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Show f 4C Lakeside Review, Wednesday, July 17, 1985 1 I; t, V With the bad guys getting worse, the police respond with the . . . Police CLEARFIELD have been summoned to the scene of a family argument, where a husband, drunk and feeling powerful, is in a rage. He is beating his wife. His children are crying in fear. At the sudden entrance of the police officers through his front door, he becomes even more hostile. He picks up his sons baseball bat and growls in a threatening manner. The officers could legally use their guns in this aggravated assault situation. Instead, one officer steps forward, holding a black, hard plastic instrument, its short handle in his right hand, the long end of the stick tucked under his arm. The man, irrational and unafraid of the dangerous-lookin- g object, raises the bat and prepares to strike. At a flick of the officers wrist, the instrument knocks the bat to the ground. With a quick jab to the drunks upper abdomen, the man drops to the floor with a grunt of pain, is subdued and handcuffed. The scenario shows the purpose of the Monadnock PR-2- 4 prosecutor baton, now being adopted by the Clearfield Police Department No fight, no blood, no mess, says Dan Jones, detective. In a society where the bad guys are getting worse," and liability for shooting a criminal leads to lengthy lawsuits, the instrument is an effective way of restraining and arresting hostile law breakers, Jones Jf inch instruments since 1979. Jones was instructed in the. policy, liability and use of the baton by Sheriffs Capt. K.D. Simpson. Jones now instructs Clearfield police officers in the written and practical cer12-ho- ur tification course. Last Friday was the final test for officers who winced as they demonstrated what they had learned in a somewhat course painful three-da- y power jabs, arm locks and take-dow- n techniques. It doesnt take much pressure to take a guy when his wrists are sore, like these guys, but its different with an angry drunk, Jones says. In a confrontation, the power flash, in which the baton is twirled into a ready position, is enough to scare many would-b- e aggressors into submission. That in itself will end a fight, Jones says. Clearfield baton trainees learned the four blocking maneuvers: the overhead block, which will deflect the most powerful blow; the side blocks and the lower under" block. A more complicated move is the Georgia State so named because it was first used in that state. With practice in this techofficer nique, a d can throw a man 25 feet," Jones claims. Police never call the baton, some of which are aluminum, a stick. A stick is something used a house, says Bruce build to says. Though its blow can break a Dover, of the Brigham City mans leg, after proper training Police Department, who was in different maneuvers the ba- helping Jones with some of the ton gives police officers altertraining. Brigham City, where natives to violence. Jones was a former police offiArrests can be made without cer, now uses the batons. undo force, lowering the liabilThe baton is different than the wooden billy club, which ity risk. It gives maximum pain, is limited to striking and hitwith minimum injury." ting, Dover says. The baton The versatile, intermediate, has four to nine times the response impact weapon, can striking power of the wooden handbe used for baton. cuffing, arm locks, Acceptance of the instruand for automobile and house ment, which originated in kawindow and door entry and rate, has come slowly. The Los ' Angeles Police Department fence climbing. The Davis County Sheriffs was first to incorporate its use Department has used the 24- - in its patrols. take-dow- light-weig- n, OFFICER Dwayne Young defends himself against the assault of Jeff Flowers in a training session. ht 200-poun- , one-hand- take-dow- ns DETECTIVE Dan Jones observes and grades officers Stater and Young for proficiency in baton maneuvers. Photos by Robert Regan PR-2- 4 Police Baton is the latest tool an officer carries on his belt. The CLEARFIELD police officer Randy Slater uses PR-2- 4 in a tody block defensive position. the ( Story by Cheryl Archibald |