Fixing Negative Interactions With Police

Assaulting a Police Officer" - a FELONY

In virtually EVERY “Officer Involved Shooting” and even other less serious “negative police/civilian encounters,” the civilian was doing something wrong/ILLEGAL.

YES, it IS illegal to even question an officer when he’s placing you under arrest. It’s a CRIME, in EVERY Municipality to "obstruct justice" (fail to comply with police orders). Nothing good ever comes from confronting police on the streets. They do not have the power to adjudicate offenses, or determine guilt or innocence. They are authorized ONLY to bring people suspected of various offenses before the courts.

Merely backing away from the arresting officer, claiming, “I didn’t do anything,” constitutes “resisting arrest.” When a civilian “comes in contact with” an arresting officer, pushing his/her hands away, spitting, etc. THAT’S charged as “assaulting a police officer.” That’s usually a felony charge.

The ONLY people who may not legitimately know that are those who’ve NEVER been arrested. EVERY career criminal knows this.

Anyone familiar with system and NOT aware of that, is pretty much a moron.

Anyone who thinks that should “be changed,” as in made more lax...is also a moron. It has been taken too laxly, far too laxly for decades. It is rarely prosecuted unless an law enforcement officer is injured.

The solution is precisely the REVERSE!

We NEED to ratchet up such negative interactions with police to the point where there are virtually NO interactions.

Every career criminal THINKS that he/she can talk their way out of a felony charge...that’s why they’re imbeciles. That's why they're "career criminals." They convict themselves!

Cops aren’t there to listen to your explanations, or gripes, or hear out your rants, they are merely there to BRING SUSPECTS INTO the court system. You have your right to defend yourself in court, NOT on the streets.

The answer seems obvious, we need to take even “misdemeanor resisting arrest” MUCH MORE seriously. Basically, “Open your mouth to a cop,” unless asked a direct question, “and you get locked up”...simple as that.

The Eric Garner incident NEVER should’ve happened. He had absolutely NO right, NOR reason to resist that arrest.

Likewise, Alton Sterling, who allegedly menaced the 911 caller with a gun and subsequently struggled with police who were arresting him. Despite the fact that his selling bootleg CDs outside a store was NOT a major crime, RESISTING ARREST and fighting with (assaulting) police was!

Likewise, it’s now being reported that Philando Castile, who allegedly had a concealed carry permit DID NOT comply with Officer Jeronimo Yanez’s commands. The officer allegedly told him to “keep his hands on the steering wheel,” where he could see them. Even his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds said, “He (Philando Castile) went into his pocket to show them his ID.” Whether he was going for his ID...or his gun, doesn’t matter, he was refusing to comply with police and an officer is (usually correctly) going to assume that the suspect is “going for his gun,” rather for his ID.

The media (CNN, the NY Daily News, MSNBC, etc.) didn’t report these events either professionally, nor ethically, as they ALL jumped to the conclusion that these shootings were unjustified. In fact, they’ve mishandled (deliberately, or not...and I believe very deliberately) ALL of the recent negative police interactions. They all know that since 1976 African-Americans have committed over 50% of all the homicides in the country! Despite that, they account for just 25% of the “Officer Involved Shootings” across the country.

In that regard, our national media is culpable for creating an atmosphere in which the lies of the “Black Lives Matter” group can take root. They are culpable in fanning the flames of anti-police violence.

There IS a way out of all this. Ratchet up the penalties for ALL forms of “resisting arrest.” Make it clear that ALL citizens are committing a criminal act in merely confronting law enforcement. The place to confront the police reports and evidence...is in court.

Perhaps some form of civil forfeiture should be imposed on those on any form of public assistance when they resist arrest. Their Food Stamps, Public Assistance, Medicare, Medicaid, SSDI might be stopped for a given period...so long for a first offense, longer for a 2nd and so on.

Yes, mandating all cars to have external controls built into their onboard computers, allowing police to stop a car and lock in its occupants, thereby eliminating police chases would also help. Better, more efficient non-lethal weaponry that would allow law enforcement to immediately incapacitate, package and deliver an uncooperative arrestee into detainment would also help eliminate such “negative police interactions,” BUT for now, upping the penalties for even the most minor forms of “resisting arrest” seems the easiest fix of all.

IF police EQUIPMENT and TACTICS had been steadily upgraded, as they should've been we wouldn't have these issues today.

Deadly force SHOULD BE a last resort, Dwayne. The unfortunate thing is, as you know as well as anyone, is that we're STILL policing with 19th Century tools & tactics. Technology can provide the answer...better, more effective & immediate acting non-lethal weaponry could virtually eliminate "resisting arrest." Tesla Motors has built-in car tracking and remote shut off and control (doors can be locked from a remote location) into everyone of their onboard computers. If those had been mandated in every new car, police chases would be a thing of the past.

The old saying, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail," is true. We utilize the tolls we have...the tools we're given. If all cops have is a gun, then all threats wind up being dealt with a bullet.

In a very real way, the source of this problem is an unresponsive government that doesn't care how outdated their law enforcement methods are.

Taking "resisting arrest" much more seriously (it IS a serious offense) would be a good 1st step. Mandating Tesla-like onboard computers, effectively ending police chases and giving and TRAINING cops on better, more effective non-lethal weaponry would bring law enforcement into the 21st century.

But we're also overlooking a critical component in virtually all these interactions, the civilian initiating a confrontation with the police. In the 2 cases this week, the MN man (Philando Castile) was a suspect in a recent armed robbery. It was not a, "tail light stop," as reported. He was armed, told officer Yanez that he was armed and disobeyed commands to keep his hands in view....his girlfriend says, "to get his ID," officer Yanez suspected he was going for the gun.

The Baton Rouge case seems murkier. Alton Sterling had reportedly been tased after initially refusing to comply with police commands (the taser apparently failed to work...that IS a problem - poor equipment, poor training, or both?).

When police tried to effect the arrest, Mr. Sterling apparently tried to fight them off ("Resisting Arrest," "felony assault on police officers" AND given cops are armed and that any attack/grappling with a cop can be presumed to be an attempt to "go for a cop's gun," then "attempted murder of a police officer" COULD BE added to the mix). At any rate, 2 officers sought to subdue him and while struggling on the ground with Mr. Sterling's hands still free, one of the cops apparently noticed Alton Sterling's gun...and one of them shot him.

Where there other choices? Did those officers overreact? ALL of that will be investigated.


BUT, in BOTH those cases, Mr Sterling and Mr. Castile did unlawful things they never should've done under any circumstances.

We NEED better equipment and training for our police, but we NEED to be better, more educated people and accept that just as a Dr. is our boss in an Emergency Room (they DON'T suggest your options, they TELL them to you), a police officer is our boss out on the street. They DON'T "ask" for our cooperation, they demand it, because the GOVERNMENT is demanding our cooperation.