As a preface to this comment, I generally try not to get myself involved in discussions like this so as not to let my catfish sized mouth overload my hummingbird sized behind because I'm not quite as eloquent as some here. But I may be able to to provide some relevant experience as far as less lethal options go. So hopefully you guys will take it easy on me...
I can't remember the exact amount of time since, but I was trained and issued a taser somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 years ago. In the years before that, expandable batons and O.C. spray were the only option a available. When we certified with O.C., we got sprayed and had to run through a gauntlet consisting of several trainers that we had to fight through, and the final stage being one of the trainers fighting to get a red gun out of our holsters. The purpose of this, as most law enforcement knows, is to prove that although painful, it is possible to defend yourself after exposure. Plus, it gave me some respect for the chemical, and while I carried it, it caused me to really weigh my options in a given situation before deploying it. It also gave me a false sense of confidence in its effectiveness due to the way I reacted to my exposure (READ rookie mistake).
I used this stuff on two different occasions operationally before stowing it in my car for use on dogs because my personal experience found it terribly unreliable. Both subjects were drunk and violent. The first being on a vehicle crash and the second, a domestic dispute. Neither subject seemed phased in the least by it, and to date, the one in the crash handed me the worst beating of my life. I put way to many eggs in that basket. In both instances, I got a healthy dose of it as well which just added to the problem. Pepper spray works best on cops.
I have known people that were masters in the art of baton techniques, but I never trained with it enough to have any confidence with its proper use outside of shattering car windows, so I have almost no experience with this particular tool.
On to tasers... As painful as this is, and I've taken the ride a few times, it's been a great tool when it works. The keyword is WHEN it works. I am as OCD about maintaining and testing my equipment as I think anyone could be, and in these short few years since I've been carrying one, I'm working on my third unit to date. The other two spark tested and functioned normally before my tour started. One failed when I attempted to deploy it and luckily I wasn't alone. The other, I noticed it activated in my holster (safety still engaged) while I was driving down the interstate. Thank goodness it didn't hit me, but it was an electronic malfunction all the same and it was repeatable so I had witnesses. Also, while 5 Seconds of that badness is enough to take the starch out of most anyone, it's been my experience that several drug fueled confrontations proved that it can incapacitate a subject for the 5 second ride, but anyone so motivated can bounce right back and be just as much or more violent than before. And as well trained as I feel that I am (not intending to sound cocky), I couldn't handcuff anyone while dodging taser wires I'm 5 seconds flat on my best day. Especially alone.
Conversely, and I guess if I'm going to draw heat for this post it will be here, I've never had a duty round from any of my weapon systems fail in literally tens of thousands of rounds in over a decade. So in a life threatening situation, this is where my confidence lies. It's just the ugly truth.
Now I'm not weighing in on either side of this situation in Ferguson, especially until all the facts are released. But I can definitely see where deadly force becomes a viable option with a crushed eye and fighting for your gun, if that part of the story is correct. I need to believe that the better majority of us enter into this type of life with the right intents and purposes. I've never set out with the intent to hurt anyone, especially unprovoked, as some of the god awful videos that are floating around. But it is my firm belief that in order to be effective in this line of work, you have to have some propensity for violence (only when it's necessary, of course). The old moniker of officer survival and making it home at the end of tour is from my father's and grandfather's time on the job. While that is still as important as it has ever been, I do not believe it is enough anymore. We train to win the fight. If we aren't doing that, then what is it exactly that we are trying to accomplish? We don't go searching for violent criminals just to break contact in order to survive and allow them to continue doing whatever caused us to pursue them in the first place. It's not some contest where I'm trying to see how many times I can escape a situation with my life.
As it is, I have become comfortable with the idea that no matter how just I know my actions are, everything I do will likely be met with some amount of criticism and armchair quarterbacking from people with no real world experience in my field. Took a while to get here, but there's no sense in getting worked up over things I can't control. Just gotta take care of me and mine.
Okay, rant over...
Excellent post, Matt. Dont sell your eloquence short. I learned more from your post than from most. Thanks.
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