Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Respect for authority?

Think the punks and gangsters have a healthy respect for the police? Read this from the Red Star, "Teen stabs Minneapolis officer with screwdriver". Rambix has written extensively on surging violent crime in Minneapolis; this latest incident is indicative of the growing lawlessness:

Minneapolis officer Daniel Horn was sitting in his squad car writing a traffic citation Monday morning when a teenager walked up and started stabbing him in an unprovoked attack, police said.

About 7 a.m., a 17-year-old boy "walked up, leaned into his car window and stabbed him with this screwdriver," Police Chief Bill McManus said.
Thank God the officer was wearing a Kevlar vest at the time. The officer used far more restraint than many would:

Horn, who has been on the force for 15 years, managed to trap the teen's arm in his steering wheel, disarm him and call for assistance, the chief said. The teen and a man who obstructed officers were arrested at the scene at 62nd Street and 2nd Avenue S. and may be charged with second-degree assault, Capt. Rich Stanek said.
That's quick thinking on the officer's part.

McManus said when he visited Horn, who was checked at a hospital and released, Horn said he was glad he was able to control the teenager without shooting him, the chief said.
No one particularly wants to shoot anyone, but 99% of the time, they would have needed to call the coroner to scrape the criminal off the street. This officer was heads-up, brave, and resourceful. Best of all, the vest saved him and he's healthy. Kudos to Minneapolis' finest.