Once upon a time...
I was still working midnights, and it was a sweltering July night...about 2 AM. We get alled for a Violent EDP (Emotionally Disturbed Person). We are the first ones to pull onto the block, and we see the biggest angriest black man ever! (I am 6' 2" and was ~275 lbs then...no wilting flower, let me tell you...and he made me think twice about what was about to happen.
He was pacing up and down the stairs, sweating...high on PCP. Shouting that he was going to kill anyone whe came near (hence our involvement). We waited for a few minutes for the inevitable arrival of the NYPD...a few minutes goes by and an RMP (Radio Motor Patrol) arrives with 2 officers, quickly followed by another. The senior of the officers made an executive decision and called for a boss. While we waited for the boss, an REP (Radio Emergency Patrol) arrived (settle down rescuecpt...yes the boys with 'balls' arrived).
ESS makes yet another executive decision and calls for the 'War Wagon', and their boss, ESU4. In the meantime the Precinct Sergeant arrives. In executive decision of his own, the Sergeant pulls out his taser...tries to talk to the subject in question...after a few moments of failed negotions...he points the taser at the subject, and BLAM...hits him center mass with both darts.
Instead of dropping to the ground and performing the funky chicken, the subject looks at the darts...looks at us...and looks at the darts again...and rips them out of his chest. Plan 1 is a failure.
About this time the 'War Wagon' arrives with 2 ESU officers and is followed by ESU4. Yet another executive decision is about to be made!
Plan 2: the 4 ESU officers behind riot shields will apporach the subject, douse him with a Pressurized Water Can, and THEN ESU4 will zap him into compliance.
Viola! Plan 2 is a success.....partially. When the stunner stops stunning...the subject starts to get up rather than stay down. Our hero then goes into action!
It takes all 11 of us (2 RMPS = 4 officers, 1 Paramedic Ambulance = 2 Paramedics, 1 Precint Patrol Supervisor = 1 Sergeant and 1 P.O. as his chauffeur, 1 REP = 2 ESU Officers, 1 War Wagon = 2 more, and ESU4) to subdue the subject, and I was thrown off the pile twice.
Lessons learned:
1) Tasers are not the salvation we were looking for at the time
2) If someone does not want to get hand cuffed, they wont be without ALOT of force.