I am an ER nurse. People get brought to my ER in various states similar to this man’s, by the police and medics, as well as family and friends. One night we had 17 restrained patients at once (bad drugs at the concert?).
Our entire staff is trained in calming people, de-escalating, and restraining them when the other options don’t work - both physically and chemically.
But - it isn’t safe for us, and sometimes the patients are at risk as well. Who knows if the guy screaming about aliens and trying to throw the sink at you (real) is allergic to zyprexa? I’ve been punched and spit on and hit and kicked, and so has just about everyone I work with. And my ER is actually awesome about not accepting violence from patients, and about training the staff and reviewing incidents.
I don’t think this situation was reasonable or acceptable, and the outcome was pure horror. I doubt those officers started this incident with anything but good intentions, but something terrible happened along the way. I don’t pretend to speak for them or defend the outcome.
But please don’t think that subduing violent people is easy, predicatable, or in any way safe.
