[Wires]

Calc is an idiot.

Now we can move on...

I'm largely pro-police. In my previous job I worked closely with police and attended many joint training conferences so I have a pretty good feel for what their job is about. Most police officers are pretty decent people and good at their job. These guys put their lives on the line to keep the community safe and I respect that.

I do have a problem with Taser use though. I live in Canada and it's a bit of a hot button issue at the moment due to the number of deaths resulting from their use of late (another today in Nova Scotia).

There are some police officers who are bad at their jobs (just like there are bad teachers, social workers, and grocery store check out clerks) - they exist in every field. The problem with police officers who are not very good at their jobs is that they have access to some dangerous toys.

The problem (as I see it) is if a police officer lacks strong crisis intervention skills (or has no desire to practice them) routine situations can escalate into high risk situations very quickly.

In the OP's video we have a situation that could have been diffused before they even ordered the kid out of the car. Yeah the kid may have been a douche but that is irrelevant. The situation in the Vancouver airport where the Polish man was killed is the same. Better response from airport management and security as well as better crisis management skills by the RCMP officers and the situation is deescalated quickly (I've discussed these points in a lounge post).

I'm not advocating that we get rid of the Tasers. I think they are a great tool that definitely save more lives than they take. However better training for the officers is required - not just in the physical use of the the Tasers but in other skills that would deescalate a crisis so the Taser can remain holstered.

I'm not sure of the stats so I'd be curious how often the questionable use of the Taser in by young, inexperienced officers. I'm not talking about the hotheads because these are guys who are just bad at their work. I'm talking about young guys who mean well but don't have the experience to diffuse a crisis. Non-violent crisis intervention skills take years to hone and some of these guys are not yet equipped to deal with potentially volatile situations.