Zimmerman missed a step....

Once again the infamous George Zimmerman is in the news. This time an attempt to “sell the weapon” that took Travon Martin’s life. Unfortunately, George “Z” missed a very important step in defending his life that could have 1. kept him from being one of the most hated people in America, and 2. saved a young teen’s life.

George either neglected or did not know anything about a very important tool in defending yourself that Law Enforcement uses every day. It is also something that every citizen should  know especially if they are concealed carriers.

It is called the ” Use of Force continuum.” Wikipedia defines it as “a standard that provides law enforcement and civilians with guidelines as to how much force may be used against a resisting subject in a given situation.” If you are in a deadly shooting incident and put on trial, you will hear much about the continuum of force.

While some of the continuum  standards will vary according to agencies and departments, a U.S. government publication mentions the following: 1. Officer presence, 2. Verbal commands/cooperative controls, 3. Empty handed submission such as pressure point tactics, 4. Hard control techniques for Aggressive response techniques, 5. Intermediate weapons, and 6. Deadly force.

Can you guess which very important one he missed? Number 5- Intermediate weapons which include pepper spray. In my days as a “street cop, ” I cannot tell you how many times I subdued people who were bigger, tougher and hyped up on drugs with pepper spray. At “Charlie-Crimebuster” we even have named a pack of spray after this tragic situation called the “Z” factor. Factor: if George Zimmerman had used pepper spray properly as he was attacked as reported; he would not have ended up on the ground fearing for his life and having to use deadly force.

For information on how to properly use Mace, click here 

As for the auction, most Law Enforcement and concealed weapon carriers I know, realize that all the money in the world is not worth a life. These people would not brag about having to use deadly force, and selling the weapon used  would NOT be an option.

Stay Safe,

Founder Charlie – Crimebuster

Donnie Cantwell