: Lethal force is not appropriate. Lethal force is justified and available for backup but lesser force may subdue the aggressor. Lethal force is justified but its use could cause collateral effects, such as injury to bystanders or life-threatening damage to property and environment.

Level Six

Deadly Force. If a police peace officer has probable cause to believe that a suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others then the use of deadly force is justified. (see Tennessee v. Garner) By the very nature of the profession, peace officers may at times be confronted with a potentially lethal threat. In most of these instances, peace officers will have no other option but to discharge their firearm in order to protect their life or, the life of others.

The use of force is an integral part of a law enforcement officer's job, particularly when arresting criminal suspects. No one disputes that police should be permitted to protect themselves and others from threats to safety, but what is often disputed is an officer's assessment of a threat and the level of force selected to counter it. As a general principle, the level of force used should be tailored to the nature of the threat that prompted its use.

[Mdog]

This is what the Texas Force Continuum look like...

Using the above as a example....The officer was at level 3 and it clearly indicates what you can and cant do.

Actually the officer was being nice by only punching her in the face considering they were resisting and he DID NOT TAZE or PEPPER SPRAY the girl and he very well could have LEGALLY under Texas law.

He actually kept his force down a level.

[Mr paladin]

I Think the cop had a right to defend himself one things escalated However I think he mad e a very poor decision in what looks like a mostly minority neighborhood to mess with someone on such a bullshit charge like jaywalking,I feel he set him self up for a loose loose situation

[Guest Sunlimited]

There ARE better things to do than get people for jaywalking.............BUT,,,,,listen to the officer have your day in court,,,,,,or get knocked the f!@# out(if your lucky).....easy peasy............