Quote:
So, question.... something we didn't learn in the academy.
You're drawn on a suspect with gun... how to disarm? All the perps we contact run, and I'm not gonna shoot someone in the back unless warranted. He made no threatening gestures towards myself or any other. Of course I could have written whatever I wanted....
Any thoughts?
|
Cuff him first and fast? If you can't do that, pretend you didn't see his gun, quickly get right up on him, stick your gun in his ear and grab his? If he runs, and he has his gun in his hand and you're not going to shoot him, I'd let him go. He has the advantage and there's no sense letting him shoot you for what may be nothing more than a weapons violation. A former coworker was killed in a similar situation. In the old days if you ran from a cop with a gun in your hand and kept going when he told you to stop, you know what would happen. I chased a 15 year old once who I thought was probably an enforcer for a drug dealer. He bailed out of a car with 3 other young guys, all heavily armed. Shotguns, AR-15's AK-47's pistols and a lot of ammo. He was a good 50 yards ahead of me going into the neighborhood. I never did that again. He could have popped me any time he wanted to and been released when he turned 21. The risk did not come close to equalling the potential reward.
I will never, ever chase someone with a gun into a situation where they hold all the cards because I am not allowed to shoot him while he's escaping based on department policy. And it WOULD be because of department policy, because in this state, you can not be prosecuted for shooting a fleeing felon.