In an encounter with a suspect, the agent modifies
his actions along a force continuum.
Officer
Presence.. then..
Verbal
Commands .. then
Physical
Control .. then
CS
Gas .. then
And
Only Then
Deadly
Force
The average civilian may think that just because
the Agent is operating under the color of law that the transgressor
will submit to the Agent's will. In reality, few Agents look
like a matador in their uniform and during a stressful situation
most start to think of themselves as actually more short and
round than tall.
Before the Agent can take action he must decide
that based upon his or her experience, an arrest-able offense
has been committed. It is important to understand that as soon
as you lay hands on someone you must really know where
you are going from there.
Most bad guys do a lot of posturing, and this
is good because posturing is … not action.
"I'm gonna dot your "eye" and I'll explain
why as I am doing it" may sound really good to his buddies
but the bad guy's actions, proximity, and possible weapons all
enter into the equation of the Agent's level of response.
