| Gary T. Klugiewicz comments: “This is not new intelligence. It’s old news but, a tactical tip worth refreshing. You should avoid —I will never say never — holding onto the chain of the handcuffs because the prisoner can wrap the cuffs around the officer’s hands. Double link handcuffs make this harder but not impossible to do. This is why we train officer to maintain a rear escort position or compression hold when the officer holds onto the prisoner and not the handcuffs.” |
Critical Officer Safety Alert HOT!
We have just reviewed the second NCUOF incident where a suspect who was handcuffed, twisted the cuff chain links around an officer’s wrist trapping the officer and causing injury. In both cases, the suspects had spent time in prison. One incident occurred in the Valley while the other incident occurred downtown.
In the Valley case, the suspect was a White Supremist — Aryan Brotherhood with swastika tattoos. In the Valley case, the suspect had slipped the cuffs around to the front of the body, thwarted the application of OC and began the attack. In the other case, the hands were still in the back area. In both cases, the suspects trapped the officers’ hands and tried to drag them closer in, presumably to continue the attack.
In the downtown case, the officer reported that his hand was rendered completely useless due to the injury. Obviously, these are sudden and violent attacks by well trained and focused individuals.
We are working with the experts at Training Division to make recommendations about counter tactics. In the meantime, it may be prudent to avoid the link area of the cuffs.
UOFRD reminds officers to be aware of the situation and preplan their tactics and their responses to such an attack. Preplanning for this incident is critical...considering the options of hands in front, to the rear, two officers, one officer etc...to work out the reasonableness of the force applied and the tactical responses.
UOFRD is an LAPD Use of Force commision review board of Non Categorical Use of Force incidents.
Submitted and verified by:
John D. Williams
Training Division
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department