http://nypost.com/2016/08/26/cops-nab-two-men-who-held-up-robbery-victim-with-a-bb-gun/
Their victim, a 35 year-old male, had been standing near 515 W 52nd St. at around 5:20 a.m.. waiting for an Uber to take him to the airport when the two men came up behind him, cops said.
Why were these robberies successful despite the guns turned out to shoot small pellets propelled by compressed air ? Never mind that these pellets are not really lethal.
The reason why these robberies were successful is because ordinary people -- at a distance and under intense emotional stress -- cannot tell the difference between a BB gun and a real gun. A police officer is no different. Yes, he is trained to control his emotional and stress responses, but he is still under moral obligations to protect himself when threatened. If someone brandish even a handheld hair dryer in the dark, the police officer or the robbery victim have no choice but to assume the worst -- a real pistol.
The goal of displaying a weapon -- or a perceived weapon -- is thus in sequence...
1- Compliance
2- Obedience
3- Response
If there is one police officer per 10,000 citizens, odds are very good that the robber, using a BB pistol, will receive those 3 favorable goals. Odds are even better if there are 100,000 citizens.
But if the robber tries to intimidate a police officer, what are the odds of getting those 3 goals ? Extremely low. It does not matter if the attacker holds a baseball/cricket bat that is clearly distinguishable from a gun, real or BB. A police officer is
MORALLY OBLIGATED TO PROTECT HIMSELF regardless of the type of threat, and if he has a superior weapon, he is
MORALLY ENTITLED to use that superior weapon. Why is that so f-cking difficult to understand by the non-Americans on this forum ? Are their countries' police forces so different ? Let me guess, police officers in other countries are Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Jackie Chan combined ?
Police officers all over the world have one desired goal when confronting any problem -- compliance.
Simply put -- do as I say.
You gave the robber your wallet because he displayed a gun. You obeyed his order. So do the same for me. Unlike the robber who may have a fake gun or a baseball/cricket bat, I have a real gun and am trained to use it to its maximum effectiveness. So do as I say.
Like the robber, I want three things from you...
1- Compliance
2- Obedience
3- Response
But just because I am supposed to be a 'good guy', that does not mean you have any latitude to deviate from my orders to you. Do as I say, even if you are a 'bad guy'. If necessary, I can call upon the full resources of the state, you cannot. So if I order you to show me both hands -- do so. If you are a victim and I restrained you in the course of a chaotic event, understand that the restraints will be temporary, so comply to my orders.
No sympathy for the young criminal here.
