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Would you like stabbed with a screwdriver?
It doesn't look likely that he can trivially stab anyone, the officers appear to have room to step backwards.
jellybaby-
Fair point. They could step back until he has access to someone to stab. That makes complete sense. At what point do you draw a line in the sand before you do something? When he murders someone? The guy in America who murdered school children with a rifle last week was shot dead. Should he have been reasoned with? Whilst the reasoning goes on, the chances of more fatalities is there. And I know I am raising the bar there but at some stage you need to draw a line in the sand. Totally appropriate, lawful, proportionate and subject to scrutiny. Decisions have to be made to protect people and, believe it or not, police officers are people too.
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There seems to be a guy videoing the whole thing who is quite close to the incident. Do you not think he is at risk? There may be pedestrians on the bridge who can’t escape. Hard to see from one angle. Maybe a deaf, blind or disabled person who can’t sprint away. A screwdriver will puncture a window and the person behind the window.
It’s unfortunate that the taser does not make the guy compliant at all. Why it happened - mental illness, drugs or whatever is sad and the fact it happened is sad but the police officers were protecting lives - the public and their own. I have to imagine that you do not work in a public facing role where confrontation happens - it is not an easy place to be. The officers should be commended and not derided - i can imagine your outrage if they walked away and the guy filming was murdered. Split second decisions have to be made and, until you have been in such a position, I don’t think you should make judgements.
TGR
I can’t read the story but, from what you have said, I can understand why they used that option. Would you like stabbed with a screwdriver?