Defense or Resistance

Due to the resent posts on law enforcment and over excessive force, i present this question. Where is the line drawn between defense and Resistance. Say a person breaks into your house screaming, you can't tell who they are because of all the commosion and can barely understand anything they are saying but they are yelling at the top of their lungs. What would you think? Would you think to Protect yourself and loved ones or would you cowore (sp?) and hope everything goes alright. Now after things start to happen you realize they are police, now what do you do. Any action you take can be considered an act of resistance. Say you get out of your bed, or you are on something very uncomfortable and just try to adjust yourself. Then what? I am sorry for those who are in the police force here at the temple but in my area it seems that there is no possible way to defend or resist anything. So where is resistance and defense seperated?

That's the problem. There is no reason to use such a show of force except for the 'news'. It's dangerous for the suspect (assuming it is the suspect), innocent bystanders and the police.

With the growing awareness of these illegal military tactics against civilians the real dangerous folks are becomming either well protected or taking the attitude that \"If I'm going down so are you\" and fitting their entrances with doomsday devices so that anyone busting through ....

I am a Police Officer (19 + years) and there is no easy answer to your question. I see what some Officers do and I cring!

Even in our free societies there are some very bad/evil cops. I must say they are few and far between, but they are there. The other thing is that good cops make mistakes. They raid the wrong house etc... It is rare, but it happens.

Most states search warrants that are issued require the police to announce themselves as they enter a residence or building. If you are there when that happens, cooperate!!! As long as you cooperate you should be safe. I have only participated in one search warrant where we were not required to \"Knock and announce\" and that was a \"High risk\" warrant where we had to show the judge that telling the bad guys we were there wasn't a good idea.

The difference between resistance and defense is actually an easy question. You are allowed in most states (USA) to defend your self or others if you are attacked. You may use only the force neccissary to stop the attack. You will get into trouble if the attack stops and you then attack the attacker.

Resistance is when you know it is the police and they try to arrest you and you fight to keep from being arrested.

I hope this helps.

mtfbwy

You know, I never thought of it that way before. I suppose if someone busted into my house yelling, I'd want to defend myself...

OOO Thats a tricky one.As for me if i had to defend my self against a cop I would. Only because people make mistakes and a cop is a person too.The way I see it is that you have to do every thing a cop says because if he does something wrong you just bring it up in court and thats when he gets in trouble. I've been put in prison for a very stupid crime so know I don't trust the system.Every one says that its not build for them but the truth is its not build for innocent people.Its build to find out if your guilty,not if your innocent.So at some point I would fight back against and authority figure.

This has turned out to be a very interesting discussion. We have view points from, literally, both sides. I can only hope that there are more honest police officers then dishonest and that the need for home searchs goes down.

I like to think of US as the honest police.

\"When you cant trust the government the system or any one else trust us\"

There are really few reasons for police to get a search warrant. I worked under cover narcotics for four years and we always got a search warrant but half of the time we would go and knock on the door and tell them who we were and that we wanted to search their house for drugs. Everytime they let us in!!!! And remember, we have been buying drugs from them for a week or two. It wasn't like we weren't going to find something!

But again. I can only speak for myself. I have assisted and buddy of mine arrest a cop from the east coast for DUII who fell on the hood of his patrol car. The whole time he was calling us names and talking smack because we wouldn't \"let him go.\"

I hope no one ever finds themselves on the other side of the law. Just today I saw on the news that a guy was released from prison, serving life, for a murder he did not commit, based on DNA.

Good luck to all

mtfbwy

I was sent to prison for a crime i did commit but it was so stupid that at this point i don trust in karma to me its justice with out the satisfaction i dont believe in justice.
What did i serve time for.
Being illegal. I came here at the age of 3 and 17 years latter i get sent to PRISON not jail for some thing i had no control over.And im not leaving any thing out i didnt get cough with drugs or guns my mother and i turned our selfs in to get away form my drug addicted step dad.We asked for help and we got punished.
Once again the system isnt build for innocent people. Or at least people that didnt REALLY do any thing wrong