The Polish Police Headquarters website has published an item from the “Did you know?” series. This time, officers explain that a police officer may use a firearm even “in pursuit of a perpetrator of a violation of the law”:
It is natural that police officers are reluctant to use firearms, as their use can have tragic consequences. Whether an officer reaches for a firearm depends on the behavior of the people toward whom the intervention is directed. Today, not every police officer is equipped with a so-called stun gun, and in a dangerous situation may use a firearm.
Therefore, you should remain calm during an intervention and follow the officer’s instructions. You should not try to flee from police officers.
When does the police have the right to use a firearm during a pursuit?
- if a person was carrying out a direct and unlawful attack on the life, health or freedom of a police officer, then even if they have abandoned the attack but attempt to flee, the officer may use a firearm against that person to incapacitate and apprehend them
- if a person has failed to comply with a call to immediately discard a weapon, explosive or other dangerous object whose use could endanger the life, health or freedom of a police officer or another person, and attempts to flee, the officer may also use a firearm against that person to incapacitate and apprehend them.
What are these “other dangerous objects”?
Polish Police Headquarters: “A dangerous object may be a knife, machete, various types of clubs, a baseball bat, or even scissors.”
The officers add:
Remember: A police intervention will also proceed depending on your behavior. If you calmly submit to police procedures, it will proceed calmly and there will be no need to use, for example, physical force. Resisting is pointless, and aggression toward police officers may be classified as a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
What do you think? We invite you to join the discussion.