In my opinion, that and the officer's dismissive remark will be the focus of the IOPC.Let’s for a minute pretend he was not stabbed.
My question is why was he handcuffed in the first place?
Law enforcement officers generally handcuff subjects for the following reasons:
Is there something he did which led them to handcuffing him straight away?
- Preventing Violence: Restraining a subject's hands significantly reduces the risk of sudden attacks on officers or bystanders. [1, 2]
- Deterring Escape: Handcuffing physical movement makes it extremely difficult to flee from custody. [1, 2]
- Conducting a Safer Search: It prevents a subject from resisting, concealing weapons, or discarding/destroying vital evidence before it can be documented. [1, 2]
- Safe Transport: Many police agencies enforce mandatory handcuffing policies during vehicle transport to ensure the detainee cannot interfere with the driver, open doors, or pose a threat during transit. [1]
But, he would have submitted a use of force form explaining that justification (one would hope).
