"Concerned" Citizen to the Rescue

[DeputyJ Member Find all posts View Profile Close DeputyJ]

Here's a "war story" that say it all when people from outiside of California ask me about our relationship with the citizens we serve.

One night I found myself in a foot pursuit attempting to take a person into custody who wanted to kill himself. The individual jumped a fence that led to HWY 101 (a very busy hwy) and yelled that he was going to run into traffic. I of course followed him, and manged to grab him just before he entered a lane of traffic. We struggled while units from my agency, the city police, and the highway patrol were attemting to locate us. It was dark outside and I could see responding officers drive past me.

While the subject and I were struggling, he was yelling for me to shoot him. All I could think about was this guy was going to get us both killed by a passing car.

I finally gained control of the subject and was handcuffing him, when I noticed a vehicle pull off to the shoulder of the road. I assumed it was an off duty officer or a concerned citizen who saw a uniformed officer struggling with a subject and wanted to help out. I was wrong. The "concerned" citizen demanded that I identify myself, and demanded that I tell him what agency I worked for. So now I'm trying to keep the suicidal subject, who is now handcuffed, from standing up and running into traffic and I'm having to deal with a knucklehead who just knows I must be in the wrong.

I radioed for units to slow down their response, eventually city officers and my agency arrive, the "concerned" citizen walked to his vehicle and drove off.

When I told the Sgt. from the PD what took place, he said that he wished I had told him about the "concerned" citizen before the knucklehead left. The Sgt. said he would have cited the guy for parking on the side of the hwy.

[Hank1 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hank1]

"Witnesses"

In one instance, a aggravated battery ocurred on my partner where a foot pursuit ensued. We apprehended the female approximately 30 yards from the scene and detained her until Deputies arrived on scene. When LE arrived, there were "witnesses" to the incident where the suspect "did nothing wrong, CIS just cuffed her for no reason!" She was one of the very first people who was detained by a CIS Officer on the enhanced penalty for "Battery on a Licensed Security Officer".

Be safe,

Hank

[ValleyOne Member Find all posts View Profile Close ValleyOne]

When I told the Sgt. from the PD what took place, he said that he wished I had told him about the "concerned" citizen before the knucklehead left. The Sgt. said he would have cited the guy for parking on the side of the hwy.

Just parking on the Hwy? Why not interfering? Or, Obstructing? Not to familiar with CA Penal Codes... But I would still think there could be bite there.

[DeputyJ Member Find all posts View Profile Close DeputyJ]

Valley,

In our county obstructing wouldn't fly because the knucklehead did not physically interfer. Our county is very liberal and anticop. Not to mention that resisting and obstructing charges are almost always dropped by the DA (unless there is serious injury to the officer).

The most I could have done was have another officer transport the "concered citizen" to our station and then cited him for obstructing. In reality, the citation for parking on the hwy would have more bite than a citation for obstructing.

[HotelSecurity Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close HotelSecurity]

Here's a "war story" that say it all when people from outiside of California ask me about our relationship with the citizens we serve.

One night I found myself in a foot pursuit attempting to take a person into custody who wanted to kill himself. The individual jumped a fence that led to HWY 101 (a very busy hwy) and yelled that he was going to run into traffic. I of course followed him, and manged to grab him just before he entered a lane of traffic. We struggled while units from my agency, the city police, and the highway patrol were attemting to locate us. It was dark outside and I could see responding officers drive past me.

While the subject and I were struggling, he was yelling for me to shoot him. All I could think about was this guy was going to get us both killed by a passing car.

I finally gained control of the subject and was handcuffing him, when I noticed a vehicle pull off to the shoulder of the road. I assumed it was an off duty officer or a concerned citizen who saw a uniformed officer struggling with a subject and wanted to help out. I was wrong. The "concerned" citizen demanded that I identify myself, and demanded that I tell him what agency I worked for. So now I'm trying to keep the suicidal subject, who is now handcuffed, from standing up and running into traffic and I'm having to deal with a knucklehead who just knows I must be in the wrong.

I radioed for units to slow down their response, eventually city officers and my agency arrive, the "concerned" citizen walked to his vehicle and drove off.

When I told the Sgt. from the PD what took place, he said that he wished I had told him about the "concerned" citizen before the knucklehead left. The Sgt. said he would have cited the guy for parking on the side of the hwy.

I don't understand why you radioed to slow down their response?

[ValleyOne Member Find all posts View Profile Close ValleyOne]

Valley,

In our county obstructing wouldn't fly because the knucklehead did not physically interfer. Our county is very liberal and anticop. Not to mention that resisting and obstructing charges are almost always dropped by the DA (unless there is serious injury to the officer).

The most I could have done was have another officer transport the "concered citizen" to our station and then cited him for obstructing. In reality, the citation for parking on the hwy would have more bite than a citation for obstructing.

Ok thanks for the explanation. Man it sounds like your actually in Eugene, OR. not Cali. Or maybe the bay area???

[DeputyJ Member Find all posts View Profile Close DeputyJ]

Hotel,

The last thing you want is for units to wreck coming to your aid. Once I had the individual in handcuffs, the situation didn't require a Code 3 response. I still needed a few units, just not the number and the urgency that I needed when I was struggling to handcuff the subject.

[DeputyJ Member Find all posts View Profile Close DeputyJ]

Valley,

I grew up in Eugene, Oregon.

[N. A. Corbier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close N. A. Corbier]

Hotel,

The last thing you want is for units to wreck coming to your aid. Once I had the individual in handcuffs, the situation didn't require a Code 3 response. I still needed a few units, just not the number and the urgency that I needed when I was struggling to handcuff the subject.

I've heard of too many LEOs crashing into poles or other things on the side of the road running code. You really want to slow others down, public or private, once you're OK.

[bigdog Member Find all posts View Profile Close bigdog]

In one instance, a aggravated battery ocurred on my partner where a foot pursuit ensued. We apprehended the female approximately 30 yards from the scene and detained her until Deputies arrived on scene. When LE arrived, there were "witnesses" to the incident where the suspect "did nothing wrong, CIS just cuffed her for no reason!" She was one of the very first people who was detained by a CIS Officer on the enhanced penalty for "Battery on a Licensed Security Officer".

Be safe,

Hank

can you tell us more about the incident?

[Hank1 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hank1]

can you tell us more about the incident?

Sure~
My zone partner observed a B/F get out of a minivan occupied by 4 W/Ms. The female went right up to a suspected drug unit. While she was at the door , he witnessed the exchange. He called for back up on a possible drug deal and LE for 5 trespass warnings. I was about 1 mile away and I notified dispatch show me enroute. As I was arriving on scene, the mini van sped off almost stiking my partner. Observing this, I followed the vehicle to confirm the tag number. My partner was left with the female as was following the van. As I retuned back to the scene, he was pursuing the female on foot. My partner advised (via radio) that the female had a small styrofoam cup with some alcohol in it and threw the contents of the cup at him. Initially, he did not know what was in the cup, so when she made the move to toss it at him, he jumped out of the way. In his attempt to move, she picked up a small stick and hit him with it (threw). She then ran, he pursued and I assisted by detaining her. He did have some wet areas on his upper body (shirt) where the liquid hit him. People in cars drove by and yelled out that CIS had no right taking the female into custody because she "did nothing wrong and CIS is always harassing is ("N" bombs)!" These so called witnesses where not at the scene at time of contact. Numerous Deputies arrived on scene and put a BOLO on the van (no luck). We attempted contact at the drug unit (no answer). Subject arrested and charged ( crack paraphenalia/agg. batt). All of those "witnesses" did not stay long enough to write a witness statement.

Be safe,

Hank

[bigdog Member Find all posts View Profile Close bigdog]

Sure~
My zone partner observed a B/F get out of a minivan occupied by 4 W/Ms. The female went right up to a suspected drug unit. While she was at the door , he witnessed the exchange. He called for back up on a possible drug deal and LE for 5 trespass warnings. I was about 1 mile away and I notified dispatch show me en route. As I was arriving on scene, the mini van sped off almost striking my partner. Observing this, I followed the vehicle to confirm the tag number. My partner was left with the female as was following the van. As I returned back to the scene, he was pursuing the female on foot. My partner advised (via radio) that the female had a small styrofoam cup with some alcohol in it and threw the contents of the cup at him. Initially, he did not know what was in the cup, so when she made the move to toss it at him, he jumped out of the way. In his attempt to move, she picked up a small stick and hit him with it (threw). She then ran, he pursued and I assisted by detaining her. He did have some wet areas on his upper body (shirt) where the liquid hit him. People in cars drove by and yelled out that CIS had no right taking the female into custody because she "did nothing wrong and CIS is always harassing is ("N" bombs)!" These so called witnesses where not at the scene at time of contact. Numerous Deputies arrived on scene and put a BOLO on the van (no luck). We attempted contact at the drug unit (no answer). Subject arrested and charged ( crack paraphenalia/agg. batt). All of those "witnesses" did not stay long enough to write a witness statement.

Be safe,

Hank

Its definately Felony battery on a licensed security officer. But agg battery is a stretch. Unless the stick was considered a deadly weapon or the security officer was seriously injured.

[Hank1 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hank1]

Its definately Felony battery on a licensed security officer. But agg battery is a stretch. Unless the stick was considered a deadly weapon or the security officer was seriously injured.

My friend, you are completely correct. I neglected to write that it him in the face near his eye! My apologies!

Be safe,
Hank

[ValleyOne Member Find all posts View Profile Close ValleyOne]

Hmm, I was thinking it was fairly big stick, LOL. But yeah anything close to the eyes is BAD, very bad...

[locknid Member Find all posts View Profile Close locknid]

I have had many instances where family or friends try to interfere with an arrest. Most often times I just grab on to the prisoner, start moving out of the area, repeat commands for the people to back away, if they don't i pull out the trusty OC and that usually makes them back off. I too don't know how many times "witnesses" claim we arrested the person for no reason or that we are always harrassing people for no reason. Most of the time these people don't even realize that here in AZ any private person can make actual arrests for almost anything. This also leads to a lot of resisting suspects because they too don't know we can legally arrest them. ahh stupid people are great.