MAN
MAN DOCUMENTS THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.
MATTER MOVEMENT. THIS IS WUSA 9 NEWS AT 4@11:00.
>>> HOW CAN POLICE STOP USE OF
FORCE INCIDENTS BEFORE THEY
START?
START?
START? I'M DELIA GONCALVES.
>> AND I'M LORENZO HALL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING
ABOUT DEESCALATION AFTER THE
KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD.
SO WHAT ARE LOCAL POLICE 4@
DEPARTMENTS 4@DOING TO TRAIN
THEIR OFFICERS TO EVEN AVOID
VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS TO
BEGIN WITH?
BEGIN WITH? HERE'S ERIC FLACK, OUR CHIEF
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER. >> REPORTER: 4@THIS BODY WARN
CAMERA VIDEO SHOWS HOW QUICKLY
IT ALL UNRAVELED EARLIER THIS
MONTH IN FAIRFAX COUNTY.
A MAN CALLED 911 4@FOR TROUBLE
BREATHING. 4@
BREATHING. 4@ >> HE'S WALKING IN THE 4@MIDDLE
OF THE STREET RAMBLING.
>> REPORTER: A FAIRFAX COUNTY
POLICE OFFICER.
POLICE OFFICER. >> DO YOU MIND STEPPING OUT OF
THE ROAD?
THE ROAD?
THE ROAD? >> REPORTER: AND EVEN THE EMT
ON THE SCENE TAKING A
CONTROLLED APPROACH.
CONTROLLED APPROACH. >> I'M HERE TO HELP YOU, JUST
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED.
>> REPORTER: THEY SPENT MORE
THAN TWO MINUTES TRYING TO
TALK THE MAN INTO THE
AMBULANCE, UNTIL ANOTHER
OFFICER, TYLER TIMBERLAKE
WALKS INTO THE PICTURE.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS EVEN
HARDER TO WATCH AS THE MAN
STRUGGLES UNDER THE WEIGHT OF
THE OFFICER'S KNEE.
>> NO, NO! 4@
>> REPORTER: BRANDON HUDSON IS
A FORMER ST. LOUIS POLICE
OFFICER AND 4@FOUNDING OF THE
NATIONAL COALITION OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FOR
JUSTICE REFORM AND
ACCOUNTABILITY. 4@
ACCOUNTABILITY. 4@ >> THAT'S A SITUATION THAT
KIND OF AFFIRMS THIS NEW PUSH 4@
FOR INVOLVING PEOPLE WHO MAY
BE BETTER QUALIFIED 4@TO HANDLE
SOMEONE LIKE THAT.
A SOCIAL WORKER, MEDICAL
PROFESSIONAL.
PROFESSIONAL. SOMEONE PSYCHOLOGICALLY
SOMEONE PSYCHOLOGICALLY TRAINED TO RESPOND TO 4@TH4@AT
SITUATION.
SITUATION. >> REPORTER: HUDSON SAYS
THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE REFORMS
WILLING CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE
DEESCALATION 4@TECHNIQUES BY
POLICE.
POLICE.
POLICE. IN THE WAKE OF KILLING 4@OF
GEORGE FLOYD, JUST 11 DAYS
BEFORE4@ THIS INCIDENT.
SO WHAT IS DEESCALATION?
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
CALLS IT THE STRATEGIC SLOWING
DOWN OF AN INCIDENT IN A
MANNER ALLOWING OFFICERS MORE
TIME AND SPACE IN DYNAMIC
SITUATIONS ON THE STREET.
THE 4@ULTIMATE GOAL IS AVOIDING
THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT. >> BUT WHEN YOU START WITH A
CONVERSATION AND THERE'S
SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL SPACE
BETWEEN YOU AND A SUBJECT, YOU
CAN TALK AND FIND OUT A LOT.
>> REPORTER: OFFICER
TIMBERLAKE'S LAWYER CLAIMS HIS
CLIENT JUST MADE A MISTAKE AND
TASED THE WRONG GUY, MISTAKING
HIM FOR SOMEONE WITH A
CRIMINAL PAST.
CRIMINAL PAST. BUT 4@CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE
STILL FILED AGAINST THE 4@
OFFICER.
OFFICER.
OFFICER. THE 4@MAN HE'S4@ ACCUSED OF
ASSAULTED WAS TREATED FOR
INJURIES AT AN AREA HOSPITAL,
RELEASED WITHOUT BEING CHARGED
WITH A SINGLE CRIME.
THE FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE
CHIEF PLEDGED A CONTINUED
FOCUS ON REFORM AND
ACCOUNTABILITY WITH HOW HIS
OFFICERS INTERACT WITH THE
PUBLIC AND USE FORCE.
AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY LOCAL
POLICE DEPARTMENT MAKE
CHANGES.
CHANGES.
CHANGES. HERE AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S
PUBLIC 4@SAFETY TRAINING
4@
PUBLIC 4@SAFETY TRAINING ACADEMY, THEY 4@SAY THEY'VE BEE
WEAVING DEESCALATION TRAINING
IN THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR
TRAINING FOR YEARS, BUT FOR
THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR,
THEY'RE CREATING A BRAND NEW
STAND ALONE DEESCALATION 4@CLAS
TO HELP OFFICERS 4@BETTER
UNDERSTAND HOW TO 4@DIFFUSE A
SITUATION WITHOUT 4@USING FORCE
THEY SAY THAT STAND ALONE
DEESCALATION CLASS WAS IN THE
WORKS BEFORE THE KILLING OF
GEORGE FLOYD, BUT HIS DEATH
CERTAINLY HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED
TO GET THAT EXPANDED
DEESCALATION UP AND R4@UNNING
RIGHT AWAY.
RIGHT AWAY. >> POLICE DON'T WANT TO 4@USE
FORCE. 4@
FORCE. 4@
FORCE. 4@ THEY TONIGHT WANT TO SHOOT
SOMEONE.
SOMEONE.
SOMEONE. THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO
STRIKE SOMEONE.
STRIKE SOMEONE. >> REPORTER: THIS CAPTAIN IS
DIRECTOR OF TRAINING AND
EDUCATION FOR THE MONTGOMERY
COUNTY POLICE 4@DEPARTMENT.
HE TOLD US DEESCALATION IS A
TWO-WAY STREET, AND THAT A
PERSON HAS TO BE WILLING TO
ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION FOR
AN OFFICER TO SUCCESSFULLY
DEESCALATE TENSIONS.
DEESCALATE TENSIONS. >> IF WE HAVE SOMEONE WE'RE
TRYING TO 4@TALK TO, AND THEY'R
NOT LISTENING, THEY'RE
REFUSING TO CALM DOWN,
REFUSING TO BE DEESCALATED, IT
MIGHT NOT WORK.
>> WE HAVE 4@ONE WITH A KNIFE
REFUSING TO GET DOWN ON THE 4@
GROUND.
GROUND.
GROUND. GET ON THE GROUND!
>> REPORTER: IS THAT WHAT
HAPPENED IN MAY WHEN
MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE
SERGEANT DAVID COHEN RESPONDED
TO A MAN WITH 4@A KNIFE IN A
PARKING LOT?
PARKING LOT? AFTER SHOUTING INSTRUCTIONS AT
THE 30-YEAR-OLD WITHOUT MUCH 4@
RESPONSE, THAT MAN CHARGES THE
SERGEANT, KNIFE IN HAND.
>> GET 4@ON THE GROUND!
I DON'T WANT TO SHOOT YO4@U!
>> REPORTER: SERGEANT COHEN
FIRED FIVE SHOTS.
THE MAN DIED AT THE 4@HOSPITAL.
THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE
SHOOTING REMAINS ONGOING.
THE 4@CAPTAIN COULDN'T COMMENT @
ON THE SPECIFICS OF THAT CASE
BECAUSE HE'LL BE 4@A PART OF A
REVIEW BOARD THAT DETERMINES
WHETHER OR NOT SERGEANT COHEN
FOLLOWED TRAINING, INCLUDING
PROPER DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES
BEFORE FIRING HIS WEAPON.
>> FROM A TRAINING
PERSPECTIVE, WE 4@HAVE TO TEACH
OFFICERS TO TRY NOT ONLY TO
KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE, BUT WE
WANT TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY
SAFE.
SAFE.
SAFE. WE
SAFE. WE ALSO WANT TO KEEP THE
PERSON WE'RE INTERACTING WITH
SAFE.
SAFE.
SAFE. >>
SAFE. >> REPORTER: HUDSON SAYS
BETTER EDUCATION FOR POLICE
OFFICERS IS JUST THE 4@FIRST
STEP.
STEP.
STEP. >>
STEP. >> ULTIMATELY, ALL TRAINING
HAS 4@TO BE OVERLAID