Remember this kid?
He's acting out again! The other week a call comes in that he got a hold of a pistol and fired a few shots in the air and now was holding the gun to his head. Officers get there and set up their perimeter. Just like last time the kid (K) isn't responding to dialogue very much. He just says he wants to die, and he wants the officers to kill him. Just like last time, he knows not to point the pistol directly at the officers yet he keeps shouting for them to kill him. Just like last time, he's drunk and high. It's a good thing I wasn't on when this situation occurred. I would have a hard line approach. My approach would be like "Look here K, you pulled this stunt last year! So what is that you want to happen. Your fate is in your hands so make a decision!" Of course to people, especially brass, who don't know the history of dealing with K would probably freak out. They would think we have to make sure K doesn't actually kill himself. Now anyone (especially street officer) with any sense and experience knows all we can do is try to redirect his focus and convince him not to kill himself. If he does, then his mind was already made up and we did was delay the inevitable. Anyway, just like last time he surrendered and just like last time he went to the psych hospital who has let him out by now and he's back home. Just waiting until the next time K wants to throw and extreme temper tantrum. I don't think he has the nerve to end his own life, however I suspect one day he will work up the nerve to coax us into killing him which will be a tragedy for the officer forced to do it. It will also be a tragedy for his family who have had to live with his mental state his whole life.
2 comments:
I recall being in a similar situation once or twice and I proposes the question - Since our job is to save lives, shouldn't I take this wonderfully set-up and steady shot? I will have violated my oath if I didn't take every possible course of action to protect dickwad from himself. I'm sure when that .45 hits, whether center mass, in a thigh, whatever, K will feel it and crumple.
Cart his ass to a hospitable then slap some type of unlawful possession charge on him, or even charge them with the attempted suicide. I have never seen that done in twenty-one years of policing.
Beat & Release's question sounds like the reasonable thing to do. But I guess politics would have something to do with NOT doing that..the whacko liberals would be aghast.
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