First and foremost, the word “unarmed” does not equate to “not dangerous.” In this case we had an attacker (Michael Brown) who was six feet, four inches tall and weighing 290+ pounds and a victim (Officer Wilson) who is several inches shorter and dozens of pounds lighter. Such size disparity affects the perception of the threat on the part of the person being attacked. In addition to Brown’s size, we have to acknowledge Brown’s mindset at the time of the encounter. Merely five minutes before the shooting, Brown and an accomplice had manhandled a store clerk while robbing a convenience store. When Wilson stopped the pair, they were walking down the middle of the street, something often done as a means of intimidating drivers and pedestrians. This action alone suggests a mindset bent on confrontation. Further, remember that Officer Wilson told investigators that Brown had pushed him back into his SUV, then struggled for his pistol inside that squad. When there is a physical fight between an officer and an assailant, there is always at least one gun present. If the officer loses consciousness or the ability to completely protect himself/herself, that gun may be used against them. “The public and the media do not seem to grasp that once someone grabs an officers weapon, he is no longer unarmed,” said PoliceOne Columnist Dan Marcou. There are a variety of ways that officers can perceive that they’re under threat. Environmental factors such as being confined in a vehicle — being belted in and being assaulted — especially when facing someone who is vastly larger than yourself and charging at you, can increase an officer’s perception of threat.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 19:00:22 +0000
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