Police in California use taser not gun on domestic violence suspect who had knife

[alp227]

Found this story in local news "Morgan Hill police praised for not using lethal force on man brandishing knife":

Lawrence Briscoe, 32, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of brandishing a weapon, resisting arrest and felony domestic battery, according to police. Briscoe was also booked on two misdemeanor arrest warrants.

As they entered, police reportedly saw Briscoe kick a woman. Briscoe then ran to the kitchen area and was followed by officers. Briscoe grabbed a large kitchen knife and faced the officers, according to police.

Another woman ran in between the officers and Briscoe and began screaming at him and the officers.

One of the officers used his Taser on Briscoe, who fell to the ground and dropped the knife.

Do you agree with the police decision? Morgan Hill police captain was quoted: "Fortunately, our officers showed great restraint and professionalism by using nonlethal force in taking a violent felon into custody." However I've heard of many other cases where police shot on sight people who carried knives, including out on the streets.

[MADem]

1. Police could have used a gun, shot to kill, and after an investigation, been cleared.

But come on--you're the cop---if you have a choice between zapping someone, and stopping the problem, or shooting them, and dealing with the guilt of taking someone's life, what are you going to do?

I think most people, if they had assurances that they could resolve the issue without killing someone, would rather not kill someone. Even if they weren't a "milk of human kindness" type, just the paperwork alone--to say nothing of the time off the job, isolated from your peers--is stressful. If you shoot a lot of people, too, it can affect your promotability.

The cop probably figured he could safely dial up the taser to max power, zap the guy but good, and take care of business.

[oneshooter]

9. "dial up the taser to max power" Tazers have no power settings, only on/off using the trigger. n/t

[MADem]

18. Well, hold down/not hold down the trigger then. nt

[TheWraith]

16. Unfortunately, many cops don't seem to think that way.

Tasers were originally "sold" on the premise of this exact sort of situation, replacing a gun for when practical. Instead they mostly seem to have been used as compliance tools, while lethal force is still the go-to option dealing with actually dangerous persons.

[MADem]

17. I thought the TASER concept was to reduce on-the-job injuries from

having to wrestle noncompliant suspects to the ground. It's easier to just zap someone than risk wrenching your back or crushing your knee in a take-down, and then be off the job recovering for a month or more. I'm pretty sure that was the main selling point.

I never heard that TASERS were a replacement for lethal force.

[gejohnston]

2. I'm going to knock the cop for

the decision. It ended the threat an everyone leaves the scene warm and vertical, what's wrong with that? My brother was in a similar situation when he was called to a alarm going off. The burglar attacked him with a crowbar. Could have shot him, but used his night stick and mace instead (pre taser days.)
One correction: tasers are not nonlethal, in military terms they are "less than lethal". The difference being people have been killed with tasers.

[petronius]

4. I'm guessing you left a "not" out of your subject line?

I agree, the officer did it right. The only thing that bugs me a bit is the self-congratulatory tone about using the taser instead of the gun, since that was pretty much the whole justification for outfitting departments with tasers in the first place...

[gejohnston]

11. you are correct, my bad

I meant to say that I am not going the knock the cop. Was a long day.

[oneshooter]

13. I have found that it's not the long days that get to you, it's those short nights. n/t

[rl6214]

3. You use what is required to stop the threat

if it is a taser, so be it. If it requires something more, so be it.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. That's cool.

Why wouldn't it be? Perfectly fine.

[Euromutt]

6. I'm not going to play Monday morning quarterback on the cop's decision

The officer was there, I wasn't, and evidently the officer judged that he (or she, for all I know) had an opportunity to incapacitate the suspect by less-lethal means, evidently correctly. Good call, officer.

Of course, lest anyone hold this up as an example that "less-lethal" methods of stopping an assailant are more than sufficient, let's bear in mind the officer had a partner who almost certainly had a firearm ready to perforate Mr. Briscoe should the Taser prove ineffective.

As an aside, the parents of one my wife's closer friends live in Morgan Hill; we've been to visit a few times.

[jmg257]

7. What's not to agree? He did fine.

Other cases where knife wielders were shot, police may not have had another viable option handy at the time.

Domestics aren't fun, nor is being confronted with a large kitchen knife.

Tasers weren't/aren't always around...nightstick and sidearm typically...take your pick.

[jeepnstein]

8. I was reprimanded once...

for not shooting a suspect at a domestic call. He got within ten feet or so of me before he complied with my order to drop the weapon. It was as close as I've ever come to killing someone and the only reason I didn't was because his young son was in my line of fire. That was pre-Taser.

Our department has used the Taser on a mentally ill suspect with a shotgun. One of our detectives, who is a man among men, stepped forward with the Taser and trusted that another officer had him covered with an AR15. The suspect hesitated just long enough to get a ride on the lightning instead of being killed. We all then got a huge lecture about how this was a really dumb thing to do when facing an armed suspect.

When confronted with a suspect with a deadly weapon the proper response is to shoot to end the threat. If you have time to deploy the Taser then that's just great but you'd better have Plan B in place.

[Callisto32]

10. I'm always happy to see less violent means work.

Frankly, it was a deescalation of the level of force being used, and I pretty much always get behind that.

Good on them.

[ileus]

12. That's why they carry, two or three LL types of weapons.

[rrneck]

14. Don' t bting a knife to a taser fight either. nt

[oneshooter]

19. Were you being tazed when you typed that?

[rrneck]

20. LOL Damn phone. nt

[spin]

15. Tasers are also available for civilians ....

but may not be legal in all states.

http://store.taser.com/taser-c2-p116.aspx