When Doing So Will Provide A Tactical Advantage
BY Herschel Smith
8 years, 4 months ago
Prince George’s County prosecutors have dropped 10 charges against a 25-year-old pizza delivery driver in Bladensburg, who says excessive force was used during a traffic stop.
Christopher Jeffries had used his cellphone’s camera to videotape the Jan. 17 traffic stop, in which a Bladensburg police officer approached his vehicle with gun drawn, after Jeffries made an abrupt turn and failed to immediately pull over when police followed him.
Jeffries repeatedly asked why he had been pulled over, while handing over his driver’s license.
In the video, which was posted on YouTube, Jeffries asked the officer to put away his weapon and said he was afraid having it pointed at him.
Eventually, after several warnings, Jeffries was pulled out of his car by more than one officer and brought to a police car, where he was assaulted, according to his lawyer J. Wyndal Gordon.
Jeffries was charged with 10 counts, including second degree assault, resisting arrest and attempting to elude a police officer.
Monday, Prince George’s County prosecutors dropped all charges against Jeffries, according to Gordon.
John Erzen, spokesman for Prince George’s County state’s attorney Angela Alsobrooks said “after we screened the case, we found there was insufficient evidence to sustain the charges against Mr. Jeffries. ”
Bladensburg police Lt. Tracy D. Stone said the police department was “disappointed” with the county’s decision not to proceed with the case.
When asked about the department’s policy on approaching a vehicle with a gun drawn, Stone said in an email that an officer may draw their firearm if they believe they “have to employ lethal force” or when the officer “believes that doing so will provide a tactical advantage.”
Well damn. That about covers it, doesn’t it? Whenever an officer believes that doing so will provide a tactical advantage? By covers it, I mean all of the time, in any situation, any time, for any reason, you could have a LEO stick a gun in your face and argue that it was to his tactical advantage to do so.
And he would be right. But he would also be in the wrong. Moral wrong, that is.
On July 14, 2016 at 11:50 am, Haywood Jablome said:
Maybe I should draw my weapon when I am negotiating the price of a car…that would give me a tactical advantage.
On July 18, 2016 at 6:26 pm, Michael Jones said:
LOL