Quote:
Originally Posted by k9870
They can do serious damage in a fight though, Id rather restrain a 100 pound meth head than a 250 pound body builder.
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One of the hardest fights I ever had was with a 100 lb (est.) female who was a diagnosed schizophrenic and had been self-medicating with Meth for several weeks. I was a rookie officer who made the mistake of thinking that she was "safe" and then leaning into her. She was all happy and grinning until I told her that I believed she was Gravely Disabled (one of the criteria in Idaho to take a person on a involuntary mental hold) and would have to go to the hospital with me.
Ooops.
It was like somebody throwing a lightswitch. She went from friendly to very hostile. She center-punched me right between my eyes and broke my glasses (plastic frames) into two pieces. She then turned around and appeared to be making a beeline towards a wooden block on the kitchen counter. Just full of kitchen knives. She was well within 21 feet of me. 21 feet is considered to be the best (or worst) range for a knife to be it's most deadliest and the police officer's handgun to be the least effective. Needless to say I was surprised.
She may have been tiny and scrawny, but she was damm fast and wrestling with her was like trying to hold - well something really scrawny, squirmy and fast.
I got her into custody. No knives were pulled out of that block and I learned a very important lesson - a few actually.
Anyway the point is I don't want to have to go "hands-on" with anybody if possible. Regardless of their size. When the situation goes to that anything can happen. Many a cop has gotten into a hands-on fight and the suspect has gone to jail, but they have gone to the hospital. Over the years we've had several officers get seriously injured from having to fight suspects. I prefer to keep some distance if at all possible. Pepper Spray and the taser are good for that.
Since we started carrying tasers (2005) I believe I've been in three or four fights. Before that I was in several. Just the presence of the Taser has convined several folks to just go along quietly. I haven't even had to pull it out of it's holster. Despite all the horror stories that the media loves to print regarding the misuse of tasers by police I've seen it prevent more problems just by being present.
Anyway that's my warstory. Have I told that one before? Hope not. It's funny even if I don't come out looking like Supercop. At least both of us are still alive.
Incidentally I saw that woman a couple years ago. Back on her meds, off of the meth, and doing very well. She apologized to me incidentally.
It's a very weird job I have.