ABSTRACT
Much of what has been disclosed to this point will enhance an officer’s abilities when faced with opponents who pose more of a threat to them. The strategic and evasive approaches will be especially effective for an officer in the Davidversus-Goliath type of situation. Officers smaller in stature or those who find that they are facing a more skilled opponent may find these responses to be of most use. However, what if an officer finds himself in the position of being Goliath to David? The litigation of use-of-force cases presents an interesting dilemma for the officer, because too much force will cause bystanders to perhaps criticize the officer and say that the officer was abusive. The Goliathversus-David situation presents another dynamic, which is the call for the grounded response. What if, for example, an officer was faced with a much smaller suspect who clearly posed no threat but responded to the person’s actions with the techniques mentioned in the pre-emptive chapter? The officer would be well within his general orders, because it would be covered by the techniques taught, but the image it would project to the public would be one of questionable force. Having an alternative way to deal with such an encounter could diffuse the situation and allow the officer and offender a better alternative.
