If I had tased, clubbed, or maced every mouthy violator I pulled over during thirty years as a cop I would have spent a considerable amount of my time booking traffic violators, and writing reports explaining my use of force.
This trooper used virtually no people skills,(never mind his total lack of tactical skills) failed to explain what was happening, and what was going to happen if his requests were not complied with. Perhaps, had the trooper simply been polite and professional and used a little “verbal judo”, he could have gained compliance without physical force. Perhaps not. We will never know, because the trooper skipped a number of critical steps in the process. I dealt with many people just like this traffic violator. He was a blowhard, fool. It isn’t too hard to be smarter than a blowhard fool. If it is, then the trooper is in the wrong profession. He needs to get a different job.
Before I started occasionally riding with a cop friend of mine, I might have been of the other opinion. But having seen how quickly things go from 0 to 60 it became quite apparent that cops have to make a snap judgment based on experience and training and situation at hand and take appropriate action.
How are cops trained to respond to a subject that refuses to follow instructions and turns their back and walks away?
Well said!
<SNIP>
He was a blowhard, fool. It isn’t too hard to be smarter than a blowhard fool. If it is, then the trooper is in the wrong profession. He needs to get a different job.
Applause. I can tell you were a cop for the right reasons. You should be on the jury when this jerk off cop gets his pants sued off.