Back in 2003 I attended what was called the "Citizens Police Academy" here in Columbia, a pared-down version of the training given to police recruits when they join the force. I learned, among many other things, about the use of "hard-hand" tactics (pressure points, elbow and knee strikes, sleeper holds) for insuring compliance. With a laser Glock in hand, I worked my way through video-training scenarios (some unintentionally comic) where deadly force might be required. After receiving training, I was able to ride with an officer during his night shift, watching his interactions with the public. I kept good notes on what I saw and spent weeks afterward reading about the history of policing here in Columbia and elsewhere.
Seven years later (this March) I was called for jury duty in the case of the State v. Cadilac Derrick. The case involved an apparently routine traffic stop that escalated into a Tasing and a serious fight. Derrick was thoroughly bruised and battered. Our jury hung on the criminal charge ("Failure to obey a lawful police order"). Derrick is now suing the officers involved for a million dollars.
Eventually there were newspaper stories about the incident, and a YouTube video that got more than 10,000 hits. There's no shortage of outrage about the incident in Columbia, some directed at Derrick, some at the police, too much of it misguided, misinformed, or deliberately deceptive. An ordinance banning Tasers has been placed on the November ballot, and it's a fair bet that this fall will see a robust discussion of police tactics, and particularly the use of force.
Because I think it might be useful in such a discussion, I am publishing a long essay (about 16,000 words) that combines what I learned in the Police Academy with what I learned from sitting on the Derrick jury. A 99 cent Kindle edition should appear in the next 24 to 48 hours.
