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Force Decisions
[Name of the Writer]
[Name of the Institution]
Force Decisions
Q.1 Do you think that Police Officer Mader had a handle on the situation?
Certainly, Officer Mader had a firm grip on the situation which sadly resulted in getting him wrongfully fired. In 2016, Officer Mader responded to call of domestic disturbance which involved a black male named RJ Williams. Officer Mader had received training in de-escalate and avoidance and served extensively in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He had a lot of experience under his belt (Now This, 2019). So when Mader arrived at the scene, his instinct and experience alerted his brain that Williams is in distress. Mader understood that this is something beyond domestic disturbance. Officer Mader tried to talk Williams down to drop his weapon despite him being in direct line of fire of Williams (Now This, 2019). Had other officers not reacted in such an impulsive manner, Mader could have compelled Williams to drop his weapon.
Q.2 Do you feel that the responding officers should have let Police Officer Mader continue to handle the situation?
I have no hesitation in saying that the officers that followed Mader on to the location of the call messed up the entire situation. The officers that arrived after Mader reacted impulsively and completely disregard Mader as the lead in this situation (Now This, 2019). Since Mader was younger than the officers coming late into the picture, they might have thought it is the least viable option to have somebody that young in charge of such a situation. The officers coming in late squandered the work Mader did until that moment into talking down Williams. Therefore, I feel that the following officers should have let Mader handle the situation.
Q.3 Do you think that other police officers could have possibly been in arms way in the matter that Police Officer Mader was handling the situation?
In my opinion, it is the least desirable situation for an officer that a gun-wielding man fighting with depression and anxiety comes against them. Matters can go south in a blink of an eye in situations like these. However, the answer to this question lies in the fact that if Officer Mader’s handling of the situation could have put other officers in the line of fire, why did Mader not get shot by Williams. I am sure if Mader had his instincts tell him that Williams is going to shoot him, he would have been the first officer to shoot Williams. So, to say that Mader’s handling placed other officers in arms way is presumptuous. Mader risked his life to save Williams from getting into trouble. He would have been the first to save other officers if Williams tried to shoot them.
Q.4 Do you feel that Police Officer Mader behavior should have resulted in the termination of employment?
No, Mader should not have been terminated following this incident and decided to talk Williams down instead of shooting him straight away. In the modern-day US, officers are hailed when they shoot criminals. Rarely, we see an officer thinking to save a suicidal man by talking him down. Therefore, Officer Mader did a commendable job to show restraint and not shooting Williams down straight away (Now This, 2019).
Q.5 Do you agree or disagree with the former police officer’s Mader attorney when he stated that he wants all police officers to be trained in de-escalation methods?
I am in complete agreement with the statement of Mader’s attorney. The incidents of police-involved shootings are growing day by day. Most of the times, it is the bad guys that get shot and killed. However, sometimes good guys owing to psychological and psychosocial problems are forced to act in an unstable manner. These good guys need help. So, every officer needs to be trained with de-escalating and avoidance methods. As the investigation later revealed that the weapon of Williams was empty. This consolidates the fact that Mader was doing very well with de-escalation skills he acquired over time. Hence, the demand of every officer trained with de-escalation skills is a need of the hour.
Q.6 Do you feel that now Mr. Mader should have won his wrongful termination lawsuit?
I feel that Mader should have won the wrongful termination suit against his former employer. However, I am happy for him to have received $175,000 as a result of a settlement with his former employers. Moreover, Mader inserted a clause in the settlement agreement that his former employers will not prove to impede him finding a new job (Lartey, 2018).
References
Lartey, J. (2018). Police officer fired for not shooting black suspect wins $175,000. the Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/12/stephen-mader-west-virginia-police-officer-settles-lawsuit
Now This. (2019). This Police Officer Was Fired for NOT Escalating Violence. Facebook Watch. Retrieved 6 September 2019, from https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/2019984481366365/s
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