How to Avoid Getting Shot by a Police Officer
Don’t flee from police., Avoid any sudden movements., Keep your hands visible., Do not touch, hit, or otherwise assault a police officer., Do what you're told, and do it slowly., Let yourself be handcuffed.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Don’t flee from police.
If the police approach you and speak to you, do not run or even walk away.
This applies whether you believe you are innocent of wrongdoing or not.
Regardless of your rights, running arouses suspicion and greatly increases the chance of a fatal misunderstanding.A common belief amongst police officers is that suspects do not run unless they have a reason to.Do not play into this belief by fleeing.
The police are very likely to perceive you as a threat and chase you.
Fleeing in a high-crime or suspicious area does not in itself create a “reasonable suspicion” for police officers to stop you.
However, police often use characteristics and known histories of an area when making a decision about pursuing a suspect, and this is supported by US law.It is an unfortunate fact that in some cases, race plays a factor in police shootings.
Joint analysis by the Washington Post and Bowling Green State University revealed that over three-quarters of the officers charged with fatal shootings in the United States since 2005 were white, while two-thirds of their victims were minorities and all but two of that number were Black.If you are an ethnic minority, you may be in greater danger of police shooting if you flee.
If you are guilty of something illegal, running from the police can be charged as a crime, such as evading arrest or obstruction of justice.
In many US states, these crimes are felonies.
Running from the police if you are guilty will only make your situation worse. -
Step 2: Avoid any sudden movements.
No matter what you're doing when contacted by the police, stop and remain still.
At this point, any movement you make that is unexpected is one step closer to getting shot.
Do not move toward the officer, either.If you're in a car, don't reach for anything.
Officers are trained to notice when drivers are reaching for something, and they might assume you're reaching for a weapon or hiding drugs.
For more details, see How to Act when the Police Pull You Over., Do not make any sudden movements with your hands.
Keep them plainly visible.If the officer makes a request that requires you to move your hands, such as asking to see identification, verbally confirm that you are complying with his or her request before making any movements.
For example, you could tell the officer “I am going to reach into my left back pocket to get my wallet so I can show you my ID.” Do not make any movements unless you have to in order to comply with a police request. , This will almost certainly result in physical force used against you.
Police officers are authorized to use deadly force to defend themselves or others from serious harm or threat.
As one LAPD officer puts it, “initiating a physical confrontation is a sure recipe for getting hurt.”Assaulting or battering a police officer is a very serious crime., The officer will tell you exactly what he or she wants you to do.
That typically includes putting your hands on the back of your head, walking backwards toward the sound of their voice, or lying down on the ground.
Obey their orders, but do it at a slow enough pace that you don't alarm them.
Police have the right to stop and frisk or pat down suspects if they have “reasonable suspicion” that they are involved in illegal activity.Reasonable suspicion is very broadly defined.
Racial and social biases may come into play, and it is very difficult to prove these.For example, over 90 percent of stop-and-frisk incidents in New York City between 2002-2011 were with Black or Latino individuals.If you are an ethnic minority, you may be more likely to be stopped and ordered to submit to frisking, even if you are not behaving suspiciously.
Do not assume that you will not be frisked simply because you have done nothing wrong.
In New York City, for example, 9 out of 10 people who are stopped and frisked are innocent.It is safer for you not to resist.Police officers are legally required to avoid “excessive force.” Thus, if you submit and do not resist, the officer must stop using force against you.
While in reality this does not always happen, complying with an officer rather than resisting will improve your chances of remaining uninjured., While that may be uncomfortable, struggling against the cuffs or trying to resist in any way is only going to result in further trouble.
In many places, it is police protocol to place handcuffs on even the most cooperative of suspects.
If you have an injury (such as a stiff or "frozen" shoulder or a recently broken shoulder), let the officer know before he or she tries to cuff you and ask politely if your hands can be cuffed in another way rather than behind your back.
It may seem unfair to allow this if you do not believe you have done anything wrong.
Remain calm, submit to the cuffing, and ask for an attorney.
You are far more likely to survive your police encounter this way. -
Step 3: Keep your hands visible.
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Step 4: Do not touch
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Step 5: or otherwise assault a police officer.
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Step 6: Do what you're told
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Step 7: and do it slowly.
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Step 8: Let yourself be handcuffed.
Detailed Guide
If the police approach you and speak to you, do not run or even walk away.
This applies whether you believe you are innocent of wrongdoing or not.
Regardless of your rights, running arouses suspicion and greatly increases the chance of a fatal misunderstanding.A common belief amongst police officers is that suspects do not run unless they have a reason to.Do not play into this belief by fleeing.
The police are very likely to perceive you as a threat and chase you.
Fleeing in a high-crime or suspicious area does not in itself create a “reasonable suspicion” for police officers to stop you.
However, police often use characteristics and known histories of an area when making a decision about pursuing a suspect, and this is supported by US law.It is an unfortunate fact that in some cases, race plays a factor in police shootings.
Joint analysis by the Washington Post and Bowling Green State University revealed that over three-quarters of the officers charged with fatal shootings in the United States since 2005 were white, while two-thirds of their victims were minorities and all but two of that number were Black.If you are an ethnic minority, you may be in greater danger of police shooting if you flee.
If you are guilty of something illegal, running from the police can be charged as a crime, such as evading arrest or obstruction of justice.
In many US states, these crimes are felonies.
Running from the police if you are guilty will only make your situation worse.
No matter what you're doing when contacted by the police, stop and remain still.
At this point, any movement you make that is unexpected is one step closer to getting shot.
Do not move toward the officer, either.If you're in a car, don't reach for anything.
Officers are trained to notice when drivers are reaching for something, and they might assume you're reaching for a weapon or hiding drugs.
For more details, see How to Act when the Police Pull You Over., Do not make any sudden movements with your hands.
Keep them plainly visible.If the officer makes a request that requires you to move your hands, such as asking to see identification, verbally confirm that you are complying with his or her request before making any movements.
For example, you could tell the officer “I am going to reach into my left back pocket to get my wallet so I can show you my ID.” Do not make any movements unless you have to in order to comply with a police request. , This will almost certainly result in physical force used against you.
Police officers are authorized to use deadly force to defend themselves or others from serious harm or threat.
As one LAPD officer puts it, “initiating a physical confrontation is a sure recipe for getting hurt.”Assaulting or battering a police officer is a very serious crime., The officer will tell you exactly what he or she wants you to do.
That typically includes putting your hands on the back of your head, walking backwards toward the sound of their voice, or lying down on the ground.
Obey their orders, but do it at a slow enough pace that you don't alarm them.
Police have the right to stop and frisk or pat down suspects if they have “reasonable suspicion” that they are involved in illegal activity.Reasonable suspicion is very broadly defined.
Racial and social biases may come into play, and it is very difficult to prove these.For example, over 90 percent of stop-and-frisk incidents in New York City between 2002-2011 were with Black or Latino individuals.If you are an ethnic minority, you may be more likely to be stopped and ordered to submit to frisking, even if you are not behaving suspiciously.
Do not assume that you will not be frisked simply because you have done nothing wrong.
In New York City, for example, 9 out of 10 people who are stopped and frisked are innocent.It is safer for you not to resist.Police officers are legally required to avoid “excessive force.” Thus, if you submit and do not resist, the officer must stop using force against you.
While in reality this does not always happen, complying with an officer rather than resisting will improve your chances of remaining uninjured., While that may be uncomfortable, struggling against the cuffs or trying to resist in any way is only going to result in further trouble.
In many places, it is police protocol to place handcuffs on even the most cooperative of suspects.
If you have an injury (such as a stiff or "frozen" shoulder or a recently broken shoulder), let the officer know before he or she tries to cuff you and ask politely if your hands can be cuffed in another way rather than behind your back.
It may seem unfair to allow this if you do not believe you have done anything wrong.
Remain calm, submit to the cuffing, and ask for an attorney.
You are far more likely to survive your police encounter this way.
About the Author
Kimberly Miller
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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