Struggles with resistive suspects often end up on the ground. Any law enforcement officer can attest that going to the ground with a suspect is a dangerous situation. In a ground struggle, the suspect must be considered potentially armed since the officer is armed and the suspect now has close access to the officer’s weapon(s). One school of thought is: if the officer is winning the ground encounter (is in the process of putting the handcuffs on the suspect), stay and finish the process. This school of thought continues: if the officer is not somehow in the handcuffing process, disengage. This is a very brief snapshot of one ground fighting philosophy that could be the subject of an entire article concerning one-officer-with-one-suspect encounters. Hopefully when this happens there will be more good guys on the scene to help control and take custody of the bad guy.
While it certainly does tip the odds in our favor to have more of the good guys help capture the suspect, it does not eliminate the dangers or the need for sound tactics and communication. One tactic that has been used with success for many years in law enforcement is the “polyester pile.” Many officers have used this age-old technique but may call it something different. The idea is to get more officers on top of the bad guy and control him into custody through body weight and sheer strength. There are admittedly other ways to control a violently resisting suspect on the ground.
The polyester pile should be seen as “an option” and not “the option.”
In defensive tactics and use-of-force training there are very few situations requiring one particular technique or response. Every situation is different and the officer(s) are only required to act reasonably based on the totality of facts and circumstances known to them at the time. While there is nothing wrong with the technique, there are some things to consider while deploying the polyester pile.
Get the Suspect Prone ASAP
It is far more preferable to handcuff a resistive suspect behind his back. The prone position has the advantage of allowing the officers to handcuff the suspect behind his back. In a prone position, the suspect is less able to use his personal body weapons against the officers. The supine position offers the suspect many advantages over the prone position, including but not limited to:
1. He has a greater ability to use his hands, elbows, knees, and legs as striking weapons
2. He has a greater ability to use his hands as grabbing weapons
3. He has better vision and can better defend against the officers’ attempts to take him into custody
Control the Limbs
There are many ways to control a limb. The manner of control could be from a joint manipulation technique to mere body weight pinning the limb to the ground. In many cases when the suspect is put into a prone position he will end up with one or both hands/arms under his torso. This can be a dangerous situation as many studies have shown that a high percentage of suspects that have weapons carry them in the front waistband or front pockets. One suggested technique to remove the pinned hand/arm is to control the speed of the removal rather than to quickly pull out the hand without knowing what might be coming out with it. An officer can trap the hand/arm and reach under to physically clear the suspect’s hand prior to completely removing it.
Control the Head
In controlling the head of the suspect, he becomes even more disadvantaged. Consider turning the head so that the suspect’s ear is on the ground rather than his nose and forehead. Not only is this position less injurious to the suspect, it also displaces the power of the suspect’s neck to help him raise his head back off the ground.
Transient Mid-torso Pressure
This is a universal precaution to avoid the claim of restraint/compression asphyxia. It is understood that it may take a great deal of downward pressure on the suspect in order to hold him down long enough to complete the handcuffing process. Officers should relieve the constant downward pressure on the mid torso as the circumstances reasonably permit, and especially after the handcuffing process has been completed or the resistance subsides. Whether or not an officer believes that restraint/compression asphyxia is a real phenomenon, if the suspect dies while in-custody this will be an argument that will be produced by the plaintiff.
Someone is Quarterback
During the struggle somebody should be in charge. There are several body parts of the suspect to control and that takes some level of communication. Without a good, coordinated effort, officers may end up working against each other and doing things that are counterproductive to the arrest process. I remember one polyester pile years ago when a good friend of mine loudly announced that he had the arm of the suspect as was going to pull it out in order to handcuff it. He used his side-handle baton to pry the arm out only to realize that it was my arm causing me to lose my grip on the suspect. We were able to recover and get the suspect into custody. We laugh about it now...
If there are enough officers in the polyester pile already, having another officer being the director might be a good option. This does not mean that the quarterback must always be an uninvolved officer merely standing to the side watching and directing the process. After all, a quarterback not only runs the offense but is also part of the offense. In either situation, someone must take charge of the process with loud and clear direction to the team.
In today’s era of multiple force option choices, the polyester pile is still a viable option to control and handcuff a resisting suspect. This article has outlined some — but not all — of the considerations to capture and control a resisting suspect on the ground using the polyester pile. The purpose is to start a discussion and hear other opinions and thoughts — maybe even share a story or two — so add your comments here...
