Wanna Help a Cop During an Arrest? Consider the “Triple-A” Protocol

Yesterday, I encouraged people (especially those with BJJ experience) to intervene to help police officers in need of help. After speaking to several officers and getting their feedback we came up with some basic guidelines that should be considered before lending a helping hand:

1. ASSESS the threat to the officer and to yourself. Is your help really needed? Is it even safe for you to intervene?

2. ASK permission to help and identify yourself to the officer. An officer has no way of knowing which team you’re on, so let them know you’re there to help and wait for explicit permission to enter.

3. ACKNOWLEDGE the risks of intervention. There are safety risks and there are legal risks. Each jurisdiction has different laws regarding civilian intervention so make sure you know yours.
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