KBCraig wrote:Take it from a trained professional: don't. The most dangerous moment in an arrest is transitioning from a drawn gun, to a holstered gun and handcuffed suspect.
In corrections, we wear out more handcuffs than most street police will ever see. Our policy is that we never apply handcuffs without a backup, because it's simply too dangerous. The exception is if you're already in an active fight, at which time there are no rules. And, I must point out, during such a time you're going to need both hands, leaving zero hands free for applying cuffs. If I handcuff someone by myself, he's probably going to be unconscious first.
If you can safely handcuff someone without backup, then he's totally compliant. And if he's totally compliant, you have no need to handcuff him.
Handcuffs are a dangerous tool, even in the hands of people who have been properly trained in their use. They are a pain compliance device, not just a restraint. There is a very real risk of vascular or nerve damage from improper use. Users have to know about proper keyway orientation, and setting the double-lock (and of course, one should never apply handcuffs without having a cuff key).
I asked my martial arts instructor about it and was shown a few very simple techniques that would make being handcuffed really hard unless the cop wanted to knock you cold out first. Really only for kidnap/extreme situations since hopefully there will be two cops and one will have a gun still on you.
