St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office now requiring deputies to learn jiu-jitsu, reducing use of force incidents

St.

Lucie County deputies are learning a new skill to help protect themselves in tense, potentially dangerous situations.

ADDING A NEW TOOL TO THEIRSKILL SET- TO HELP THEMPROTECT THEMSELVES IN TEE-NSOR DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS.

THEST.

LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFFOFFICE IS THE FIRST INUR OAREA TO*REQUIR* DEPUTIES TOLEARN JIU JITSU.

ONLY ON FIVE-MEGHAN MCROBERTS REPORTS HOWITAND SUSPECTS- SAFER.NATS AT A TRAINING COMPLEX INST.

LUCIE COUNTY NATS LAWENFORCEMENT OFFICERS- HIT THEMAT- 06:53:36;10“AS I SOTHOHIGH I DRIVE STRAIGHT TO THEGROUND” LEARNING SKILLS HERE-THAT COULD HELP THEM STAYSAFER06:52:08;24“SO AS I REACH UPFOR THE GUN, WHAT WE DO ISTRAP THE HAND AND HE COMES UPOVER THE TOP AND THI”PREPARING FOR REAL LIFEENSCARIOS-THEY MIGHT BE FACEDWITH WHEN RESPONDING TO 911CALLS.

IN A SETTING- THAT LETSTHEM PRACTICE GAINING CONTROL.06:53:57;24“AS I ADJUST MYHIPS I CAN COMMUNICATE OTHERADIO, AND BE IN GOOD CONTROLWAITING FOR MY BACKUP.

CHIEFDEPUTY BRIAN HESTER- PRACTICESJIU JITSU MULTIPLE TIMES PERWEEK- BUT HAS ENBEEARNINGTHE SKILL- FOR YEARS.07:02:08;25“ITCONTROL RATHER THAN TAPPINGSOMEONE ELSE OR TRYING TO GETTHEM TO SUBMIT.

NOW- HISAGENCY EMBRACING THE BENEFITSOF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU FORPUTIES IN EVERY UNIT- FROMSCHOOL RESOURCE TO THE SWATTEAM... SAYING ANY DEPUTYCOULD FACE DANGER THEY NEED TOBE CONFIDENT REACTING TO.06:26:18;26“TO BEING ON THEGROUND ON YOUR BACK WITHSOMEONE TRYING TO TAKE THE GUNOUT OF YOUR HOLSTER.

BEING ONTHE GROUND ON YOUR BACK WITHSOMEONE TRYING TO CHOKE YOU ORPUNCH YOU IN THE FACE.

TOBEING STANDING AND SOMEONERUSHING YOU AND TACKLING YOU”HESTER SAYS ABOUT 50 ST.

LUCIECOUNTY DEPUTIES TAKE ADVANTAGEOF A JIU JITSU CLUB THAT HASGEBEEN SPONSORED BY THE AGENCYFOR SEVERAL YEARS.

06:20:14;29“WE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE APART OF ALL OF OUR DEPUTIES&WEEKLY ROUTINE” AND FORYEARS- PARTICIPATING IN JIUJITSU WAS VOLUNTARY- BUTHESTER NOW SAYS- IT WILL BE AREQUIREMENT FOR ALL NEW HIRES-TO TRAIN FOR 20 HOURS.

NEXTYEAR- JIU JITSU WILL ALSO BE APART OF THE AGENCYTRAINING& WITH HELP FROM THREEBLACK BELTS ON STAFF-06:19:59;24“THE MORECONFIDENT THEY ARE, THE LESSLIKELY THEY ARE TO REACT IN AWAY THAT THEY MAY USEEXCESSIVE FORCE” THIS COMESAT A TIME HESTER ACKNOWLEDGESLAW ENFORCEMENT IS UNDER AMICROSCOPE.

06:22:34;29“WEBE SILLY NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGETHAT THEREPRESSURE.

THEREPRSURE FOR USES OF FORCE.PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY WATCHINGAND SCRUTINIZING LAWENFORCEMENT USES OF FORCE”JIU JITSU- HESTER SAYS- IS ONEWAY ST.

LUCIE COUNTY- ISDECREASING ITS NUMBER OF USEOF FORCE INCIDENTS.06:34:08;03“BECAUSE THERENO INJURY THATTHIS USE OF FORCE AND NOCOMPLAINT OF INJURY ITSIMPLY CONTROL UNTIL SOMEONECAN HELP HANDCUFF OR THEY CANHANDCUFF THEMSELVES.06:24:19;25“THEY DONPUMMELING AND STRIKING, BUTRATHER MANIPULATION ANDCONTROL IN USING THE SUSPECTLEVERAGE AND THEIR BODY TOMAINTAIN THAT CONTROL” HESTERSAYS THE TRAINING HAS BEENCOMMENDED FOR DEPUTIES WITHMORE USE OF FORCE REPORTS- ANDIT06:33:35;04“ IGENERIC NUMBERS, LETTHEY HAD THREE USES OF FORCEWITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OFTIME, NOW LOOKING AT THOSEDEPUTIES I HAVENSINGLE USE OF FORCE INCIDENT”06:58:49;01”YOURSHOVE THAT ACROSS, GRABS THEWRIST AND BRINGS HIM THE OTHERWAY” DEPUTIES KNOW THISDOESNSTRONGER FORCE- SUCH AS ATASER- RUBBER BULLETS- ORLETHAL FORCE.

BUT ITSKILL- THEY HOPE- ENHANCESPUBLIC TRUST IN THE OUTCOMES-OF AN ENCOUNTER.

MM NC 5 THEINDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFSF'OFFICE ALSO STARTED REQUIRINGJIU JITSU TRAINING IN THE LASTSIX MONTHS- REQUIRING 4 HOURSWHEN DEPUTIES ARE HIRED, A 4NDHOURS ONCE A YEAR.

MARTIN ANDPBC DO NOT CURRENTLY REQUIREIT.MORE THAN 900,000 CHILENDRAGES 5 TO 11 HAVE RECEIVEDTHEIR FIRST VACCINE SHOT