How Sworn
Law Enforcement Officers
Get Away With Murder
Law Enforcement Officers
Get Away With Murder
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov 2020
Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov 2020
I am a fully retired Peace Officer / Academy Instructor in good standing. I could have remained on active duty past 2008, but, I did not like seeing the change from a "protect and serve model" to the outright militarization of law enforcement agencies, not only in my community, but, as well, across America.
My teachings to academy students, were well within the standards of P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards And Training). This organizational department although listed as part of the federal government, maintains a distinct and independent existence. So, POST's influence in regulating police conduct became not only a side show, but too, an absolute joke.
So, while I was still foolishly instructing academy students in utilizing elements of containment as an alternative to utilizing force, I was being all but totally ignored. The evidence was clear, as these same trainees became tenured officers, over time, the results certainly showed.
Statistics came to show that unauthorized officer uses of force had almost tripled from previous years. Couple this with the fact that the number of law enforcement officers who were disciplined / terminated, and or prosecuted for excessive uses of force charges had dropped by 62%.
This explains the seemingly every day occurrence of law enforcement officers shooting unarmed citizens and or those who do not pose an imminent threat to life or public safety.
The following is a copy of my 2014 letter to the editor:
"Want to know why law enforcement officers walk away free from seemingly unjustified shootings of minorities? The answer is simple: They have the power of an invincible 'procedural path'. All the officer must do is put the following statement on the record: 'I feared for my safety.' Take this away and the officer must truly justify pulling the trigger. Until this change is effectuated, aggressive, 'trigger-happy' officers will continue on the same path of virtually having a license to wrongfully kill their fellow Americans and walk away free."
Reply From Mori Arinori
When I was younger, I was a Marine officer commanding a Marine guard force at a Navy special ordnance storage facility, on a naval weapons station.
I set up a program to liaison with and train with all the state/country/local departments near the base, for the training value, in case there was ever an incident, and to build goodwill in case my Marines were arrested (this paid off many times). I trained the local departments in CQB tactics, participated in the county police shooting league, and used regional SWAT teams as OPFOR in our MILES training.
The level of training that most of the rank and file officers had was a source of great amusement among the Marines, though some of the SWAT teams were actually quite good. On several occasions the SWAT teams were able to beat the Marines.
What was really disturbing was the attitude that most officers displayed, though to my shame it didn't bother me at the time. Many police officers take extreme pleasure in exercising/abusing their authority, and most police officers believe that laws apply to "them", and not "us". Establishing relationships with the local departments allowed me to get Marines off the hook for some quite serious offenses, something that I appreciated at the time, but in retrospect understand was wrong.
After the Marines I was in the National Guard in several states. Many of the Guardsmen were police officers, and I qualified with them on the range, and talked with them extensively. Nothing that I saw or heard convinced me that there were any substantive differences in law enforcement between states.
I realize that 10-12 local departments, 3-4 county sheriffs departments, and 3 state police forces may not be a sufficient sample population to form definitive conclusions, but I think it's enough for an informed opinion.
Reply From Brad Chapline To Mori Arinori
Respectfully, I'd say you should have looked deeper. Fact check if you care to:
"As of 2014, 8,000 local law enforcement agencies participate in the militarization program that has transferred $5.1 billion in military hardware from the United States Department of Defense to local American law enforcement agencies since 1997."
Additionally, in 2007, at our training facility, I watched in virtual horror as certified defensive tactics instructors were teaching trainees in the "knee on the neck" technique. While I was completely against this type of choke hold, it is true that prior to the "Floyd Incident", this specific type of hold was not prohibited. But, there is a significant catch here. This hold could only be used when deadly force is authorized. Those same defensive tactics instructors were not including this in their instruction.
And, by the way, I was also a long-term U.S. Marine. I know all about the Marine vs Officer "talk-through's".
Now, you should be able to make an informed opinion on this issue.
Reply From Mori Arinori
I wouldn't even recognize the person that I was then.
When I was younger, I was a Marine officer commanding a Marine guard force at a Navy special ordnance storage facility, on a naval weapons station.
I set up a program to liaison with and train with all the state/country/local departments near the base, for the training value, in case there was ever an incident, and to build goodwill in case my Marines were arrested (this paid off many times). I trained the local departments in CQB tactics, participated in the county police shooting league, and used regional SWAT teams as OPFOR in our MILES training.
The level of training that most of the rank and file officers had was a source of great amusement among the Marines, though some of the SWAT teams were actually quite good. On several occasions the SWAT teams were able to beat the Marines.
What was really disturbing was the attitude that most officers displayed, though to my shame it didn't bother me at the time. Many police officers take extreme pleasure in exercising/abusing their authority, and most police officers believe that laws apply to "them", and not "us". Establishing relationships with the local departments allowed me to get Marines off the hook for some quite serious offenses, something that I appreciated at the time, but in retrospect understand was wrong.
After the Marines I was in the National Guard in several states. Many of the Guardsmen were police officers, and I qualified with them on the range, and talked with them extensively. Nothing that I saw or heard convinced me that there were any substantive differences in law enforcement between states.
I realize that 10-12 local departments, 3-4 county sheriffs departments, and 3 state police forces may not be a sufficient sample population to form definitive conclusions, but I think it's enough for an informed opinion.
Reply From Brad Chapline To Mori Arinori
Respectfully, I'd say you should have looked deeper. Fact check if you care to:
"As of 2014, 8,000 local law enforcement agencies participate in the militarization program that has transferred $5.1 billion in military hardware from the United States Department of Defense to local American law enforcement agencies since 1997."
Additionally, in 2007, at our training facility, I watched in virtual horror as certified defensive tactics instructors were teaching trainees in the "knee on the neck" technique. While I was completely against this type of choke hold, it is true that prior to the "Floyd Incident", this specific type of hold was not prohibited. But, there is a significant catch here. This hold could only be used when deadly force is authorized. Those same defensive tactics instructors were not including this in their instruction.
And, by the way, I was also a long-term U.S. Marine. I know all about the Marine vs Officer "talk-through's".
Now, you should be able to make an informed opinion on this issue.
Reply From Mori Arinori
I wouldn't even recognize the person that I was then.