IN POLICE ENCOUNTER: YOU CAN SET THE TONE

I am not an apologist for police brutality BUT.

In a police confrontation, many young bloods that never lived with Jim Crow and the blatant legal racism of the past are too quick to try a civil rights assertion or test the law like they would in the hood or with parents.

I'm not talking about who's right and who's wrong. I'm talking about surviving the encounter and getting on with the rest of your day vs. protesting, incarceration, physical injury or death.

You can set the tone. If you are in a situation where you feel the officer is overly aggressive or hostile try to use verbal judo to calm the situation down. 

Keep your hands where they can be seen, (the steering wheel) and don't make any quick moves. Cops are trained with films of officers that got killed for 2 seconds delay.

If it's about a ticket: Take the ticket and fight it later. Ask politely if you're being detained. If he says no ask "May I leave?" If he says yes just do so. Don't make some nasty crack about it a re-escalate the situation.

If the officer says you are detained: When he asks for you license MOVE SLOWLY. Don't make it look like your reaching for a weapon.

If he asks you to get out of the car you can consider yourself "DETAINED". You are a hair away from being arrested. The moment you go from verbal exchange to touching the officer you can be charged with resisting. Now you have opened the door to physical force and the officer may jump to the Empty-Hand-Control. Police are not fair fighters. They are trained to use the use of force continuum.

An example of a use-of-force continuum follows:

• Officer Presence — No force is used. Considered the best way to resolve a situation.
• The mere presence of a law enforcement officer works to deter crime or diffuse a situation.
• Officers' attitudes are professional and nonthreatening.
• Verbalization — Force is not-physical.
• Officers issue calm, nonthreatening commands, such as "Let me see your identification and registration."
• Officers may increase their volume and shorten commands in an attempt to gain compliance. Short commands might include "Stop," or "Don't move."
• Empty-Hand Control — Officers use bodily force to gain control of a situation.
• Soft technique. Officers use grabs, holds and joint locks to restrain an individual.
• Hard technique. Officers use punches and kicks to restrain an individual.
• Less-Lethal Methods — Officers use less-lethal technologies to gain control of a situation.(See Deciding When and How to Use Less-Lethal Devices. )
• Blunt impact. Officers may use a baton or projectile to immobilize a combative person.
• Chemical. Officers may use chemical sprays or projectiles embedded with chemicals to restrain an individual (e.g., pepper spray).
• Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs). Officers may use CEDs to immobilize an individual. CEDs discharge a high-voltage, low-amperage jolt of electricity at a distance.
• Lethal Force — Officers use lethal weapons to gain control of a situation. Should only be used if a suspect poses a serious threat to the officer or another individual.
• Officers use deadly weapons such as firearms to stop an individual's actions.

When an officer grabs you to effect an arrest: Do not resist you will escalate the situation.

If you squirm and try to pull away, he can use holds and joint locks. 

If you start to push and kick, he can use used hard technique to punch and kick you. 

If you square off and land a couple of good blows to him. He will go to non-lethal batons, chemical or tasers.

If you pull a weapon, even if it's a toy, he will use deadly force.

Bottom line...

Take the ticket go on about your business and fight it later.

If you are arrested try to stay calm, go along with it and politely ask for a lawyer. You have a right to remain silent. Use it, don't say or do anything that you'll be sorry for later.

Keep your cool. Would you rather be right and jailed or dead; or would you rather go home