I had the urge to submit this tip after an officer from a neighboring agency criticized our proning out of a 12-year-old male.
In our area, it is not uncommon for neighboring agencies to assist with each other’s calls (after all, we are on the same team, right?) So, as luck would have it, a call for a burglary in progress came out right as my partner and I were passing the address in question. We saw the reported lookout, bailed out, and ended up with two adult males and a 12-year-old male at gunpoint. After they were ordered to the ground and given a pat down, other agencies and the agency with jurisdiction arrived and secured the scene. The officer looked at me and said, “For future reference, never prone a 12-year-old.”
I looked at him and asked how many cops have been killed because a juvenile or female was the one carrying in the group. He had nothing to say.
Never let your guard down and never let someone else dictate your safety. Do what it takes to make it home.