Ride-a-longs and jail tours begin at 6pm Thursday at the front entrance to the Embassy Suites hotel. Please be on time. The officers absolutely will not wait for anyone! And please read all rules and regarding the rides and tour.

A brief orientation is scheduled for 5:30 pm outside, near the front entrance area.

Notification emails have been sent to the winners of the police ride-a-long lottery

Attached to the emails are waiver and background check forms that must be completed. Those of you assigned to the High Point Police Department absolutely must get your forms in the U.S. mail IMMEDIATELY, so they can be processed in time for the ride-a-long. All others, please follow the instructions in the emails you received today.

Everyone, please check your spam and junk folders for the message. If we don’t receive a reply from you soon, we will have to move on to the next person in line.

If you see the name of a friend in the list below, please contact them to let them know they’ve won. We need to hear from the winners ASAP!

The winners are:

1. Howard Lewis – High Point Police Department

2. Mel Parish – High Point Police Department

3. Mike Fanning – Greensboro Police Department

4. Meagan Beaumont – Greensboro Police Department

5. Judy Bird – Greensboro Police Department

6. Melanie Atkins – Greensboro Police Department

7.  Joseph Terrell – Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Terrell

8. Joya Fields – Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

9. Mary Barker – Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

10. Finn Jackson – Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

11. Portia McCracken – Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

12. Elizabeth Shultz – Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

Police Ride-A-Long Rules

Please do not bring any unnecessary items with you. No backpacks, briefcases, laptops, large pocket books, book bags, etc. A pen and notebook should be all you need. Please ask the officer if he/she permits the taking of photographs. Absolutely NO video and NO audio recordings. You may NOT take photos of any civilians engaged by the officer(s). And, obviously, no weapons of any type will be permitted during the ride with the officer. You are to follow the officer(s) instructions, and all rules of the police department and/or sheriff’s office.

Use-of-Force Tips for the Writers Participating in Simulation Training at the Writers’ Police Academy

Part I. Use-of-Force Legal Issues

By Jerry P. Cooper, Use-of-Force Trainer / Consultant

Statutory law covering use of force varies from state to state; however, there are certain similarities. Generally, we divide use of force into two main categories: 1) less-lethal; and 2) lethal.

A less-lethal force option is one which is unlikely to cause death or serious injury to a suspect when properly applied by a law enforcement officer. A law enforcement officer is justified in using less-lethal force against a person to prevent the escape from custody or to effect an arrest of a person who he or she reasonably believes has committed a criminal offense, or to defend himself or herself (or a third party) from what the officer reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of physical force.

A law enforcement officer is justified in using lethal physical force upon another person to defend himself or she or a third party from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force. We all know what deadly force is. Deadly force could be a gun; a gun used to strike someone rather than shoot them; a knife; an automobile; a brick; or anything else by its use could be used to cause death or a serious bodily injury. The problem comes when we must determine what constitutes the “imminent” use of force, whether deadly or not. “Imminent” is not a word we use here in the South; we have another term: “fixing to” (as in Joe is “fixing to” whip Bubba’s rear end). A situation is imminent when it is going to happen unless someone intervenes now, not five minutes from now, or even five seconds from now.

Deadly (lethal) force can be used to make an arrest or to prevent the escape from custody of a person who he or she reasonably believes is attempting to escape by means of a deadly weapon. Since the United States Supreme Court case of Tennessee v. Garner in 1985, we cannot use lethal force against a person who is simply committing a felony or escaping with a deadly weapon. Lethal force can also be used by a law enforcement officer against a person who by his/her conduct or any other means indicates that he/she presents an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to others unless apprehended without delay.

When it comes to federal officers, lethal force is justified if the suspect represents a significant threat of death or serious injury to an officer or others. the threat of death or serious injury does not have to be imminent.

Use-of-Force by law enforcement officers is not only governed by statutory law, but also by constitutional law. We will consider just a very few seminal cases from the United States Supreme Court pertaining to this matter.

• Tennessee v. Garner (1985). The Court stated that if an officer has “probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a threat of serious physical harm, either to the officer or to others, it is not unconstitutionally unreasonable to prevent escape by using deadly force.”

– Graham v. Conner. In 1989, the Court stated “The reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than the 20/20 vision of hindsight …” The Conner decision established what has come to be known as the Objective Reasonableness Standard. Objective reasonableness will be determined by examining the number of factors which are involved in the officer’s decision to use force and the lawfulness of that decision will turn on the facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time the force was used.

– Saucier v. Katz (2001). This decision is known as the “Hazy Border Decision.” The Court plainly stated that while uses of force by police occur that are clearly excessive or clearly appropriate, a gray area remains in between. The Court went on to say that when an officer’s use of force falls within this gray area, deference must be paid to the officer and qualified immunity granted.

– Scott v. Henrich. In this 1994 decision, the court stated “Officers thus need not avail themselves of the least intrusive means of responding to an exigent situation; they need only act within that range of conduct we identify as reasonable.”

The Objective Reasonableness Standard set forth in the Graham v. Conner decision has been probably the most shaping U. S. Supreme Court decision concerning use-of-force. A reasonable officer acts in accordance with statutory law, constitutional law, departmental policy and training. The elements of reasonableness are: 1) ability; 2) intent; and 3) jeopardy. Ability addresses the capability of a subject to carry out an action or threat. Intent is indicated by a person’s words or actions. Jeopardy is present when the situation becomes imminent.

We no longer use the term “force continuum.” A continuum seems to imply that there is some distinct path we must follow in escalating or de-escalating levels of force. The proper term is “force options.” Usually, there is no one right option. A particular option only need be reasonable. Force options include lethal force, intermediate force, physical control, chemical agents (e.g., OC spray), and electronic impulse devices (e.g., TASER).

Intermediate weapons can be divided into high impact and low impact. Some restraining devices may be considered low impact intermediate weapons. Most intermediate weapons fall into the high impact category. These weapons involve strikes or actions which could cause temporary incapacitation. Such weapons include, but are not limited to, batons, K-9’s, bean-bag rounds, and pepper balls. Some courts have ruled that the mere use of a tactical team constitutes an intermediate level of force.

Physical control can be soft hand or hard hand. Here, “hand” simply means the use of any body part as a weapon, and not actually limited to the hand. Soft hand would include such things as escorts and pressure points. These are usually low levels of force that are used to motivate a person to cooperate. Punches, kicks or stuns would be examples of hard hand physical control. Depending on the application method, handcuffing could be either a low impact intermediate weapon or soft hand or hard hand physical control.

There are two other very important force options that are usually not considered in statistics concerning use of force, and neither is included in the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s (IACP) definition of force. They are command presence and verbal direction and control.

How could simply displaying a presence constitute a use of force? Presence, or command presence, is a psychological force. This type of force is usually demonstrated through symbols of authority (e.g., badge, uniform, police vehicle, etc.). You do not believe presence is a force? Observe how people behave when an officer in uniform approaches. People will start or stop certain activities. Individuals on certain “problem” street corners will act one way when ordinary vehicles drive by, and will act differently when a marked police car approaches. Even when an unmarked Ford Crown Vic or Dodge Charger draws near, people at such a location will behave differently.

Demonstrating a command presence means appearing ready and willing to do the job. This is accomplished by such things as an officer’s stance, use of positioning concepts, and maintaining a reactionary distance from the subject. George Thompson, creator and author of Verbal Judo, says that in order for an officer to demonstrate a command presence he/she must look good, sound good, and know good. Looking good and sounding good means displaying a professional appearance and voice. To know good means to know your job; know the procedural and substantive laws you are dealing with. Most professional law enforcement agencies now include a show of force (e.g., keeping a firearm drawn and at a low-ready position) as a type of command presence. Unfortunately, some agencies still consider such a show of force as actual use of force, and consequently, the involved officer must complete a use-of-force report and follow other administrative procedures. In those agencies, officers frequently wait too long to draw their weapons, so as to avoid the administrative headaches. The officer, fellow officer, or citizen the officer should be protecting, then faces a greater possibility of being injured or killed.

Proper verbal direction and control has diffused many potentially dangerous situations. Loud, repetitive verbal commands can simultaneously accomplish several things: 1) instruct the suspect as to what exactly you want him/her to do; 2) force you to breathe; 3) creates a witness; and 4) summons help.

Do not use profanity. A defense attorney in a criminal case, or the plaintiff’s attorney in a civil case, can offer the fact you used profanity as evidence that you were out of control. Members of tactical teams can sometimes get by with shouting and using profanity because most courts understand that their safety depends upon speed, surprise, and violence of action; but this is an exception to the rule, and does not apply to officers in other assignments.

Commands should be alpha commands. Alpha commands are directions given in concise, clear language (e.g., “stop”; “drop the knife”; “don’t take your hands out of your pockets”; etc.). We should never use beta commands (e.g., “give it up”; “freeze”; etc.). The most useful verbal command is simply “Police, don’t move.” In this short command we give an instruction, check for compliance, and satisfy the legal requirement that we identify ourselves as law enforcement officers.

Remember, the use of a particular force option, whether it is command presence, lethal force, or anything between, must only be reasonable. According to Scott v. Henrich, we are not required to use a minimum amount of force.

*Part II on Monday will address tactical considerations.

Jerry Cooper is a law enforcement trainer who has been a continuously sworn law enforcement officer for more than 36 years. The majority of that time was spent with North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE). He currently serves as a reserve officer with the Cleveland, N.C. Police Department. Jerry’s training specialties include Subject Control & Arrest Techniques, FATS (firearms training simulator), and Anti-Terrorism. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Education.

Jerry Cooper is the commander of the Writers’ Police Academy Violent Crimes Task Force, and your FATS instructor.

FATS (now known as Meggit)

FATS is a virtual training system that prepares law enforcement officers to properly apply use-of-force options. Scenarios are keyed into a FATS primary simulation computer and are played out on an eight-foot screen.

Using voice commands and various lethal and less-lethal weapons, participants will negotiate stressful scenarios. Upon completion, the learner will have a more thorough understanding of issues faced by law enforcement officers who often must make split-second decisions regarding the application of force.

Lee Lofland has done a wonderful job of preparing you for your Task Force assignment. This training has been difficult to schedule. Lee’s special orders to you reflect expert planning. His commitment to making this project work will surely result in an exciting time for all of us. Please follow Lee’s instructions carefully. I would like to reiterate a couple of things Lee has communicated to you, and expand on some others.

Please remember to present the required waiver to the perimeter officer at the entrance to the FATS room. The FATS room is located in room # 130 in the Public Safety Building. (Waivers will be provided to you prior to the training).

It is crucial that you report on time. Help us keep things moving so everyone has an opportunity to benefit from this training. Listen to all instructions carefully, whether they originate with me, the perimeter officer, the safety officer, or the scenario narrator. We have to crunch about eight hours of instruction down to less than 30 minutes. We can make this work.

Although time is short, we want you to profit from this experience. Relax, and listen to the safety officer. The tools you will be using are real weapons, but they have been retooled with a LASER, and are no longer capable of firing live ammunition. I will not turn on the shoot-back system (I don’t like to see grown people cry). Do not worry about belts or pockets; wear something comfortable.

You and your teammate will be given a couple of scenarios. One will probably call for the use of lethal force. Another can probably be resolved with less lethal force. If time permits, you might even get another surprise scenario.

When your time is up, and it is time for the next team to run through their scenarios, please do not linger in the FATS room. I will try to answer as many of your questions as I can. If I cannot answer them all, I will give you one of my business cards and you can feel free to contact me later. If you are ever back in this area, we might even be able to steal a few more minutes on the FATS simulator.

When your team is “on deck,” watch and listen carefully. You can learn a lot in this type of training by simply letting your brain absorb what is happening and form those neural pathways.

Take the scenarios serious. Do not approach this experience as you would a video game. Let your heart rate go up, and you will reap the rewards of training under stress.

Demonstrate a command presence. Use concise, simple voice commands – what the F.B.I. refers to as alpha commands (e.g., “drop the knife”; “stop”; etc.). (Sorry, writers, but do not use the beta commands like on TV and in the movies – “Get your M_F_ing _ ass on the ground!”)

Unless you have a big “S” tattooed on your chest, use the cover we provide for you. Cover stops bullets. Officers who take cover during shootings survive 95% of the time, even when they do not return fire.

Relax. No one really gets killed in the FATS room.

Learn. You do not have to negotiate the scenarios perfectly. The U.S. Supreme Court only requires we act “reasonably” (Graham v. Conner, 1989).

Jerry Cooper, Task Force Commander

ALE officer Jerry Cooper at his first liquor still capture in Wilkes County NC (the “Bootleg Capital of the World”) in January 1975. This type of still was known as a “Wilkesboro burner.”

2012 FATS SCHEDULE

*Shooters MUST arrive 15 minutes prior to their shoot time. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of your session. No exceptions and no refunds!

Instructors ~ Jerry Cooper, Andy Russell, Stan Lawhorne

FRIDAY

8:30 to 8:50

Stacy Allen, Mary Edelson, Mary Barker, Cynthia Barwin

9:00 – 9:20

Meagan Beaumont, Mary Behre, Sarah Bewley, Judy Bird

9:30 – 9:50

Janet Boshell, Lisa Bouchard, Felicia Brown, Mary Burton

10:00 – 10:20

Julie Candoli, Kimberly Ciamarra, Ann Ciemnoczolowski, Lindsey Cosimano

10:30 – 10:50

Lindsay Curcio, Lori Dandrea, Melissa Dicker, Anna Draves

11:00 – 11:20

Sherry Jones, Michael Fanning, Joya Fields, Grace Greene

11:30 – 11:50

Korey Hagans, Laura Handy, Laura Hayden, April Henry

LUNCH  12 – 1:00

1:10 – 1:30

Debbie Henson, Patricia Hoffman, Rachel Hall, Alexandra Hughes

1:40 – 2:00

Andrew Italia, Michelle Johnson, Vy Kava, Jeanne Ketterer

2:10 – 2:30

Mona King, Mary Ann Laverty, Suzanne Link, Amanda Little

2:40 – 3:00

Linda Lockhart, Melinda Loomis, Edith Maxwell, Portia McCracken

SATURDAY

9:00 – 9:20

Elizabeth Mugavero, Sylvia Nickels, Melanie Noto, Katherine Nyborg

9:30 – 9:50

Ellen Oberth, Jennifer Oberth, Jean Osborn, Cathy Ott

10:00 – 10:20

Susan Paturzo, Patti Phillips, Luisa Prieto, Howard Lewis

10:30 – 10:50

Bonnie Riley, Susan Ritenbaugh, Myra Ross, Sylvia Salas

11:00 – 11:20

David Schlosser, Diane Schultz, Hannah Schwartz, Ursual Shand

11:30 – 11:50

Susan Sitze, Alexandra Sokoloff, Lynn Steinmayer,  Lydia Stone

LUNCH 12 – 12:45

1:00 – 1:30

Reserved

1:40 – 2:00

Karen Herbelin, Melissa Zbikowski, Karla Telega, Karen Pullen

2:10 – 2:30

Tina Whittle, Cathy Wiley, Rhona Waldron

2:40 – 3:00

Kate Thomas, Vonda Valasky, Francine Wehlman

*If you paid and signed up for FATS and do not see your name on this list, contact me at lofland32@msn.com, immediately. Please do not post the message to this blog.