Another "they managed to not shoot him" knife-wielder arrest

[Rhea]

Suicidal Man With Knife Taken Into Custody

Police said family members of a 59-year-old Pepperell man had become distraught and was threatening to harm himself and others. As police approached, he pulled out a knife.
After about 90 minutes of negotiating with the man, police said the man surrendered peacefully.
“This is an example of quick work by police, using specialized units and advanced training to save life today,” Concord Police Chief Joseph O’Connor said. “The arrival of the NEMLEC SWAT Team and a trained negotiator helped de-escalate this situation.

How wonderful that they were willing to spend 90 minutes to not shoot him dead.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It seems there are a good deal of poorly trained PDs out there. Because when the good crew comes in, bad stuff doesn't seem to happen. They take a volatile situation and defuse it. I feel an analogy coming on.

Some police officers react like a terrible doctor. A patient is on the table during surgery. A small sign of trouble appears. Doctor panics, pulls out the defibrillator and just shocks the heck out of the patient (too death). A good doctor is a little more reserved and deliberate with their actions.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The important issue in these cases is the range. Nothing in that report indicates what the range was but it sounds like they went into it knowing they were dealing with somebody suicidal and had the opportunity to keep the range open.

 

[RavenSky]

The important issue in these cases is the range. Nothing in that report indicates what the range was but it sounds like they went into it knowing they were dealing with somebody suicidal and had the opportunity to keep the range open.

Police go into a lot of situations knowing they have "range" but choose instead to practically run over a child in the park, then shoot him dead for good measure instead of taking that "opportunity to keep the range open".

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The important issue in these cases is the range. Nothing in that report indicates what the range was but it sounds like they went into it knowing they were dealing with somebody suicidal and had the opportunity to keep the range open.

Police go into a lot of situations knowing they have "range" but choose instead to practically run over a child in the park, then shoot him dead for good measure instead of taking that "opportunity to keep the range open".

Keeping the range open makes sense when you have a containable (no civilians in the way) situation with a suicidal individual. In few other situations is it a good idea.

 

[Rhea]

Yeah, like the park where there was no one else around versus the emergency entrance of a major hospital? I totally get how you can think the hospital entrance is the more laid back kind of situation. Totally get that.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Police go into a lot of situations knowing they have "range" but choose instead to practically run over a child in the park, then shoot him dead for good measure instead of taking that "opportunity to keep the range open".

Keeping the range open makes sense when you have a containable (no civilians in the way) situation with a suicidal individual. In few other situations is it a good idea.

And "Responding to report of a juvenile in a public park who may be carrying a weapon" is indeed one of those very few situations.

 

[laughing dog]

Suicidal Man With Knife Taken Into Custody

Police said family members of a 59-year-old Pepperell man had become distraught and was threatening to harm himself and others. As police approached, he pulled out a knife.
After about 90 minutes of negotiating with the man, police said the man surrendered peacefully.
“This is an example of quick work by police, using specialized units and advanced training to save life today,” Concord Police Chief Joseph O’Connor said. “The arrival of the NEMLEC SWAT Team and a trained negotiator helped de-escalate this situation.

How wonderful that they were willing to spend 90 minutes to not shoot him dead.

Even though this made the job of being a police officer more difficult.

 

[bigfield]

It seems there are a good deal of poorly trained PDs out there. Because when the good crew comes in, bad stuff doesn't seem to happen. They take a volatile situation and defuse it.

Perhaps this problem would be solved in part by disbanding all county and municipal PDs and giving their responsibilities to the statewide PDs. This would ensure that improved police practices propagate to all counties, rather than the current situation where some PDs have world-class standards while others are incompetent.

The important issue in these cases is the range. Nothing in that report indicates what the range was but it sounds like they went into it knowing they were dealing with somebody suicidal and had the opportunity to keep the range open.

That's what competent, well-trained police do: they control the confrontation and disarm the suspect using non-lethal force. That's how they earn the respect, trust and admiration of the populace.

The shootings you have defended in the past have largely been cases where the police failed to act competently, and instead chose the completely avoidable lethal option.

 

[bleubird]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/us/south-carolina-officer-charged-with-murder/index.html
If you all have not seen this yet.

 

[tupac chopra]

How wonderful that they were willing to spend 90 minutes to not shoot him dead.

This is normal practice in most of the world. Normally police aren't keen to shoot people.

 

[tupac chopra]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/us/south-carolina-officer-charged-with-murder/index.html
If you all have not seen this yet.

Ive seen quite a few similar shootings, but I was in the office today and we happened to have the TV on (I'm in Australia) and they showed this clip. People here were aghast. Having not seen the way American policemen shoot people who pose no threat, they were outraged.
I told them there is a good chance the cop will not be punished and they did not believe me.

Had someone not filmed that there is absolutely no doubt that the cop would keep his job and possibly do it again.

It's hard for me to understand as I visit America and always meet amazing beautiful generous people but I am wary of the police, even though they always seem fine when I have to interact with them.

 

[Sarpedon]

Believe me, I am the most ridiculously well behaved American you can imagine, and even I fear the police. Not that they've ever given me reason to. Being a white guy, all of my interactions with them have been cordial.

However, any person with a lick of sense should be able to see how this whole situation could go very bad in a hurry, even if one is part of the priveleged class.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Perhaps this problem would be solved in part by disbanding all county and municipal PDs and giving their responsibilities to the statewide PDs. This would ensure that improved police practices propagate to all counties, rather than the current situation where some PDs have world-class standards while others are incompetent.

The whole point of local police is to be familiar with the people you police. However, there seems to be a massive wall these days between the Police and public.

The important issue in these cases is the range. Nothing in that report indicates what the range was but it sounds like they went into it knowing they were dealing with somebody suicidal and had the opportunity to keep the range open.

That's what competent, well-trained police do: they control the confrontation and disarm the suspect using non-lethal force. That's how they earn the respect, trust and admiration of the populace.

The shootings you have defended in the past have largely been cases where the police failed to act competently, and instead chose the completely avoidable lethal option.

Quote continued to be attributed to me, but wasn't me.

 

[bigfield]

The whole point of local police is to be familiar with the people you police. However, there seems to be a massive wall these days between the Police and public.

Yes, the actual personnel should be assigned to specific neighbourhoods, know the community members, do walking patrols, be recognised as community members themselves, etc. That is true not only for small towns but also suburban and inner city neighbourhoods. But training, department operational standards etc. should be centralised so that new-and-improved procedures, equipment etc. get rolled out to everyone, and officer training is consistently high and up-to-date regardless of the size of a county.