My first taser usage/ pursuit.

[D.o.D cop]

I had an interesting day today. Stopped a fellow for expired tag (expired on 9/2006) and for driving while license suspended revoked. I was then attempting to place him under arrest, and when I asked him to shut off his vehicle he asked me if he was under arrest, which i stated he was, and he then told me "Well I'm going home" (which is less than a block away, and I knew where he lived), and he bolts in the truck.

I then initiate a pursuit, he stops at the end of the street to let out his passenger, and continues on. One left turn, and one right turn, and he's in his front yard. He then bolts from the truck, I bail chasing him, and he makes it to the front door.

I then pull out the taser, order him to stop, get on the ground several times, which he readily tells me no as he tried to get the key in the door. I then become fearful of him having a weapon in the house, and deployed the taser.

I am amazed at how is attitude changed in those 5 seconds. He went from resistive to the most compliant suspect ever, and with no injury to either of us. I then take the suspect into custody without further incident. .I am happy to have that tool because if I had to go hands on with him I would have gotten hurt, he was twice my size.

Opinions? I still have the adrenaline pumping. so excuse the brief synopsis.

[PhilipCal]

Sounds like the Taser did all it says it would. Okay, let's review. You've placed the subject under arrest. He fails to submit.(resisting). He flees the scene, still operating a vehicle w/expired tags/suspended DL. He attempts to bail and enter his residence. From a tactical perspective, once he gains entrance to his residence,he's on his home turf. His weapons inventory may well not be limited to firearms, and you could very well have had a barricaded subject situation. You have every right to prevent that. Good bust. Proper use of an authorized weapon. Glad you're OK.

[D.o.D cop]

Sounds like the Taser did all it says it would. Okay, let's review. You've placed the subject under arrest. He fails to submit.(resisting). He flees the scene, still operating a vehicle w/expired tags/suspended DL. He attempts to bail and enter his residence. From a tactical perspective, once he gains entrance to his residence,he's on his home turf. His weapons inventory may well not be limited to firearms, and you could very well have had a barricaded subject situation. You have every right to prevent that. Good bust. Proper use of an authorized weapon. Glad you're OK.

Thank you. I know I did right in my mind, but I got that little voice in the back of the head the makes me worry. I worked 3 years to get onto my current (and Dream Department) and I am scared to death of doing something wrong and getting let go, so I'm glad to hear another officer thinks I did right.

[Retired96]

curious if you advised him that he was under arrest while still seated in his truck, if so I think a better option might have been to ask him to step out of his vehicle, and away from it and then make the arrest. I don't recall ever telling someone they were under arrest while still in their vehicle.

[D.o.D cop]

curious if you advised him that he was under arrest while still seated in his truck, if so I think a better option might have been to ask him to step out of his vehicle, and away from it and then make the arrest. I don't recall ever telling someone they were under arrest while still in their vehicle.

I tried that option. I told him to turn off the engine. At that point he asked me if he was under arrest, which I gave him an honest answer, and THAT'S when he decided to run. So yes to your answer, he was still seated in the truck.

[yellowreef]

I tried that option. I told him to turn off the engine. At that point he asked me if he was under arrest, which I gave him an honest answer, and THAT'S when he decided to run. So yes to your answer, he was still seated in the truck.

That's when "Sir, step back here and let me talk to you for a second" comes in :D Good pop and good job on not letting him get in the house, that could've turned ugly.

[j706]

I had an interesting day today. Stopped a fellow for expired tag (expired on 9/2006) and for driving while license suspended revoked. I was then attempting to place him under arrest, and when I asked him to shut off his vehicle he asked me if he was under arrest, which i stated he was, and he then told me "Well I'm going home" (which is less than a block away, and I knew where he lived), and he bolts in the truck.

I then initiate a pursuit, he stops at the end of the street to let out his passenger, and continues on. One left turn, and one right turn, and he's in his front yard. He then bolts from the truck, I bail chasing him, and he makes it to the front door.

I then pull out the taser, order him to stop, get on the ground several times, which he readily tells me no as he tried to get the key in the door. I then become fearful of him having a weapon in the house, and deployed the taser.

I am amazed at how is attitude changed in those 5 seconds. He went from resistive to the most compliant suspect ever, and with no injury to either of us. I then take the suspect into custody without further incident. .I am happy to have that tool because if I had to go hands on with him I would have gotten hurt, he was twice my size.

Opinions? I still have the adrenaline pumping. so excuse the brief synopsis.

Good Job! Kinda fun wasn't it? Come on- you can admit it!

[Blatant]

No issues at all with what you dead. I always pull people out of the car before announcing arrest. "Hey, step out of the car." "Am I under arrest." "Look, step out, I just want to talk to you for a second."
d

[NORCOCOP]

^Trickery and deciet + 1 "Arrest? Uh,,, I just need you to sign the ticket."

Minor mistake in letting him know he was going to be arrested, but hey how often do your mistakes end up being so much fun? Use of force sounds good, sometimes it's better to mess up small and learn how to correct on the fly than end up, in to deep and have misplaced confidence.

I love this job!

[LeanG]

Excellent job.

[Blackavar]

Well done officer.

[D.o.D cop]

Thanks to everyone for the support. It helps me be more confidant in my career.

[deputy x 2]

D.o.D cop "Thank you. I know I did right in my mind, but I got that little voice in the back of the head the makes me worry. I worked 3 years to get onto my current (and Dream Department) and I am scared to death of doing something wrong and getting let go, so I'm glad to hear another officer thinks I did right."





As long as you follow your dept's policy and procedure/ general orders regarding the use of the taser you will be fine.

Just do your job to the best of your ability and live with the decisions you've made.

In this line of work, you never know what will happen if you let the "individual" dictate how the situation ends. Good job. You got to go home today!

[D.o.D cop]

D.o.D cop "Thank you. I know I did right in my mind, but I got that little voice in the back of the head the makes me worry. I worked 3 years to get onto my current (and Dream Department) and I am scared to death of doing something wrong and getting let go, so I'm glad to hear another officer thinks I did right."





As long as you follow your dept's policy and procedure/ general orders regarding the use of the taser you will be fine.

Just do your job to the best of your ability and live with the decisions you've made.

In this line of work, you never know what will happen if you let the "individual" dictate how the situation ends. Good job. You got to go home today!

I understand that, but what makes it hard and worries me is that the policy is written in black and white, and any officer here can tell you it's not black and white in the field, and I think that scenario describes it perfectly.

I question it because of the black and white scenarios, and that's what worries me, where my actions fell between the black and the white.

[deputy x 2]

I understand that, but what makes it hard and worries me is that the policy is written in black and white, and any officer here can tell you it's not black and white in the field, and I think that scenario describes it perfectly.

I question it because of the black and white scenarios, and that's what worries me, where my actions fell between the black and the white.

Admin operates on Black and white. What looks good on paper doesn't necessarily work in the field.

We operate in the gray. Get use to it!!! Quit second guessing yourself. What you did was fine. He sufferred no injuries nor did you. Now if ya would have clubbed him...he would have had to go to the hospital etc etc. He had a choice to stop and obey..he didn't.

Bet you next time he'll sit in his truck and wait for instructions.

[D.o.D cop]

Bet you next time he'll sit in his truck and wait for instructions.

It's funny you say it like that. When I hit him with the taser he slid down with his back to the door and landed on his but, basically sitting up. Right before the taser cycle ended I began giving him directions to get on his stomach, so when the cycle ended there would be no questions.

When it ended, this guy THREW HIMSELF onto the ground, creating a little dirt cloud, and became the most compliant guy I have ever dealt with. When my LT showed up on scene he kept asking me how the guy got dirt all over his face, and in a horse voice (I lost my voice that day from yelling at him so loud) I told him that the suspect kindly placed the dirt there. My LT's still scratching his head trying to figure that one out.

Now what bothers me about this incident, working in a small town, is that the local paper wrote a nice little half page segment on it, and naming me by first and last name in it. I'm not here to stand out but to be a team player and now I've been singled out by the local paper, which is an uncomfortable feeling.

[pulicords]

Most people in this profession haven't had to use force often (if ever) prior to being hired, so it isn't unusual to second guess yourself initially. It's just part of the job (use of force). So long as it's done when necessary, at a reasonable level, and doesn't become something done out for fun, revenge or habit, you'll get used to it and won't face discipline for issues relating to it. You can clip out the newspaper article and keep it for your scrapebook if you want since it's your first "incident." Over time, these things just become another part of the job and you won't even (after 10 or more years) remember every use of force you've had to do, unless they were very, very serious.

[ALAnarc308]

I know what you mean first hand I had managed to make it 5 years without ever having my name in the paper then I start here (small town with a paper) and next thing I know I am in there every week for anything from writing tickets to vehicle pursuits. Its just the way it is in these smaller towns I found that everybody knows you and what you do anyway without the paper I think everybody in this town has a scanner and they can tell me what I said last night better than I can..:confused: