“Unarmed” is not the same as “not a threat”!

When the media reports an officer shooting an “unarmed” citizen that instantly seems bad outside the context of the situation.

Does it make a difference to you if the “unarmed” person was wrestling the officer for his gun and gets shot? Does it make a difference if the person is bigger and stronger than the officer, but punching the cop to the point of losing consciousness? These are two examples when a suspect is “unarmed”, but clearly very dangerous.

Understanding that basic concept is part of being an informed citizen who can participate in the discussion of police shootings and move society forward rather than getting bogged down in pointless online campaigns and ineffective hash-tag shouting competitions.

I’m not saying which side is right in any particular case… I’m just saying be educated and properly informed about the facts of a particular case before you wade in knee deep with an uninformed opinion.

Are these Ferguson police officers wearing “militarized riot gear” or are they wearing the protective gear required by the department, and common sense, given the dangers of their job (the same as you might wear steel toed boots while working in a warehouse)?

On a practical day-to-day basis, when working as a private investigator or process server, being unarmed can make you seem like the more reasonable person in media accounts and may help reduce your liability if it goes to court!

Of course, being unarmed doesn’t mean you just sit there waiting to be a victim either! Keep your eyes open for anything that can be used as an improvised weapon of opportunity (either by you or against you)!

I would love to hear how you feel about this. Please post a comment below.

Stay Safe and Streetwise,
Larry Kaye, P.I.

P.S. – Don’t miss my special report titled… If You Want To Be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. You can get it on the home page of my blog.