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Old July 19, 2005, 11:15 PM   #1
steve154
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Join Date: June 12, 2005
Posts: 89
Scenario/opinion's

Last night my partner and I got sent on a criminal misch. complaint where an inflatable pool had been slashed and a neighbor was out chasing the suspect on foot. As we were arriving we could see the complainant on the sidewalk waving us over. As we went past a cross street there was a car stopped and it beeped at us as we went by. We pulled up to the complainant and I was watching the car that beeped come up behind us. The operator was driving aggressively and kind of screetched to a stop behind our patrol. I was watching this as the complainant was talking to my partner. My attention was divided and I heard the comp say "that's him right there", pointing to the guy who had pulled up. This all happened in about 30 seconds. I thought that she meant that was the suspect. This guy was now out of his car and was approaching us and was obvioulsy pissed off. I drew my weapon, keeping it at my side, and ordered him back and told him to put his hands on his car. The comp immediately explained that she meant that was the guy who witnessed the incident and was chasing the suspect. The guy in the car, who was already pissed off, blew his top and starts screaming about how dare I draw a weapon on him and that we watch too much cops...blah, blah, blah. He hit his car so hard with his palms that he put dents in the hood. I appologized and fully explained what happened. His response was that he was obviously unarmed and I had no justification to draw a weapon. I tried to explain that if I believed he was the pool slashing suspect it would be reasonable to assume that he still had whatever it was that he slashed the pool with and would in fact be FOOLISH to not assume that he did. This guy would hear none of it and remained irrate. I finally told him that our discussion was over and that if the same thing happened again that I would react in the exact same manner. I explained how to file a complaint and we left to look for the suspect while another car took the report for us so we could leave before Mr. personality got arrested for disorderly conduct.

I feel that I was justified and acted more than reasonably on what I believed at the time. I didn't point my weapon at him, but should have. I never ordered him to the ground, but should have. This guy was pissed because we didn't pull over and stop when he beeped at us. He approached in an aggressive manner because of that. I did not know what the situation was yet because we had just arrived. He asked "If I was the suspect why would I be coming back"? Because people do goofy things, that's why. The first thing that I thought of was that it was a domestic situation and the other half was returning, like I have seen 100's of times. People will know that they are going to get arrested and will still return just because they are so pissed off and they just absolutely have to get the last word.

Put yourself on both sides and tell me how you think you would react.

Steve
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