Across the country we’ve seen mass protests against police for the tactics used when approaching suspects, specifically against the shooting of suspects who are unarmed. However, what many protesters fail to realize is just how quickly a scenario changes, and one especially vocal activist was given the opportunity to go through similar scenarios that an officer would face.
Jarrett Maupin has been a vocal activist in the Phoenix area after officers shot an unarmed man who reportedly got into a fight with them. According to Fox10, Maupin agreed to go through use of force exercises with the Maricopa County Sheriffs, and after doing so, he’s singing a much different tune.
Maupin went through three different exercises. One was of a man who was casing cars in a parking lot, another was responding to two men fighting, and the last was responding to a possible burglar walking down the street.
In the first scenario, Maupin approaches a suspect on the phone and attempts to talk to him. Before he could even blink the suspect pulled out a pistol and shot him several times.
“When he came to the back of the vehicle and started hiding, I could sense something was wrong,” Maupin said, when asked when he thought he should use force.
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The second scenario turned out much differently. Maupin approached two men who were fighting, then one of the men unexpectedly charged him. Without hesitation, Maupin shot the suspect in the chest.
“I shot because he was in that zone, I didn’t see him armed, he came clearly to do some harm to my person,” Maupin said, explaining why he pulled the trigger. “It’s hard to make that call; it shakes you up.”
The third scenario turned out better for both the suspect and Maupin. He was able to get the suspect on the ground, but he had to repeatedly ask him to keep his hands up so he could be searched. No shots were fired, however, the suspect did have a knife hidden in his belt.
After having to actually face the dangers that officers face daily, Maupin appears to have changed his tune when it comes to police interactions. The once-vocal activist said he’ll be telling his fellow demonstrators to keep safety in mind when dealing with police.
“I didn’t understand how important compliance was, but after going through this; yes my attitude has changed, this happens in 10-15 seconds. People need to comply for their own sake,” he said.
It’s easy to criticize the job someone else is doing when you’re sitting on the sidelines. Hopefully, others learn from Maupin’s experience and are a little less critical of police, who in most cases are just trying to do their jobs and make it home to their families.
Let us know what you think of Maupin’s change of heart with a comment!