A pat-down of a suspected car thief escalated into a potentially deadly struggle when the man pulled away from four Waterbury, Connecticut, police officers and reached for an officer’s holstered gun.
Body camera video shows the officers working together to bring the suspect to the ground and place him in handcuffs. During the struggle, the suspect pulled on the officer’s gun with enough force to break the hood of the holster.
Analysis of the encounter offers insights into reading body language, securing a suspect before searching and communicating emerging threats during a rapidly escalating arrest.
Quick takeaways:
- Read body language: Before attempting to flee, the suspect picked up his hat from the hood of the patrol vehicle. That action may have indicated he was preparing to run and did not intend to leave the hat behind.
- Handcuff first, then search: Securing a suspect’s hands before conducting a search may reduce opportunities to escape, resist or reach for a weapon — even when several officers are present.
- Communicate potential hazards: After the suspect began bleeding, an officer repeatedly warned the others to “watch the blood.” Sharing information about hazards helps officers respond to risks they may not be able to see during a struggle.
- Communicate clearly during a struggle: An officer repeatedly commanded the suspect to stop reaching for his gun. The commands alerted the other officers to what was happening and communicated that the threat had escalated.
- Work together to gain control: The officers acted quickly to stop the suspect from gaining control of the gun, resolving the potentially deadly encounter without resorting to deadly force.
The Roll Call training is part of Police1’s Bodycam Briefing series, using real-world incidents to examine officer decision-making, preparedness and survival under pressure.
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