Weirton Police: Don't Punish Officers for Non-Violence

In the past few years, there have been a wave of police shootings, many against black men - more specifically, unarmed black men. Many of these cases have led to outrage, as officers leave the scenario unscathed. Few are fired, and a number of the investigations simply result in "time off" for the officer. The injustice has sparked national outrage over police reform. Many groups aimed at reducing the number of police shootings are emphasizing de-escalation practices, hoping to train officers how to respond to scenarios without jumping to deadly force when unnecessary.

Recently, a situation in Weirton, West Virginia has led to the opposite. Officer Stephen Mader was called to respond to a situation in which a man was "threatening to hurt himself." He noticed upon arriving that the man had a gun. Using his previous Marines and police academy training, Mader decided to speak calmly to him rather than draw a weapon. The man then said, "Just shoot me." Mader continued to try to de-escalate. His assessment of the situation was that this person intended to hurt no one, except potentially himself. 

Soon after, two more cops showed up on the scene and quickly shot the man with the gun dead. It turns out, this man's gun wasn't loaded. As Mader had predicted, he was only a threat to himself. He wasn't going to hurt anyone else, and yet his life was taken. 

Shortly after the incident, Mader reported to the police chief and was fired. The chief said, “We’re putting you on administrative leave and we’re going to do an investigation to see if you are going to be an officer here. You put two other officers in danger.”

One of the most important pieces of police reform is teaching officers how to de-escalate without using force. Mr. Mader was brave for choosing not to simply pull his gun, and yet he was punished for it. It has even been reported that Mr. Mader won't receive a pension. The Weirton Police must revise their policies so that non-violence is not punished, but rather, encouraged.