Poachers attack Florida GW

[catjuggin]

This right here is why these officers don’t get paid enough to go in solo to catch armed poachers. I hope they string these scum up by their nads
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-men-arrested-atv-attack-officer

 

[finbully]

I agee on the hanging by the nads but the officer should not have had the confrontation solo. The fact that 100 or more LEOs responded shows there was backup. First rule of policing is oficer safety and each officer has this drilled into their heads during basic training. Don't be a Rambo, wait for help or catch them at another time...

 

[rsimms]

finbully - 1/5/2021 1:26 PM

I agee on the hanging by the nads but the officer should not have had the confrontation solo. The fact that 100 or more LEOs responded shows there was backup. First rule of policing is oficer safety and each officer has this drilled into their heads during basic training. Don't be a Rambo, wait for help or catch them at another time...

Waiting for backup is easier said than done. Many people don't realize that all wildlife violations are actually misdemeanors. That means if an officer doesn't actually observe said violation in progress firsthand, prosecution is virtually impossible. You're correct that if backup is reasonably close and there is good reason to believe it's needed, it is wise to make the call for backup. But for wildlife officers that is very rarely the case. There is a HUGE grey area between a routine enforcement action and knowing you could be walking into a dangerous situation. For wildlife officers - MUCH more so than for other LEO's - lone confrontations often have to be the norm. Otherwise they simply wouldn't be able to do their jobs. If they waited for backup in every case, few, if any, wildlife violations would ever be detected or prosecuted. When one goes bad, like this one, it's easy to second-guess. But making that call at the time is far more difficult.

FYI, I speak from experience. I got left laying on the ground following an altercation (fight) with a violator who probably had me by 100 lbs. He flipped me over his head to the ground, hard, and then shared a swift kick to the head before pitter-pattering off into the darkness. And I actually had a partner nearby who was holding/guarding another violator we had in custody. Somewhere in Marion County there is still someone telling his buddies about the night he kicked the game wardens ass. For the record, this was a LONG time ago at a time when Tennessee game wardens were not even provided "basic training." They read to us out of the law book for two weeks then gave us a snubnose .38 and a badge and said, "Now go enforce all the laws we just read to you." We weren't even issued handcuffs. Fortunately those days are long gone and GW's are well-trained and well-equipped these days.

 

[finbully]

rsimms - 1/5/2021 1:36 PM

finbully - 1/5/2021 1:26 PM

I agee on the hanging by the nads but the officer should not have had the confrontation solo. The fact that 100 or more LEOs responded shows there was backup. First rule of policing is oficer safety and each officer has this drilled into their heads during basic training. Don't be a Rambo, wait for help or catch them at another time...

Waiting for backup is easier said than done. Many people don't realize that all wildlife violations are actually misdemeanors. That means if an officer doesn't actually observe said violation in progress firsthand, prosecution is virtually impossible. You're correct that if backup is reasonably close and there is good reason to believe it's needed, it is wise to make the call for backup. But for wildlife officers that is very rarely the case. There is a HUGE grey area between a routine enforcement action and knowing you could be walking into a dangerous situation. For wildlife officers - MUCH more so than for other LEO's - lone confrontations often have to be the norm. Otherwise they simply wouldn't be able to do their jobs. If they waited for backup in every case, few, if any, wildlife violations would ever be detected or prosecuted. When one goes bad, like this one, it's easy to second-guess. But making that call at the time is far more difficult.

FYI, I speak from experience. I got left laying on the ground following an altercation (fight) with a violator who probably had me by 100 lbs. He flipped me over his head to the ground, hard, and then shared a swift kick to the head before pitter-pattering off into the darkness. And I actually had a partner nearby who was holding/guarding another violator we had in custody. Somewhere in Marion County there is still someone telling his buddies about the night he kicked the game wardens ass. For the record, this was a LONG time ago at a time when Tennessee game wardens were not even provided "basic training." They read to us out of the law book for two weeks then gave us a snubnose .38 and a badge and said, "Now go enforce all the laws we just read to you." We weren't even issued handcuffs. Fortunately those days are long gone and GW's are well-trained and well-equipped these days.

Good you found another occupation. Officer safety is number one period! Going hands on by yourself is asking to get your butt kicked like it sounds you did.