Former police officer defends actions taken in viral video
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – By now, you’ve likely seen our viral video of three police officers being assaulted at this street corner behind me here in downtown Fargo.
Viewers are questioning the response by Fargo Police that led to 37-year-old Joseph Manitowabi fleeing for several blocks before being apprehended.
“Obviously it was a very dynamic situation that involved a number of people. And obviously those circumstances are not ideal.”
Former Police Officer Joel Vettel says that officers analyze situations in a matter of seconds. That means this video can’t tell the whole story.
“These are decisions that are being made in seconds. And when somebody has the ability to sit back and watch over the course of hours and think what they would have done, that’s pretty hard for people to recognize that that’s the right way to handle these situations when you have the ability of hindsight.”
Court documents claim that Manitowabi was here in the RoCo Parking Garage, smoking meth just before his arrest.
Vettel says that having a suspect under the influence can add chaos to any police interaction.
“I think the goal of every situation is to resolve it peacefully. Unfortunately, when people are under the influence of drugs, when they are in mental distress, often times you don’t have that ability.”
He adds that officers are trained to try and deescalate these types of situations, and that sometimes a use of force could get them or the perpetrator more hurt.
“They have a lot more responsibilities to protect the scene, protect the people around them, and ultimately protect the person they’re trying to arrest.”
The three officers involved in the arrest sustained minor injuries, and Vettel says that for most officers these interactions are just part of the job.
“I’d venture to guess that in most circumstances officers have to deal with this on a regular basis, and that’s the unfortunate part. But I also think that most of them understand that this is part of the job.”
