TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Tallahassee Citizen Review Board released recommendations to the Tallahassee Police Department Sunday afternoon that detailed how they would like the police to use impact weapons and batons in the future.
The recommendations stem from a May 2021 incident where Jacquez Kirkland was hit with a baton during an arrest for an alleged DUI. The review board was created in June 2020 to give recommendations to Tallahassee Police in an effort to have more transparency and open communication in policing.
According to documents sent to ABC 27 by the review board, the previous use of force policy regarding impact weapons and batons included the ability for officers to "thrust or jab a person in the hands, joints, abdomen, or muscular portions of the back to overcome aggressive resistance.”
The updated policy, which TPD Chief Lawrence Revell accepted, says that "officers may not use impact weapons or batons to thrust or jab a person in the hands, joints, abdomen, or muscular portion of the back, except in response to overcome aggressive resistance."
The review board also recommended a new addition to the policy as it related to three or more officers and only one suspect.
“When there are multiple officers engaged in any response to resistance encounter, officers should only use impact weapons/batons to strike a person in response to aggravated aggressive resistance," the board wrote.
TPD Chief Revell did not accept the addition to the policy, according to the review board.
"[This recommendation] has the potential to restrict an otherwise objectively reasonable baton application," Revell said, according to the review board. "The implication for this recommendation could cause an officer to be unable to utilize a baton unless there was an action that is likely to result in death or serious injury to any person. Additionally, the recommendation could increase the likelihood of serious injury to the subject or officer, by limiting its utilization at a lower level of resistance.”
Review board chairman Edward Gaines said that he is appreciative of the Chief's willingness to accept the first recommendation, he is disappointed that the second one was not taken.
"Although the Board is disappointed that he did not accept our second recommendation for making an addition to the policy involving multiple officers and their use of batons when there is only one suspect, we commend the Chief and TPD for using this incident as an opportunity to enhance officer training," Gaines wrote.
The review board meets on the first Thursday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Smith-Williams Service Center.
