Every time we teach use of force in the police academy a recruit asks the question, “What if someone just pokes you with their finger and doesn’t actually push or hit you? Can you take him to jail?” We always answer with the story of the magic blue suit.
When you go to work as a police officer you put on a magic blue suit. Anyone who touches you in that magic blue suit goes to jail. Additionally, you will never die in the magic blue suit. If you get shot, stabbed, or beat, remind yourself that you have on the magic blue suit and you will survive as long as you stay in the fight.
For recruits, this story makes it easier to transition mentally from civilian to police officer. It helps establish a clear boundary that does not get violated. As an officer, some suspects are going to test your boundaries to see what they can get away with. If they can touch you with a finger and get away from it, they will typically escalate their resistance to you and attempt to control the situation. Having clear boundaries like the magic blue suit will prevent that from occurring.
The second aspect of the suit reinforces the survival mindset we try to establish in the recruit’s unconscious mind. Officers will be challenged by situations that are scary, uncomfortable, and painful. A survival mindset will help them push through the fear and pain to take useful action. Otherwise, the paralysis caused by these obstacles will give a suspect the opportunity to win a fight. When an officer has been shot, stabbed, or beaten a strong survival mindset can be the difference between living and dying.
So everyday when you put on your uniform, remember the power of the magic blue suit.
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Probably operator error but I’m not able to open the article on “Surviving an Armed Attack: Catch, Control and Neutralize”. It looks like one I would really like to read.
Thanks
Dan
Sorry about that. The link is fixed now. Thanks for letting us know!
Kind of associated with this topic…I HATE it when victims or witnesses just HAVE to demonstrate on me. “He came at him like THIS!!!” and the raise their hand at me. It may seem like a pet peeve, but I always tell people “please just explain it to me..you dont have to demonstrate.” Or…demonstrate it on your buddy there if you need to…not me.