Officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed
Philando Castile following a traffic stop (http://www.kare11.com/news/yanez-trial-week-2/445870511). A jury recently found him not
guilty. You’ve probably seen the video
taken by Castile’s girlfriend seconds after Castile was shot by Yanez.
Following the trial which found
Officer Yanez not guilty of manslaughter, the St. Anthony’s police released the
voice and cam recorded video of the shooting. In retrospect, the girlfriend’s and police department
video make for a unique inside view of the razor edge of stress created in any
shooting. I'm sure you can find it on You Tube or at "Breach Bang Clear" http://www.breachbangclear.com/philando-castile-verdict-not-a-victory-for-law-enforcement/ .
I think it’s a bad shooting. I firmly believe the girlfriend’s videoing and
on-line posting kept her alive. I can’t
help wonder if Yanez had wondered if it would be better if nobody survived in
the front seat. But these are just my
opinions, a third party internet quarterback.
I can’t help suspect it would
have gone better if Castile had handled the stop better.
I’m not blaming the victim. The Minnesota’s CCW training may have let him
down. The text I saw of their dialog has
Castile attempting to explain he has a license and is carrying concealed. He starts his explanation too late in the interview
and seems to be attempting to follow previously given instructions when he is
shot.
I want to tell, recommend,
suggest, command you to follow this dialog and behavior as close and as soon as
possible in any traffic stop. It can
make a difference between getting shot and getting a ticket.
When stopped, roll down the
driver’s window an inch. Leave your
seatbelt on. If it is night, turn the
interior lights on. In any case, grab
the top of the steering wheel with both hands.
This is your life preserver so never let go until you are instructed by
the police officer.
Your passengers should be
instructed to sit quietly with their hands folded in their laps and resist the
urge to:
Scratch,
Inject
themselves into the conversation,
Make any
movement.
They should respond to questions
with the simplest and shortest answer possible.
Be polite, it is free and goes a long way.
The police officer will approach
and most will stop behind the car’s pillar or behind you, the driver. Just look straight out the front window.
As some point the officer will
either inform you why you were stopped or ask you do you know why you were
stopped. Answer him with the truth and
then add:
“Officer, I have a permit to
legally carry a firearm and I am doing so.
How do you want to handle it?”
I strongly urge you to say almost
the same thing if you have a license but are
not carrying, because your
license plate is linked with that information.
The officer will be wondering about your gun status and why you’re not
informing him of it. Say:
“Officer, I have a permit to
legally carry a firearm, but I am not doing so.”
Honestly, you will run into
wiseass cops who will jerk you around at some point. Just put up with it with your hands on the steering
wheel until he tells you to do something.
Follow his instructions.
I carry on my right side, so my
wallet goes into my left rear pocket. Follow that pattern. The wallet goes on the opposite side as the
gun. Don’t dig for wallet, insurance card,
or vehicle registration while you’re waiting for the officer to approach
you. It makes them nervous and increased
tension can kill.
When I take the wallet out, I do
so slowly, holding it with my finger tips and take it slowly to the steering wheel so it
and my hands are highly visible. Using
the wheel for support, I open the wallet, remove what the officer has asked for
and place the wallet on the top of the dash.
Hand him the card through the inch opening in your window.
We could go through all the important
features, why I leave my seatbelt on, why I don’t make eye contact, why I use
the words I do. It’s pretty simple. Just remember the first rule of police work:
“The officer gets to go home at
the end of his or her shift.”
Anything you can do to assure the
person standing on the other side of the window that this rule will remain
unflexed and in pristine condition will simplify your encounter with the
gatekeeper to the legal system.
Remember, you’re being recorded
and you don’t want to be the star of the next don’t-do-it video. Think about it.
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