Active Self Protection Analyzes Fatal Philadelphia Police Shooting Involving a Knife

In this Active Self Protection video, John Correia and Mike Willever review bystander phone footage of a fatal police shooting in Philadelphia. The man's family says he was unarmed and in a mental health crisis.

Key points

• The call: Officers responded to several reports of a man trying to break into homes. The first officer to reach a man matching the description went hands-on to detain him.
• The knife: That officer backed away and drew his firearm when he saw a knife in the man's hand. A second officer also saw it, and both fired as the man advanced. The hosts say the knife was recovered beside him.
• Reading the approach: Willever, who has a law enforcement background, says the hands-on approach shows the first officer did not see a threat until the knife appeared.
• Reaction time: Correia cites research putting the lag between perceiving a threat and firing at about 0.54 seconds.
• Footwork: One officer stumbled while backing straight up in roughly 30 pounds of gear. The hosts recommend training lateral and diagonal movement.

Quick take

Correia and Willever argue the shooting met the legal standard for deadly force because a man with a knife was advancing on officers after resisting arrest. Correia says he understands the family's grief, but notes the officers had no way of knowing the man's history.

Watch the full video: Active Self Protection