Comments on Cop in the Hood: BART Shooting (II)

Can you even fit both weapons on one side?I kept m...

2009-01-13T17:07:00.000-05:00

Can you even fit both weapons on one side?

I kept my baton on my weak side, I guess where the Taser could go. The holster position is the only place you can put the straight baton so it doesn't get in the way when you ran.

I'm glad I didn't have any more crap on my belt. I tried hard (and succeeded) to keep the back my belt empty to avoid bringing on the back pain.

Sure. Every time I watch that video though, my im...

2009-01-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

Sure. Every time I watch that video though, my impression is of surprise from both him and the other officers. I haven't heard or read anything that said if he carried his taser on his strong side.

I personally think strong side taser carry is madness. I suck at manipulating that thing with my left hand, but I keep it weak side in a cross draw.

But had he been using the Taser (correctly), he wo...

2009-01-13T03:32:00.000-05:00

But had he been using the Taser (correctly), he would have given a verbal warning before pulling the trigger.

I have no idea why the gun came out.Look at the w...

2009-01-13T03:09:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why the gun came out.

Look at the way he looks down at his belt after the shot. To me he looks surprised and confused by the gunshot. I continue to think that he meant to use his taser.

Dave, I have no idea why the gun came out. Maybe h...

2009-01-11T21:23:00.000-05:00

Dave, I have no idea why the gun came out. Maybe he saw something something unrelated to Oscar Grant?

And yes, you're right. In close quarters, the gun can be a big disadvantage because it effectively takes away one hand. I mean, you can always whack a guy over the head with a gun, but that is not recommended.

The UK has tough gun control laws. There just aren...

2009-01-11T21:21:00.000-05:00

The UK has tough gun control laws. There just aren't that many guns in the public's hands there.

The level of gun ownership here in the U.S. is massive. Too many criminals (and non-criminals) have guns. Police can't go into almost every situation at such a disadvantage.

That being said, it would be an interesting experiment in theory.
I do suspect that not having guns would make police police better!

But I would not be willing to find that out at the cost of police officers' lives.

Frankly, the thought of policing without a gun in Baltimore's Eastern District would terrify me. But then there are (non-paid) New York Auxiliary Police who police in uniform without guns. Granted they're answering calls or put in situations where conflict is expected. But it isn't absolutely impossible.

This may come across as an extremely naive questio...

2009-01-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

This may come across as an extremely naive question, but do police officers really need to carry pistols to do the job in the US and Canada? My understanding is that in the UK the cops don't carry guns. The cops call in a special team of officers if firearms are required. I heard that London the cops were polled about carrying pistols in the future and most disapproved. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary only started carrying guns in 1998. Your thoughts, Peter.

"But when dealing with suspects, the gun is often ...

2009-01-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

"But when dealing with suspects, the gun is often just an intimidating bluff. If the suspect calls your bluff and nobody’s life is in immediate danger, you can’t shoot them."

True enough. In this case, I'm just perplexed at why the gun came out at all. I have to deal w/ suspects on the ground occasionally (that's where you want them, if they are resisting, a flight risk, etc.) and I have come to the conclusion that having something in your hand at that point can be more of a hinderance. Why did the BART officer's gun come out at all? That will be the pertinent question.