Helping a cop in need

[Pro2A]

Lets say you're walking down the street and you see a police officer struggling with a suspect who is twice the size of the officer and the suspect seems to be winning the struggle. Do you intervene to assist the officer in subduing the suspect, or stay back and try to call for help?

[angus]

Lets say you're walking down the street and you see a police officer struggling with a suspect who is twice the size of the officer and the suspect seems to be winning the struggle. Do you intervene to assist the officer in subduing the suspect, or stay back and try to call for help?

Call for backup first, and get the troops coming. Then do what I can to help.

[sjl127]

Do we assume we have a handgun - or not...?

[jerkin]

I doubt I'd even think far enough ahead to call 911, probably just jump in and help. No one helped that lady officer in N.O. recently and look what happened, don't know how I'd live with that knowing I could have done something. Then that brings up legal ramifications. Say it ended up being a false arrest or something, could you be held accountable?

[sjl127]

That's a good point. False arrest.

Did you know that Texas law says that if a police officer is arresting you, or busts into your home, and you absolutely know that you did nothing wrong, so it is a wrongful arrest, that you're allowed to shoot him dead?

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

which law is that, I'd like to look it up...

[axmdr40]

absolutely....I consider people who refuse to help others scum.

[jerkin]

Another question. Say the suspect was hurt in the altercation and decided to sue. I would assume that you could be held accountable for that also. I would imagine that the DA or a lawyer working for law enforcement would represent the officer, but would that include the person that helped or would they need their own attorney? That could get expensive fast.

I don't think this would cross anyones mind before they jumped in to help but I'm just wondering what the legal ramifications could be.

[headcase]

Isn't there a good samaritan law in Pa.?

[Morel42]

Flying tackle FTW..