LEAA Defends Police Use of Force on MSNBC
LEAA's Kevin Watson appears on Scarborough Country
December 1, 2003

LEAA Spokesperson Kevin H. Watson defended the officers, who were labeled “murderers” by a spokesperson for an extremist anti-police organization. Mr. Watson said that a preliminary evaluation of the incident would lead an observer trained in proper use of force procedures to believe that the “officers acted justly in what was a tragic situation.”

Reports suggest paramedics called to the scene of a unconscious individual at a fast food restaurant, radioed for police back-up, stating that the subject was awake and acting aggressively.

Videotape of the incident shows the responding officers asking the suspect to comply and backing away as the suspect moves towards them. Only when the suspect attacked, knocking an officer to the ground, do the officers resort to physical force.

LEAA's Executive Director, Jim Fotis, a retired street cop and survivor of a violent encounter with a suspect, also commented on the officers’ use of force.

“From what we can see in the tapes, these officers acted appropriately, employing verbal commands, and only using force after being attacked by the subject. The officers only used that force necessary to effect the arrest. Remember, the suspect had a massive size advantage over all of the officers involved.”

Kevin Watson echoed Mr. Fotis caution for those rushing to blame the suspect’s death on the police officers: “This attacker met the medical definition of morbidly obese. The coroner’s report suggests a heart size indicative of heart disease and allegedly, the presence of PCP and cocaine in the attacker’s system."

"Anyone looking for explanations as to why this man lost consciousness after fighting with the police and died shortly thereafter, pehaps should start there.”