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Knife Wielding Suspects: Are You Dealing With Them Accordingly? By Officer Michael J. Aziz, Boston PD

After you read this article please ask yourself the above question again. It may save your life!

I recently watched a video on PoliceOne TV of an interview with Dennis Tueller of the Salt Lake City Police Department [Watch the clip].  This interview got me thinking again about the many, many myths out there regarding the so-called “21 Foot Rule.”  To recap, Dennis Tueller never stated that when a bad guy armed with a knife reaches that magical 21-foot mark, you can blast him.  He never said that.  However through the years, there has been a “graying” of this GUIDELINE, and some instructors have incorrectly taught just that.  This faulty comprehension poses great liability for the officers, instructors, and on up the line for any lawsuit that would come from such a situation.

Dennis Tueller, through his research, showed that a subject armed with a knife is very lethal at a distance of 21 feet or less, and that an unsuspecting officer would be in grave danger.  The time it would take that officer to see the threat, recognize it as serious, break leather, bring his firearm up on target and send rounds down range is approximately the same amount of time it would take that armed attacker to cross the 21 feet and stab or slash at the officer.  It should also be noted that the attacker, more than likely, would not just “fall down and die” like shown in the movies, even when the officer hits him center mass.  

Though the officer would be in grave danger in the scenario above, other facts and circumstances change the outcome.  What if there were objects which could be used as cover and concealment between the two?  What if the officer had classified the subject as a lethal threat and had him in his firearm’s sights?  At what distance can the officer shoot the subject?  That is up for great debate, and I would suggest it is a case-by-case situation, as there are still too many circumstances which can change the level or immanency of the threat.

I would also suggest that new studies would show that attackers can cross even more distance today than in 1983 when Dennis Tueller’s article first appeared.  I believe this is due to the generations of talk concerning living the healthy lifestyle.  Eat right, work out, get sleep, etc. etc. etc.  Some of these attackers are in better shape than ever.  Still some are worse off, due to the increase in drug and alcohol abuse but again, all the education and effort spent on training the public at large to be healthy has made dangerous people more dangerous.

This brings me to my next thought.  There was a little invention a few years back which has become mainstream and very popular.  That invention was the “clip” which is now attached to many knives out in the market.  This is a great tool for police officers in the field.  I say this because subjects of yesterday were armed with knives but they were hidden inside the pocket.  Today, those same subjects are still armed, but they seemingly are broadcasting to the world that they are armed.  The clip is visibly seen on the pocket.  That clip to a street officer should raise red flags.  Officers should recognize this as an armed subject.
 
However, some officers are becoming very complacent when it comes to these knives.  Perhaps it’s because so many people have them.  Just think for a minute how many people have you seen who have a knife clipped to their pocket?  Even construction workers have utility knives which are clipped to their pockets!

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Don’t forget that knives are easier to purchase than firearms.  People don’t need any kind of permit.  People aren’t restricted from buying them if they have a criminal record.  They are cheaper than a gun and are user friendly.  They also serve multiple purposes, from personal protection to the functionality of a utility tool.

When an officer encounters someone who has a knife clipped to their pocket, the officer must recognize this threat and deal with it accordingly.  An officer never knows what goes through another person’s mind.  The subject might be friendly and congenial at the outset, but as the encounter unfolds, the offender could change his mind and become a lethal threat to the officer.  My father often said, “Arrest of a suspect requires an officer to overcome both the physical as well as emotional problems exhibited by the suspect.”

Most officer / subject encounters are within four to six feet.  That being said and having Dennis Tueller’s research in mind, the officer is at a severe disadvantage.  When in the field, the officer should at a minimum disarm the subject, through appropriate means, until the encounter is over. 

When the encounter is concluded and police action is complete, the officer has several options of giving the knife back to the subject.  However, never, never give the weapon back to the subject directly!  When I am in the field, I don’t give the knife back to the subject when the encounter is over.  I usually put the knife in the subject’s car on the floor, or on the ground a distance away from the subject.  I tell the subject he can get it after I leave.  This gives me time to continue my assessment of the subject’s actions and compliance.  And just as importantly, it gives me time to create distance between me and the subject prior to the subject re-arming himself.

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It has also occurred to me that many police officers carry these very same knives clipped to their pockets.  They also broadcast to everyone that they have a knife, and this is where it is (see the clip!??).  However many officers forget that this clipped knife needs to stay in their control.  In training we teach them how to keep their gun in the holster.  We tend to focus only on firearm security.  We should be teaching officers how to keep all of their weapons, including the clipped knife, secure during encounters.  We need officers to be conscious and alert to the fact that it’s not just their firearm they need to fear loosing during a physical fight, but any of their weapons – including their clipped knife!

Please remember – wear your vest, stay armed, and stay safe!

Related article:
Edged Weapon Defense: Is or was the 21-foot rule valid?

About the author:
Michael J. Aziz has over 12 years of police experience.  He currently works for the Boston Police Department, assigned to the Mattapan/Dorchester neighborhoods.  He is a Police Academy instructor in the area of Use of Force and Defensive tactics; he has taught for the last 10 years at all levels of instruction.  He is also an Applied Patrol Procedures instructor.  He can be reached at AzizM.bpd@ci.boston.ma.us

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