Publicola

Manchester Conn. is apparently jealous of NYC. While they haven't gone as far as pressing charges against a citizen who stopped a criminal from robbing him, they did insult him.


"Sgt. John Wilson, Manchester police: 'In a situation like this, I wouldn't recommend fighting back. The odds of surviving are very slim. . . . He was brave, but stupid. Even though he ended up safe and sound, it wasn't a smart thing to do. He could have been seriously injured'."

This coming from a public servant who was not around when the citizen was in need of him. So, even if we can't be there it's better to not resist no matter what, because if you resist you might get hurt by someone who threatens your life?
Of course if you fight back & don't resist there is a chance you may get hurt. There's also a chance that you won't, or at least not as badly. It's guaranteed that if you don't resist you are at the tender mercies of whoever is threatening you. True, they may just take your cash & run, but if they're going to rob you, which is against the law, then what prevents them from hurting, maiming, raping or killing you?
& the argument no one likes to hear: even if they take your cash & leave you unharmed, you will & should feel guilty every time they rob, assault, and/or injure someone else, because by complying you reinforced in their minds that they can get away with that sort of thing. & by not resisting you shirked your civic duty to try to stop criminals.
Cops cannot be everywhere at once. There is no thin blue line that protects society from anarchy. What will make the world safer is if citizens start doing their part to stop crime. Yes, being a good witness is part of it, but so is stepping in when you can. Resisting crime is an integral part of your responsibility as a citizen. Yes it's dangerous, but what part of life isn't? I'm not saying one should cruise the streets looking for purse snatchers to shoot down. But we should try to stop crime when it happens, especially when it happens to us. If that means blocking someone with your car so they can't getaway, or quietly dialing 911 while following someone who you think just robbed a store, or even stepping in & trying to apprehend someone whom you witnessed commit a crime, then that's what you have to do.

& if you know any LEO's such as Sgt. John Wilson, please try to correct them. If that fails encourage them to choose a safer line of work. After all, being a cop is dangerous & if he were to try to fight back against someone he was arresting he might get hurt.