Modern Day America-Why you DON'T call the cops to come help; (gotta read this one)

reply to post by Khaleesi


This was precisely the question I asked earlier in the thread.

There are many medical emergencies that at times result in what would be considered combative behavior. I have been married to a man who has been living with one of these ( Addison's Disease) for almost 25 years. Most of the time things are relatively calm but due to the nature of the disease, hormone imbalances can and do occur. In the past I have attempted to call for medical help and was told that I could not have the patient transported without involving the police first and that the police would "subdue" and transport to the local medical/mental facility and only if he has access to a weapon that could be used to harm himself and others. Even if I could wrestle him into a car to drive the 30 or so miles to the local facility, there would be no way to get help without the involvement of law enforcement.

This is also why I was posing the question, why do we continue to place law enforcement in the position to deal with situations they are obviously not in the best position to handle, and should there be a third option ? It seems as though a team specifically trained to deal with mentally unstable folks in crisis would be a better plan for law enforcement and would be more appropriate for citizens who are just looking for medical help during delicate and potentially dangerous situation.

Penny

reply to post by anon72


The problem is that cops are taught to shoot first and ask questions later. If there is a situation where someone's (especially the cops) life is even slightly in danger then they put the suspect down.

They should teach cops more hand to hand combat, just as much as they teach how to shoot straight. If that police officer could have disarmed the kid with hand to hand (which would not have been difficult) then the situation would have been defused and everyone would have live to tell the tale.

I thought this is what Tasers and other non-lethal weapons were made for? Why couldn't a cop have Tasered this guy, then handcuffed him? Or shoot him with a pepper bag fired from a shotgun? If non-lethal weapons aren't going to be utilized then it seems to me that officers need to be trained to exercise all non-lethal option FIRST instead of just popping somebody. OOh OOH!! I just noticed the new smilies! KEWL! For this thread, I must use this one:

reply to post by Fylgje


They tasered him three times, as a matter of fact. He was evidently immune.

crazyewok
What are the qualification to be a police officer in the USA? What back ground do they normaly come from?

Kicking in doors in Iraq!

reply to post by hopenotfeariswhatweneed


I believe the standard practice for taser versus firearm placement on the duty belt is to draw the taser from your weak arm side across your body so that being the case there is no way he could have mistaken the service firearm for his taser.

AfterInfinity
reply to post by Char-Lee

 

90 pounds against three tazers? That boy should have been prone and immobile without a single bullet being fired.

I certainly agree, I was simply answering the guy that asked if the police had tasers. I don't even imagine a single trained officer should have a problem without tasers against a 90 lb boy with a screw driver! They used to know how to handle themselves without tasers and beating people up.

reply to post by anon72




Your thread title says don't call police in modern day America?

I am unsure why you would make a damning statement about ALL police across America because of a few isolated cases. OR rather lets stick to the topic, this ONE case you have highlighted.

It's a joke that people on here, ATS, spread consistent misgivings about the POLICE as a whole rather than do some pertinent research.

This incident you have found and brought to the attention of ATS is unfortunate but not the NORM.

So for you to tarnish a country wide service that all in all does a great job in protecting and serving their communities is very unprofessional and childish. You have NO real story except to use one small point and SHOUT and BANG as loud as you can.

You are all like a pack of dogs after the same thing, gang mentality without due diligence! I can post hundreds of article and video of COPS doing heroic and life SAVING things but what would be the point?

الأبله

reply to post by projectbane

I can post hundreds of article and video of COPS doing heroic and life SAVING things but what would be the point?

The point would certainly be to have that side heard and seen. It never will be, on a user contributed site like ATS, if users don't actively contribute from that point of view.

Personally, I wouldn't mind reading more positive stories about law enforcement. I know they're out there (positive stories), and always do like seeing one now and then.

reply to post by anon72




I have stood by and watched as incidents like this increase. In the past Police took more of a servant role and I guess it wasn't as violent a world back then but today they act like soldiers in a war zone.

As the coldness of the world increases and the dangers multiply, so will our police become more violent. I am waiting for the days coming when they, like some of the fire departments already, only answer calls to homes that pay into their retirement fund.

The time is long past when a governor or a mayor could sit down with the Police chief and say, your force needs some sensitivity training, the people are complaining. There was a time when the Police force was answerable to the people, if only indirectly. The right of the people to question the Police, even hold them accountable - has vanished. Our rights have been stripped, buried in a bunch of "acts" added since then in the interest of National security.

Forefathers were concerned with individual rights and National security when they drew up the Constitutional protections. Setting them aside to exercise brutality, unnecessary violence, spying or harassment is the kind of overreach those protections were in place to prevent.

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by projectbane

 

I can post hundreds of article and video of COPS doing heroic and life SAVING things but what would be the point?

The point would certainly be to have that side heard and seen. It never will be, on a user contributed site like ATS, if users don't actively contribute from that point of view.

Personally, I wouldn't mind reading more positive stories about law enforcement. I know they're out there (positive stories), and always do like seeing one now and then.

Ok, thank you, I will in the next couple of days offer up a thread to show the other side of he coin. After all, there are two side to every story!

Well, I have to say the officers out where I live, while my niece stayed here, never tazed her, or tried to use violent force on her to subdue her. They were always patient with her. Even when she tried to skip court. (She was smart enough to leave 2 minutes before they got to the house to pick her up). The officers were here just about everyday.

They even go beyond their duty to help wandering citizens.

Never seen any violence from any of the officers out here.

My niece is now happy and has been placed in a home with 3 girls that have a similar condition like hers. She has finally made friends and they have said she has shown no violence since being there. Which I'm totally grateful for. I just hope they are taking care of her like they say they are.

I hope there are no brutal officers in her state.

Did it ever occur to you that this may be one side of the story that your only hearing about? I already know most of you won't believe the other side of the story. I say let a jury of his peers decide. There were 6 people in that room.

reply to post by projectbane


FYI I am in law enforcement. Of course there is another side of the story. I can't wait to see how you portray it.

But that isn't the point. The point is:

THERE IS THIS SIDE OF THE STORY>

The other side, that you will describe- Is the way it is suppose to be. If we don't expose the MANY bad ones, then over all, we will pay for it.

The more "good LEO's" that see and know the public will "fight back" to oppression, the better for the society as a whole.