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By now most Officers have seen the video out of Cincinnati, Ohio where an officer is seen confronting a double murder suspect who then charges the officer yelling, “Shoot me! Shoot me!” Not surprisingly most media outlets have praised the officer for “restraint” in dealing with the suicidal suspect and have praised him for not wanting to use deadly force. But a very popular police new site who caters to law enforcement officers has a different take, a day after the incident it published a headline on its newsletter stating, “Cop's shocking refusal to shoot suspect.” In the article the writer is critical of the decision the officer made in retreating and placing himself in unnecessary danger. The question asked is… was it worth taking a chance that may not work out. And the answer is NO. It’s not worth it.
I have always been hesitant of second guessing or Monday morning quarterbacking another officers decisions, and I don’t know all of the facts in this case and the variables the officer took into account when making the decision he did. But based on what information I do have the officer made a bad decision and he’s lucky it didn't cost him his life. For years we have been taught the 21 feet rule where a person with an edged weapon can strike an officer before he can respond due to several factors such as the perception and reaction gap. In this video you can see the suspect, which has already killed two others, charging the officer with his hands in his pockets at times. At this point the officer was authorized to use deadly force and would've been cleared of any wrongdoing. However, he placed himself in danger and it may not work out next time.
This will definitely not be used as a video for training purposes on how to properly react to a threat, but it does show the trainee the risks they take when they don’t shoot. If this officer was my ward partner I would have serious doubts in his ability to protect me and ensure that I go home safe at the end of the shift. I would ask to be moved to another ward. While deadly force is a decision no one wants to be forced to make, it is part of our job and it is our duty to protect ourselves as well as others.
I have always been hesitant of second guessing or Monday morning quarterbacking another officers decisions, and I don’t know all of the facts in this case and the variables the officer took into account when making the decision he did. But based on what information I do have the officer made a bad decision and he’s lucky it didn't cost him his life. For years we have been taught the 21 feet rule where a person with an edged weapon can strike an officer before he can respond due to several factors such as the perception and reaction gap. In this video you can see the suspect, which has already killed two others, charging the officer with his hands in his pockets at times. At this point the officer was authorized to use deadly force and would've been cleared of any wrongdoing. However, he placed himself in danger and it may not work out next time.
This will definitely not be used as a video for training purposes on how to properly react to a threat, but it does show the trainee the risks they take when they don’t shoot. If this officer was my ward partner I would have serious doubts in his ability to protect me and ensure that I go home safe at the end of the shift. I would ask to be moved to another ward. While deadly force is a decision no one wants to be forced to make, it is part of our job and it is our duty to protect ourselves as well as others.