Gransnet forums

News & politics

Restraining violent, drugged abusive members if the public

(134 Posts)
Sparkling Tue 14-Jul-20 07:24:16

Any ideas how you can safely arrest a drugged up and violent member of the public one of whom could have a knife or weapon. This is part of police life, often the violent person can be physically much larger than the arresting officer. It would be enlightening to the general public as well"

Anniebach Tue 14-Jul-20 10:12:10

Thank goodness my husband was the ‘only police officer’ whose car was rammed and he was left to die on a country road at night .

Thank goodness P.C.Blakelock was ‘the only police officer’
hacked to death in Broad Farm riots

Let’s be thankful

25Avalon Tue 14-Jul-20 11:27:22

Anniebach I am thankful to police officers who are prepared to give their lives to protect us. I am sorry your dh was one of these.

GagaJo Tue 14-Jul-20 11:31:57

A thread started to try to undermine BLM and to excuse police brutality.

So sorry to hear how your husband died Anniebach. I have no words...

25Avalon Tue 14-Jul-20 11:35:16

The same BLM who want to defund the police and whose activist in London at the weekend compared our police to the KKK!

3nanny6 Tue 14-Jul-20 11:51:30

I would have no idea how to restrain a person like that. Someone mentioned that tasers are useful but they are illegal to the public and no public person should have one.

It is a difficult life for police officers although they do get thorough training and they know the type of career they are choosing. (My cousin is in the Met police) she never talks about work and when I meet with her she just enjoys off duty times.

Anniebach Tue 14-Jul-20 11:55:24

So easy to dismiss the police, they are spat at, sworn at, jibed, have missiles thrown at them.

Surprise , when they put on uniforms they are still human beings, they have parents ,wives, children .

Yes a minority lose it, - they are not super human and I am
sick of the fact they are targets for Black Lives Matter and the criticism showered on them because of the brutality of an
American police officer,

The ‘only one police officer killed’ could have been your son,
husband, father, daughter,

Police brutality ? What about thugs brutality? Every call out
could be to someone armed with a knife or machete.

trisher Tue 14-Jul-20 12:18:30

Should we perhaps extend this debate to include those who deal with drugged up and violent members of the public with none of the powers or equipment which is standard issue to police officers. Amongst them NHS staff dealing with people with mental health problems and staff in young offender and other establishments dealing with children with violent histories who all have real and very strict guidelines to follow about how they are permitted to restrain the people they are dealing with. But manage to do it anyway.

Luckyoldbeethoven Tue 14-Jul-20 12:23:12

It was at least two police officers killed wasn't it? One whose feet were lassoed by some lads stealing a quad bike in Berkshire, the police officer was dragged to his death when they drove off. And then one in a terrorist attack? Perhaps the first doesn't count as a death on duty??
The police and paramedics do a fantastic job in the face of appalling behaviour by some, often under the influence of drink or drugs. The police are often left to manage situations which result from the withdrawal of funded care by councils and social work departments.
I recently heard a podcast where a policeman was talking about having had a breakdown, called to a late night road accident, he thought he was walking through water from a burst drain. Turned out it was blood from the four dead people in the car. Most of us really have no idea.

EllanVannin Tue 14-Jul-20 12:37:02

A syringe of paraldehyde !

MissAdventure Tue 14-Jul-20 13:04:37

All of the issues mentioned need attention, and, ideally, some sort of "fix".
It's not going to happen when those involved in the law process are unable to adhere to the principles.

sodapop Tue 14-Jul-20 13:14:57

ilovebeigecardigans & EllanVannin thankfully those days are long gone.

Anniebach Tue 14-Jul-20 14:03:56

Two paramedics were called to a house last week, both stabbed
and taken to hospital.

Not sure how many in institutions have access to knives and
machetes and there is more than one staff member on duty

3nanny6 Tue 14-Jul-20 14:28:36

LuckyoldBeethoven ; You are correct the police officer in Berkshire was in an unmarked car and he had a call to go to a property. There were three offenders who I think lived on a travelers sight, the officer was trying to arrest them but they had ropes tied to the back of a getaway car as they had tied the stolen quad bike to it and sadly they started the car to drive off and he got his leg caught up in the rope. What an appalling way to drag someone like that. The officer had only been married a short time. I read it in the paper and there were pictures of his wedding. Why did he not call for back up? he should have had another officer with him at least.

boodymum67 Tue 14-Jul-20 14:32:09

Best thing an ordinary member of the public could do is leave it to the professionals. I don't fancy trying to restrain such a person.

Madgran77 Tue 14-Jul-20 14:32:40

MaisieD it is not proven that kneeling on the neck is an actual cause of death

confused

Anniebach Tue 14-Jul-20 14:37:08

P.C. Harper was with another officer. He was 28 and had been
married 4 weeks.

3nanny6 Tue 14-Jul-20 14:46:06

Anniebach ; I must take a further look at that I thought the paper said he was alone. You do mean the one in Berkshire?
Where was the other officer then because there were three offenders that managed to get into a car and drive off.

Anniebach Tue 14-Jul-20 15:09:27

3nanny6 yes two officers attended the call out, the other officer couldn’t have caught up with a car racing away.

3nanny6 Tue 14-Jul-20 15:14:37

Anniebach ; so sorry you are right. I got mixed up because when the death first happened it was back in June and 10 people were originally arrested and I remember the paper saying P.C Harper was called to an incident just before he was due to go off duty and I did not see anything about another officer then.
The offenders were doing wrong but it seems very tragic circumstances happened as the tied rope was already on the get away car and as P.C Harper began to chase the car on foot he became entangled in the rope, an awful tragedy a terrible death.

Oopsminty Tue 14-Jul-20 15:14:55

3nanny6

Anniebach ; I must take a further look at that I thought the paper said he was alone. You do mean the one in Berkshire?
Where was the other officer then because there were three offenders that managed to get into a car and drive off.

He had a colleague with him, as Anniebach has said

PC Harper's colleague, PC Andrew Shaw, described it "as if he had lost his footing while water skiing" with his feet "being whipped forward and his body being thrown back"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-53139153

Dreadful case.

And I'm so sorry to hear about your husband, Anniebach

Oopsminty Tue 14-Jul-20 15:15:50

Sorry, crossed posts, 3nanny6

welbeck Tue 14-Jul-20 15:23:28

we must not discuss that case as it is currently before the court.
extract from cps guidance,

Section 1 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 sets out and defines “the
strict liability rule”. This provides that it is a contempt to
publish any matter which creates a substantial risk of serious
prejudice or impediment to the course of justice in legal proceedings,
irrespective of the intention behind the publication.

Anniebach Tue 14-Jul-20 15:30:21

Thank you oopsminty, i shouldn’t have brought my husbands death into it but when I hear of an officer being killed I hear that knock on the door which the wives will get and the facts they will have to hear . My husband was lying dead on a road for 5 hours whilst I was sleeping. Mrs.Blakelock
had to hear her husband was hacked to death.

Seems much sympathy goes to the person who carries out the
murders , he had a deprived childhood etc.

EllanVannin Tue 14-Jul-20 15:44:27

More's the pity sodapop---I hope you're never confronted by a thug/maniac.

Orangerose Tue 14-Jul-20 15:46:32

Well I have no such sympathy for the thugs who commit crimes against our police Anniebach. I am so very sorry about your Husband- how dreadful for you and other Officers that have lost their lives in this way. Absolutely tragic.