Of course the article doesn't mention whether or not the cop knew the object in the guys hand wasn't a gun, which obviously could've factored into the decision not to shoot in this particular instance. Also in the examples they gave below, other factors could've been involved that aren't mentioned, like what the guy with the knife did after he was confronted by the police. The cop was found not guilty for the initial shooting but convicted for attempted murder for a 2nd volley of shots.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG6OTyjzAgg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Because of this officer’s steady professionalism, the police can now question the suspect about motive and perhaps determine whether this was an act of political terrorism. Police Monday night identified the suspect in the van attack as Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill, Ont.
The officer’s actions are an example to police around North America on how to defuse a threat from a disturbed person without taking a life.
It comes at a moment when that lesson is sorely needed. In the United States, deadly force became a point of bitter conflict after a series of police shootings of black men. In Canada, two incidents brought the issue to the fore. In Vancouver in 2007, police tasered Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, who did not speak English and had become agitated after spending hours wandering in the arrivals area of Vancouver International Airport. He died. In Toronto in 2013, a policeman shot dead 18-year-old Sammy Yatim, who was brandishing a knife on an empty streetcar. In both cases, inquiries said there should be better training for police and security officers in de-escalation, the art of talking suspects down without resort to life-threatening force.
If Monday’s episode is any guide, that training may be paying off. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders say that the successful takedown was “directly related to the high-calibre training that takes place. The officers here are taught to use as little force as possible in any given situation.”
Whether it was training, instinct or simple humanity, The Cop Who Didn’t Shoot deserves all the praise and attention he is getting. He kept his cool. He arrested his man. He spared a life. He showed us all the best way to respond to terror: with calm, discipline and determination.
