KFP wrote:karder wrote:Well, I guess I will be in the minority here, but I believe the punch was excessive and out of line. I support our officers and I realize they have stressful jobs, and I am not arguing that the girls were in the wrong. They were being rude and confrontational and resisting the officer; however, the officer was not defending himself. He got frustrated and threw a punch. I can understand the frustration, but if that were a bouncer at a bar, I think everyone would agree he was not justified. Officers have to show more restraint and better judgment in my opinion. I would be interested in hearing what some of the officers on this forum think.
I'm not trying to be confrontational at all, this is an honest question: How would you have handled it in the same situation?
I see it as a situation that required some degree of force on his part - does that mean taser, baton, oc spray??? I guess that is my point - any of those would still be viewed as excessive, yet they would have been necessary to take her into custody. Tough situation to be in.
That is a tough question KFP. Honestly, I am not certain how I would have handled the situation. As I have said, I have great respect for police officers. My brother-in-law is a 20 year veteran of the EPPD and my baby brother just got accepted into the academy (ok, bragging). I think one of the things that makes being a patrol officer such a tough job is that they are required to act professionally, even when being abused by the people they are trying to serve and protect. I am in no way defending the conduct of the young ladies, but I just don't think that striking the girl was appropriate in that situation. I have been known to let my Irish temper get the best of me in the past, so I can sympathize with the officer's frustration, but I feel like he lost his cool and lashed out.
