You decide to let it go. You recognize that people get angry with one another and sometimes use profanity to express their emotions. That doesn't always mean that police need to intervene in every argument. No one is injured and no one is seeking help from the police with this situation.
This is a tricky situation that has no "perfect" answer. You have to weigh the possibility that this argument between two patrons could escalate into violence, but here are other factors to consider:
On January 10, 2011, Officer William Torbit Jr. and his partner responded to an assist officer call at the Select Lounge in downtown Baltimore. A near riot ensued, and Officer Torbit and his partner became separated. Officer Torbit witnessed an argument just like the one described in this incident and decided to intervene. The woman and the driver saw his badge and recognized he was a police officer. They followed his commands to leave the location. However, a group of men standing nearby took offense to Officer Torbit's response. Not recognizing him as a police officer, they attacked him. Officer Torbit, severely beaten and knocked to the ground, fired his handgun at the leader of the group in self-defense. He was killed by the friendly fire of his colleagues, who mistook him for an armed suspect. The leader of the attack was killed by Officer Torbit.
Officer Torbit's story is one of sixty officers' line-of-duty deaths examined in the book Officer Down 2012. Find out more about Officer Down by clicking the link below. Or, go to the next scenario.
This is a tricky situation that has no "perfect" answer. You have to weigh the possibility that this argument between two patrons could escalate into violence, but here are other factors to consider:
- You are dressed in plainclothes and could be mistaken for just another patron.
- You and your partner are separated, so you will be on your own if the shit hits the fan.
- Can you really fight two people at once?
- What if the driver is armed or decides to flee in his vehicle?
On January 10, 2011, Officer William Torbit Jr. and his partner responded to an assist officer call at the Select Lounge in downtown Baltimore. A near riot ensued, and Officer Torbit and his partner became separated. Officer Torbit witnessed an argument just like the one described in this incident and decided to intervene. The woman and the driver saw his badge and recognized he was a police officer. They followed his commands to leave the location. However, a group of men standing nearby took offense to Officer Torbit's response. Not recognizing him as a police officer, they attacked him. Officer Torbit, severely beaten and knocked to the ground, fired his handgun at the leader of the group in self-defense. He was killed by the friendly fire of his colleagues, who mistook him for an armed suspect. The leader of the attack was killed by Officer Torbit.
Officer Torbit's story is one of sixty officers' line-of-duty deaths examined in the book Officer Down 2012. Find out more about Officer Down by clicking the link below. Or, go to the next scenario.