Learn how a California court ruling on the shooting of a mentally disturbed woman impacts church security teams, use-of-force policies, and training decisions.
Keith, This is an excellent article, well worth sharing with your followers. As someone who regularly provides expert opinions for attorneys and testifies in use-of-force cases, I find your analysis both accurate and profoundly relevant. The balance you've struck between operational realities and legal implications is commendable. Your insights speak directly to the staff and volunteers who often face rapid, high-risk decisions under immense pressure.
Your continued focus on safety, risk management, and liability awareness is making a meaningful impact in this critical area. Keep up the outstanding work! Your contributions are helping shape a safer and more informed community. Jeff
Another great article and update for church security teams. This is such a key comment: "Most church teams don’t carry intermediate weapons like Tasers or OC spray".
Please adopt, train, and authorize us to use less than deadly force Keith. We need immediate action and adoption of this at our church. The more I serve, the less I feel committed to full out lethal force when less than lethal is appropriate and available. Thank you for your service!
Bob, with all due respect Keith is not advocating not using deadly force. My understanding from reading his post is that we should have both forms of action. It all depends on the imminent force being applied by the perp. In some cases you may have to use deadly force, but in all cases it should be a proportional use of force. For example : someone attacks you with their fist and you respond with a gun. That would in most cases be considered unproportionable force.
WOW! Thanks Keith for the amazing work you do! This breaks it down from incident to actions to court findings. Just what the church safety teams and churches need to understand the gravity of serving as a protector.
Like economist Thomas Sowell says, "there are no solutions only trade-offs."
Regarding the video: how could this situation have ended any better? Differently yes, with the woman using the knife to cut the throats of both her children and then herself. But not better.
And these cops were sued for this?? She was chasing the one cop with a knife!!
Excellent feedback on a tragic incident. For church teams I also recommend security cameras at your busiest access points, overlooking the parking lot, and within the church. Camera surveillance technology has come a long way, it’s affordable and available at warehouse stores and online. Dash cam video probably helped exonerate the deputies and is a critical self defense component against criminal charges and inevitable civil suits involving UOF. Post-George Floyd I believe that every squad should carry a less lethal launcher to any civil/domestic disturbance or mental health crisis call because it may provide more effective stand off distance and time to build rapport and issue verbal orders while containing the subject(s). Those deputies and kids experienced a tragic event and here’s an opportunity for the faith community to come alongside to help them find Jesus in the midst of tragedy.
Great article, thank you. I'd love to do more scenario based training with the safety team I serve with. Like you said, when things go down they happen fast, and you don't want the first time you've experienced it and had to think through crucial decisions in real time to be when the real thing is happening. You want to practice it when it's safe to make mistakes and learn.
Keith, This is an excellent article, well worth sharing with your followers. As someone who regularly provides expert opinions for attorneys and testifies in use-of-force cases, I find your analysis both accurate and profoundly relevant. The balance you've struck between operational realities and legal implications is commendable. Your insights speak directly to the staff and volunteers who often face rapid, high-risk decisions under immense pressure.
Your continued focus on safety, risk management, and liability awareness is making a meaningful impact in this critical area. Keep up the outstanding work! Your contributions are helping shape a safer and more informed community. Jeff
Another great article and update for church security teams. This is such a key comment: "Most church teams don’t carry intermediate weapons like Tasers or OC spray".
Please adopt, train, and authorize us to use less than deadly force Keith. We need immediate action and adoption of this at our church. The more I serve, the less I feel committed to full out lethal force when less than lethal is appropriate and available. Thank you for your service!
Bob, with all due respect Keith is not advocating not using deadly force. My understanding from reading his post is that we should have both forms of action. It all depends on the imminent force being applied by the perp. In some cases you may have to use deadly force, but in all cases it should be a proportional use of force. For example : someone attacks you with their fist and you respond with a gun. That would in most cases be considered unproportionable force.
WOW! Thanks Keith for the amazing work you do! This breaks it down from incident to actions to court findings. Just what the church safety teams and churches need to understand the gravity of serving as a protector.
Like economist Thomas Sowell says, "there are no solutions only trade-offs."
Regarding the video: how could this situation have ended any better? Differently yes, with the woman using the knife to cut the throats of both her children and then herself. But not better.
And these cops were sued for this?? She was chasing the one cop with a knife!!
Woke judges. That's how.
Excellent feedback on a tragic incident. For church teams I also recommend security cameras at your busiest access points, overlooking the parking lot, and within the church. Camera surveillance technology has come a long way, it’s affordable and available at warehouse stores and online. Dash cam video probably helped exonerate the deputies and is a critical self defense component against criminal charges and inevitable civil suits involving UOF. Post-George Floyd I believe that every squad should carry a less lethal launcher to any civil/domestic disturbance or mental health crisis call because it may provide more effective stand off distance and time to build rapport and issue verbal orders while containing the subject(s). Those deputies and kids experienced a tragic event and here’s an opportunity for the faith community to come alongside to help them find Jesus in the midst of tragedy.
Do you have a preferred belt holster to go along with the OC spray - open and closed?
Great article, thank you. I'd love to do more scenario based training with the safety team I serve with. Like you said, when things go down they happen fast, and you don't want the first time you've experienced it and had to think through crucial decisions in real time to be when the real thing is happening. You want to practice it when it's safe to make mistakes and learn.