From Peeing on the Sidewalk to Being Ordered out of Your Vehicle at Gunpoint: Officer-Induced-Jeopardy. 10+ Officers with Assault Rifles Ready to Fire. The Akron Police Department: Manufacturing Danger Where None Existed & How They Tried to Keep it Quiet.
Tonight, on this explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up.If you are hearing this episode, it is a miracle from God. Believe me!About a week ago with no advanced warning, we suffered the most serious catastrophic equipment failure that we’ve ever experienced — thanks to Windows 11. The Security settings on Windows 11 cancelled our access to our “drivers” which support our show. We scrambled; we researched the problem day and night, tried one of everything and troubleshot the issue until we were asleep on our feet.Long story short, we’re back! Bill Gates can’t keep a good show down!Tonight, we focus our investigative reporting skills with the intensity of a surgical laser on better understanding officer- induced jeopardy, which also can be referred to as officer- created jeopardy."Officer-induced jeopardy" refers to situations where a police officer’s own unreasonable tactics, actions, or decisions prior to a force encounter unnecessarily create or escalate the danger, increasing the likelihood that force will be needed.The phrases of “officer-induced jeopardy” or “officer-created jeopardy” describe actions taken by police officers that increase the risk of injury to the officer and escalate the probability of use of lethal force by officers, which may have been avoided had the officer not placed himself or herself in a self-created dangerous situation.Be clear in the fact that this action stems from willful actions taken by the officer that put the officer and the person of interest or suspect in danger … such as:— rushing in without backup,— poor de-escalation skills and tactics,— or standing in front of a fleeing vehicle, which may have been avoided.Officers rarely are but can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects. However, the facts bear out that fewer than 3% of killings by police result in officers being charged with a crime.Recently, a fan of the show contacted us and informed us of an incident where their family — in their home -- became inadvertent ear and eyewitnesses being directly next door to where the Akron Police Department had terminated a vehicle pursuit — barricading and cornering a driver in his vehicle and ordering him to exit his vehicle while at gun point: More than 10 officers with their weapons drawn and pointed at the person who had previously committed what would amount to minor misdemeanors.The family that contacted us were concerned because they were in the direct line of crossfire if the officers decided to fire.This unnecessary contact with a 66-year-old black man (the suspect) could have easily turned into a “contagious fire” incident, with many of those shots coming from high-powered, military style assault rifles.In this explosive episode, in order to further our understanding about officer- induced jeopardy — as a case study we’ll examine Barnes v. Felix, 605 U.S. ___ (2025), which is a recent Supreme Court decision which assesses whether an officer acted reasonably in using force under the Fourth Amendment, and that a court must consider all the relevant circumstances, including facts and events leading up to the climactic moment.And we’ll touch upon a few brief case summaries and instances that support our topic …As well as:— How the use-of-force management training has changed over the course of the last decade.— How has the use of less-lethal tools and devices changed?And …— What we feel law enforcement agencies in the 21st Century should focus more on when it comes to officer- induced jeopardy and the use-of-force continuum.All this, pero mucho más aquí y solamente aquí — on Light ‘Em Up!The search for the truth and justice begins RIGHT HERE … and RIGHT NOW!Tune in for all the explosive details and our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot!We want to hear from you!Support the show
