Originally posted by JDSigManiac: Officers in these situations don’t get advanced warning that this stop or this the call is the one where the guy is going to try to kill you. Officers police day in and day out, week after week, year after year, with moments of pure terror thrown in with no warning.
Brings to mind the old saw about airline flying (with which I have no experience), “Hours and hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.”
quote:
I wonder how many of these armchair critics have had an adrenaline dump so severe that you had to deal with the physiological effects while still thinking, acting and reacting.
In the few instances when I came quite close to shuffling off this mortal coil, they happened so fast I didn’t have time to get scared shitless, only react as best I could. It was only after the fact, considering how it could have worked out differently, that the shakes showed up. None of my experiences lasted anywhere near as long as hers, and none of them involved another human being trying to kill me. I’d like to think I’d have done things differently, but I really have no clue. I wasn’t there.
Posts: 6926 | Location: Lost, but making time. | Registered: February 23, 2011
I’ve been a cop in a violent city for more than twenty years. I’ve been in 4 fights over a gun I can remember off hand. I’ve used my weapon. I’m not boasting about it, just establishing that I might know what I’m talking about.
She did a fine job. When her world suddenly and unexpectedly went to absolute shit her first reaction wasn’t to freeze. She grabbed that gun and held on while getting help. She held on despite being in a poor position leverage wise, despite being way behind the reaction curve, despite the fact that the suspect was likely stronger than her, and despite the fact that she was in a situation that would scare the living hell out of anybody. I’ve been there. It sucks.
Sure. She screamed. So did I. I’ve heard the tape. I was 25 years old and in a lot better shape back then and my voice went up at least two octaves.
She reacted. She fought. She didn’t give up. She’s alive. He’s not. I salute both of those officers.
No matter how tacticool you are, at some point you have to stand next to the window and get the person to sign the ticket. Could she have been further back? Sure. But once it went bad, she performed as well as anyone could reasonably expect. So did her partner. She controlled the weapon, he eliminated the threat.
