Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/04/24/lone-canadian-cop-takes-down-a.html
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Very impressive composure and response by the police officer shown in this video. In a situation where many officers might have felt justified using deadly force, this one did not. If his response was indeed “textbook” de-escalation and handling of the situation, I hope he gets a lot of recognition for his service. I think it might help if we recognize such examples just as much (if not more) than we demonize bad apples.
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This is bravery. Too often, those with guns are scaredy cats. I’m sure plenty of people were mad at him for not enacting instant street justice and saving taxpayers the cost of trial and imprisonment, but this is how a civilized society is supposed to work.
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Progress, one funeral at a time.
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the suspect ended up in handcuffs instead of a body bag.
Those Canadians just don’t get it.
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Shooting someone is a highly consequential event for all police. I believe it’s even more so in Canada, with a much lower acceptance of police shootings than in the States.
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This is the alternative to toxic masculinity we need to see in these sorts of heroic roles. If more cops responded like this officer then perhaps whingey incel losers like the one he arrested might see that there are many ways to be a “real man” beyond the narrow macho alpha image sold by alt-right, Xtianist, and conservative misogynists.
It also seems that the suspect, Mr. Arsehole (first name “Some”), had tried to become one of those big traditional macho men by joining the Canadian military, only to wash out after a couple of weeks of training because he was too much of a special snowflake to handle army discipline.
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Meanwhile, down south:
However, Michael Lyman, professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Columbia College of Missouri, told the BBC that the officer may have had a “duty” to kill the suspect.
“Assuming the suspect is holding a gun and pointing it toward officers, it is concerning that the officer is not engaging the suspect with deadly force,” he said.
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That seemed to be the consensus of US experts in one article I read. They seemed to believe he had a duty to shoot him. (Not Internet experts - academics in criminology)
Some of them quoted in:
Toronto van attack: Calm actions of police stun US Toronto van attack: Calm actions of police stun US - BBC News
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You be faster
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Wow. That’s seriously impressive police work. Clearly this has something to do with this particular officer, but perhaps also Canadian culture and (lack of) availability of handguns. The way he drew that fake weapon and approached the cop was so menacing I can’t believe he wasn’t shot… in the US he would have been for sure.
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However, Michael Lyman, professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Columbia College of Missouri, told the BBC that the officer may have had a “duty” to kill the suspect.
“Assuming the suspect is holding a gun and pointing it toward officers, it is concerning that the officer is not engaging the suspect with deadly force,” he said.
smh. Gee Michael, maybe the officer observed that it wasn’t a gun, rather than assuming that it was? Take your fake concern and shove it. (Ex-drug enforcement, and three years as a certified police trainer. I think he’s part of the problem.)
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Outside the US, its a fair bet that an offender does not have a handgun, because they are hard to get, and dangerous to hold, because of the penalties.
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Hats off to this Officer and the Metropolitan Police of Toronto. A fine example of courage under pressure. Well done Sir.
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It’s not a safe bet in Toronto, because there’s this crazy gun circus a short distance to the south.
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I’m very close to 100% celibate, for years now. I’m definitely not asexual, I’m a guy who likes gals. But hook-ups are really not of interest to me at all, I’m 40 and the eligible dating pool is pretty small, and to be blunt, I’m a pretty unique person who has realized at this point in his life he requires a compatibly unique woman, and she’s a pretty rare type.
So what’s wrong with me, that I’m not on the verge of homicidal insanity from not having sex? There’s a lot of wonderful stuff in this world, and I’ve had my share of sex with past girlfriends. I don’t feel like it’s some massive hole in my life — despite being subject to the same societal conditioning as everyone else.
Eh… it’ll make for a chapter in my book, I suppose!
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I’d guess you lack a sense of entitlement and understand that there’s more to being a “real man” than being able to have sex with lots of women or have sex on demand with one (preferably one who also acts as a mommy to clean and cook for you).
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I’ve NEVER understood why people want to be physically intimate with strangers. I would much rather have a friends-with-benefits situation with someone I care about, even if we realized we wouldn’t make an ideal couple. But our society has elevated this thing called “the friendzone” and makes this line of thinking sound crazy.
Yeah… this stuff works a lot differently on my home planet, that’s for sure!
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If any attitude needs to die, it’s this one, that people are unable to change. If you believe this, you are deeply conservative in my book, and you have little of use to contribute to ending these problems.
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The individual officer’s handling of the situation deserves praise, and he is deservedly being called a hero.
But I am bothered by the note the post author tries to strike by saying Toronto Police is fixing itself and magically transitioning away from being a “bro-cultured mess”. TPS has mountains of things to fix that they refuse to even address, and I’m sick of this sort of fawning coverage that paints Canada as a paradise that has everything so figured out. Toronto’s police have a lot to answer for and apologize for (their negligence in handling the McArthur case and Tess Richey’s disappearance, Andrew Loku, etc).
I am proud of my city and its response to this horrible attack. I’m less happy about people trying to use these events to make a point, or reinforcing the same everything’s-rosy impression that is used to shut down calls for reform/improvement.
EDIT: yes this is my first post, and no, I’m not Disappointed In BoingBoing. I’m just a lurker who’s peeved by his country being constantly held up in the media as a one-dimensional counterexample, with its problems ignored or glossed over.
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