Prison Psych Tech Helps Save a Corrections Officer’s Life!

I’d like to share some thoughts on an article written by By Larry Lucketta, Corrections Chapter President, Corcoran State Prison. It is being carried by CAPT Magazine and on their CAPT website.

It is often heard that there are attackers who are supposedly immune to pepper spray and don’t respond as normal people would. This story is more proof of the phenomena.

Apparently in the psychiatric ward of this hospital (see linked story for full details), a crazed convict bolted into an office, and attacked the lone officer who was sitting inside, knocking him to the ground and stabbing him repeatedly with a “shank”, or “home made knife”. A courageous Psych Tech, spotted the attack in progress and unlocked the door and tackled the prisoner, allowing another officer to enter with her as well, both trying to assist the injured officer. As this was taking place the door slammed shut with both keys to the door being inside, one with the corrections officer and the other with the Psych Tech who entered to assist the downed officer.

Onlooking officers and Techs couldn’t do a thing to help and stood by watching the maniacal patient attacking the officer and Psych Tech inside the locked office. They then administered pepper spray under the door which quickly affected the Psych Tech and the officer, but not the convict who continued to struggle, seemingly impervious to the pepper spray. An armed officer stationed above the office could not shoot the convict, his aim being obscured by the pepper spray in the locked office.

The Psych Tech, nearly blinded by the pepper spray, threw out her arm and found the door, quickly unlocking it. Officers standing by, rushed in immediately and subdued the murderous convict. He was very lucky, the pepper spray saved his life by obscuring the shooter’s aim.

What becomes readily apparent is that the pepper spray worked on everyone involved in this most unfortunate episode except the psychotic, medicated (I assume) inmate who instigated the attack. I believe this helps substantiate claims that defense sprays and stun guns may not stop a very determined attacker or a very crazy, and/or medicated attacker from pressing his attack home, often with distastrous results.

I believe in the use of non-lethal weapons such as a stun gun, or pepper spray but not 100% of the time. I think the training of these two employees helped in saving their lives. I also recommend that if anyone has an opportunity to take a seminar on self defense, or has time for a few months of training in martial arts, gives themselves the needed “edge” to survive an attack with the aid of such non-lethal weapons while stopping short of carrying a firearm.

Pepper Spray’s Effects on a Suspect’s Ability to Breathe

The National Institute of Justice has a very interesting publication on the effects of pepper spray. It is downloadable in two different formats. “This Brief discusses the effect of OC (Oleoresin capsicum) on respiration, particularly when combined with positional restraint.”

This brief contains information on the use of OC pepper sprays which have become a widely embraced tool of the law enforcement trade, but is not without it’s potential for serious harm, even death if not employed correctly. Certain measures should be taken by law officers using this product with special emphasis placed on “respiration & positional restraint”. This is a good read for those with any questions regarding the effectiveness of OC pepper spray.

In a perfect world such tools would not be necessary. But, even with the potential risks of defense sprays, stun guns and Air Tasers that are widely in use by American law enforcement agencies, I’d much rather be hit with a shot of pepper spray or shocked by a stun device, than take a bullet in the chest. Chances are your life will last a bit longer.

Police officers are faced with many difficult situations when confronting suspects. There seems to be a void between simple compliance on the part of the suspect – beating the suspect into compliance – and if fleeing, the use of deadly force. I believe such tools as defense sprays and stun technologies fill this void nicely and round out the tools a law officer has at his or her disposal in situations where violent behavior by the suspect begins to escalate. I find that I must endorse the judicious use of such weapons, to the finality of being shot with an officer’s service pistol.

Taser Gets More Bad Press

Officer.com, October 6th, 2004 reported another death after use of an Air Taser on a man who “appeared intoxicated”!

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) – A police officer used a stun gun during the arrest of a man who died later after being booked into jail, authorities said.

The less menacing but misleading term that is being tossed around by the Doctors of spin. The stun gun is non-lethal and should be in no way confused with an “Air Taser”, a much more formidable electronic shocking device, firing darts by wire and adjusting the shock at the pistol-like handle.

These are two different animals but they have been trying to piggyback off of the name of the common “stun gun” which is a deterrent, and not the cause of a mounting number of deaths after employing it to shock someone, such as the Air Taser, made by Taser International Inc..

An investigation is being conducted in the death of Dwayne Anthony Dunn 33, of Baton Rouge, who was arrested outside a market after the police received a call that he appeared intoxicated. Reportedly, Dunn refused to leave, resisted arrest and an officer used a Taser gun on him.

He was charged with resisting arrest, disturbing the peace by intoxication and misrepresentation during booking. Then shortly afterward, he was put on “medical watch” after jail staff members said he did not “seem right”, said a spokesman for the Lafayette Parish sheriff.

After Dunn was taken to a hospital, he died from an unknown cause. An autopsy report was pending. Taser International stubbornly continues to refute all claims of deaths attributable to the use of their products, while continuing to post record earnings!

Personal Alarms To Prevent Rape

There are a variety of small personal alarms available to women that are light, easy to carry and pack a lot noise when triggered. Some alarm models are available with flashing strobe lights to flash brightly as the alarm sounds at 115 – 130 db, or similar to a smoke alarm.

Securing your door or windows with an alarm that is triggered upon opening can be a life saver, as most rapists will stop upon setting off the alarm and run from the threat of imminent discovery.

Any woman who’s lifestyle occasionally puts her at risk should have one of these handy and inexpensive little alarms, as recommended by Brooklyn College in their “Personal Counseling Program” addressing “What You Should Know About Sexual Assault“, an excellent read on the full spectrum of rape. It addresses the types of rape, rapists, prevention, and the legal statutes regarding sexual assault. Check it out!

“Sweeping Stun Guns” Controversy

Stun weapons that can incapacitate crowds are almost ready to be released for sale to military and police forces in the US and Europe. They sweep a massive jolt of electricity, like a lightning bolt, across crowds rendering them incapacitated.

Unlike conventional stun guns that are designed for targeting a single target. The new crowd control versions have human rights groups up-in-arms regarding the possible abuses and collateral damage that may occur to innocent bystanders.

Some of the new technologies competing for police and military use are:

Ionized gas

This application creates a conducting channel, using a small explosive charge to squirt a stream of tiny conductive fibers through the air at the victim.

Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS)

XADS company has created another type of wireless weapon. Their new “Close Quarters Shock Rifle” shoots an ionized gas, or plasma, towards the target, producing a conducting channel that will interfere with electronic ignition systems and stop vehicles.

Solid-State Lasers

A new rifle designed for the US Marine Corps, to use in crowd control and security situations, is due out in 2005. Instead of firing ionized gas, it will probably use a powerful laser to ionize the air itself. This produces long, thread-like filaments of glowing plasma, sustained by repeating the electric pulse every few milliseconds. This plasma channel is used to deliver a shock similar to a Taser 50,000-volt, 26-watt shock.

Spokesmen for the Red Cross say they risk becoming a new instrument of torture. Amnesty International has been quoted as saying the potential for abuses and potential use of these weapons pose a grave risk of harming innocent people (bystanders).

As for myself, I’d much rather take my chances of being stunned accidentally while innocently watching a troublesome crowd or gathering, than take an errant slug in the chest if the police have to resort to lethal force. BTW, that goes for 1 oz. bags fired from a shotgun and rubber bullets!

Best Defense Against Attack

Mulling over a few thoughts today..it seemed like a good idea to address crime prevention and pass a few thoughts along to readers. Sharing insites from authorities in self defense serves to refresh, in reader’s minds, the very cornerstone principles that can be relied on 100% of the time.

The best defense against a surprise attack is not to be “surprised”!

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee taught that a martial artist must constantly be aware of his surroundings. He must train to be cautious and alert at all times. Bruce believed that the best defense is to be quicker than your assailant. To make this happen, you must practice diligently. All techniques must be done fluidly, with power and speed.

It would be impractical to suggest that all people should enter serious martial arts instruction to prevent being a victim of assault. Martial arts training is NOT for everyone. It takes lots of time and work to achieve proficiency in martial arts. They can give you an “edge”, but not always!

Core principles that Bruce Lee (and most other good instructors) teach, can give you a lot of help in avoiding attacks on your person and family.

We have discussed that one must be alert at all times. This may sound difficult but it’s no different than any other “habit”, or learned behavior. If you think about avoiding attacks and prepare yourself with information, before long, you will find yourself better equipped to live free of fear.

As Bruce Lee taught, the best way to avoid being assaulted is by using your mind first, and your body (or combative skills) second. I found a great article that discusses this process quite well. It is a paraphrase of a piece by Elijah Anderson in The Atlantic Monthly, May 1994. As a lifetime practitioner of martial arts I recommend you check it out. There’s not much that I would take exception to. Loads of good food-for-thought, and tools for survival in the streets and in your home.

If you don’t have $50 – $75 a month to spend on martial arts training, or you’re not inclined to that sort of pursuit, then you should give it a read, think about it, and you’ll see that just a little bit of thought, and assessment on your part, could very easily save your life! The intent of instilling fear and paranoia is not what we want to convey. Rather, that with a little common sense and foresight, you will be “expecting the unexpected” and not make critical mistakes in the streets, or in your home.

What Would You Like to See Most?

This was the beginning of a question I posed in a martial arts “applications” class last night. We had an even mixture of men and women in class so I directed this to the ladies only and continued to ask what mugging or attack scenario would they like to explore. The first young lady said “what about when they do this to you”! She demonstrated by walking up to me frontally and grabbed my left wrist in a pistol grip with her right hand and firmly cradled the arm behind the elbow with her left hand and tried to walk to my left side while using a fulcrum motion and levering it into an armlock. Very nice technique, I told her but way too advanced to worry about in the street.

Rule:

If someone tries to lock your wrist, arm or any joint for that matter, simply anchor it tightly to your body. Use your other “free” hand to help, if needed!

Why? Because now you only fight their hand and arm strength, while they must move your “entire body mass” to manipulate you. Just leave the arm dangle out and you’ll be locked up and screaming BREAK in a couple of seconds. Anchor the wrist or arm against your body tightly, and the attacker must physically lift, push, pull and turn your entire body weight to accomplish anything. They soon weary of this and abandon the hold. But hey, we haven’t retaliated yet have we? So let’s do that ok?

I showed this little addition and the ladies loved it, it requires no strength, out of the ordinary. I asked her, after practicing this a few minutes to come and apply her grab & lock again, since I thought I could show them all something even a bit more simple. She walked right up and grabbed the left wrist again then tried to walk around my left side, while cradling the left elbow to begin bending my arm and getting the arm lock. I reached across and pulled her hair – OUCH! I asked if she realized that she couldn’t just walk up and expect time to “stand still”. That was a hard right hand punch to the side of your head, do you get the message?

I asked her to be a sport and do it one more time. This time I cut it very short (less is usually more in martial arts) but that’s a secret, so don’t spread it around ok . I used footwork, called “shadowing” or “mirroring” and simply stepped out and slightly to the left with my right leg to keep her abreast of me (she lost the ground she gained by my single step), and flicked her on the ear smartly – OUCH! That was another focused punch behind your ear, or a reminder that you just “gave me your back”, and are now being choked out in a naked choke, applied from behind as I made the small circle with you, ending up behind you, since you stepped first.

The other escape the ladies wanted to see was a good escape from a rear choke..(described above)..when a mugger or rapist sneaks up and catches you around the neck from behind. We went over some very simple escapes that require no extra skills or strength, just a little practice. Again, I seem to be running a little over limit on this post so I will discuss that scenario in depth, either in my next post, or maybe in a week or two. That depends on what kind of interesting crime, or crime information that reveals itself until I’m back on the old keyboard again. Be aware, stay alert and always keep your personal safety in mind, not for granted.