| Have you seen the video of the teenager who | | | | has to use reasonable force necessary to |
| was arrested in Ft. Pierce for curfew violations? If | | | | effectuate the arrest. As a former police officer, |
| not, please take time to view it now: | | | | I can tell you that the biggest challenge any street |
| According to Officer Dan Gilroy's report, he | | | | cop has is using self restraint when encountering a |
| stopped and detained the fifteen year old girl who | | | | person who refuses to be placed under arrest. At |
| was out past curfew and was carrying a bag of | | | | the academy officers are trained to protect |
| clothing, which the officer suspected may have | | | | themselves, but to use no more force than is |
| been stolen. When the officer attempted to place | | | | necessary for the situation. The type of force a |
| the teenager under arrest for the curfew | | | | particular officer uses will always depend on that |
| violation, the young lady resisted arrest while the | | | | officer's physical skills and his perception of the |
| officer attempted to place her in handcuffs. | | | | force used against him. |
| At some point in the encounter Officer Gilroy | | | | In this case the force used by the officer may |
| decided he needed to record the arrest, so he | | | | not look pretty (it never does), but it was entirely |
| walked the young lady to his patrol car and | | | | reasonable under the circumstances. |
| turned on the camera. The video tape of the | | | | What other methods of force could the officer |
| remaining portion of this incident shows the | | | | employed? He could have wrestled her to the |
| teenager biting the hand of the officer. The | | | | ground or used a "come along hold" (a method of |
| officer is then seen striking the teenager and | | | | twisting the suspects arm to cause compliance), |
| spraying her with pepper spray. He eventually | | | | or he may have choked her out with his baton. In |
| gets the handcuffs on the teenager and | | | | any case, the type of force would have caused |
| completes the arrest. | | | | pain and not have looked pretty. |
| The headline to this story has been incorrectly | | | | My message to the teenager and her family: Do |
| titled, "Dramatic arrest caught on camera in Ft. | | | | not violate curfew; and when you are stopped by |
| Pierce." After viewing the video of this incident, | | | | the police, obey their commands and you won't |
| the correct title should have been: "Teenage | | | | have these problems. |
| curfew violator gets caught assaulting a police | | | | If you believe you were wrongly accused of a |
| officer and resisting arrest." Can there be any | | | | crime, hire an attorney, and fight the charges. If |
| question that this teenager was resisting arrest? | | | | you believe you were being picked on by the |
| After all, how many times did the officer tell her | | | | police, hire an attorney, and sue the department. |
| to place her hands behind her back before he | | | | There are plenty of us wily attorney's who are |
| used force (I counted ten)? And why would the | | | | more than happy to take your case. However, |
| officer make such an effort to get the camera | | | | the last thing you want to do is bite the hand of |
| rolling if he did not believe he needed to protect | | | | the officer who is attempting to coax you into |
| himself? | | | | submission. Unless, of course, you want to know |
| When a person assaults a police officer and then | | | | what it feels like to have pepper spray poured in |
| resists arrest, there will be force used by the | | | | your face! |
| officer in apprehending the suspect. The officer | | | | |