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Edged Weapons

The Edged Weapons topic covers news, tips, tactics and equipment officers need to defend against blade attacks. Whether it’s a butcher knife or a pocket knife, police officers face the threat of an edged weapon attack more often than a firearm.

Two recent cases underscore that the 21-foot principle is just a starting point for the evaluation of police use-of-force decisions when facing edged weapons
When taking custody of a prisoner from another officer or facility, immediately conduct a thorough search of the prisoner
Never let the fact that you are with other officers lull you into a false sense of security
The man brandished a large knife at officers before the shooting; he has been charged with first degree attempted murder
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office deputies deployed TASERs and less lethal projectile launchers several times before the shooting occurred
The suspect assaulted a gas station worker before carrying two machetes into a grocery store, deputies said
The man made several statements that included threats to officers and to himself, police said
“I feel the officers had no other choice but to use what they had to use to stop the threat,” Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said
The video shows the suspect holding a fishing filet knife as he starts to move toward the officers standing outside of a residence
The singer told Brevard County deputies he carries a machete because he needs “to stay alert”
The woman, who was having a mental health crisis, dropped the weapon on the freeway as officers approached her
This was the second call to the house within weeks involving the suspect, who had a criminal history and falsely claimed to work for the CIA, DEA and FBI
Officers were provided with details from the 911 calls about the man’s possible mental health crisis, including that he had a knife
The officer, who responded to a call about a woman being stabbed, heard screams before encountering a man armed with a knife
The man came into the store, grabbed a large knife from a shelf, and stabbed the boy and a 25-year-old woman
The incident began when an officer entered a store and found the suspect in an altercation with a clerk
The victim was a woman in her 20s with two young daughters
The man ignored multiple commands to drop the knife, bodycam video shows
Officers were responding to a report of a domestic incident
One officer used a TASER before the shooting, but it seemed to not have an effect
NYC Mayor Eric Adams called the agent’s actions heroic and said the intruder would be brought to justice
“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason” behind the attacks, a police spokesman said
The man suddenly pulled another shiny object from his pocket and pointed it at officers as if ready to shoot, video shows
The district attorney’s office said the officer’s use of force was “clearly a last resort”
K-9
A burglary call in Seattle ended with the suspect and a K-9 dead
Two officers were making their way upstairs when a knife-wielding man appeared