Pennsylvania State Trooper Joseph Dunsmore said deescalation always is the goal when it comes to law enforcement encounters.
Whether it’s at a traffic stop, sporting event, protest, any incident, the plan is to remain calm and professional.
“At the end of the day, we shall endeavor and try our best to deescalate a situation while performing our lawful duties,” Dunsmore said at a community presentation that is part of a state police program called Building Bridges.
The event was hosted by state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel.
“It is imperative that we are facilitating conversations between law enforcement and community so that everyone is as informed as they possibly can be,” Steele said.
Several attendees asked if state police cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Dunsmore said if he saw a local police officer or federal agent’s vehicle with its emergency lights on, he would pull over and see if that person was OK.
Dunsmore, who has served as a trooper for 16 years, shared some of his personal experiences, including patrolling parking lots at a Penn State football game, a DUI arrest in which he had to use force to arrest a much larger man and the loss of partners and academy classmates in the line of duty.
Various state police policies were shown throughout the presentation.
Dunsmore talked about how officers have a lot of discretion in traffic stops and other interactions with the public.
According to the presentation, police officers are authorized to use force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to:
• Protect themselves and others from injury or death;
• Overcome resistance while making a lawful arrest;
• Prevent the escape of a subject from custody;
• Prevent a subject from committing suicide;
• Prevent a subject from committing a crime.
Attendees were interested in use of non-lethal and deadly use of force.
Police officers may use deadly force to protect themselves or another from what they reasonably believe to be an imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, according to the presentation.
Choke holds are also permitted if an officer can show deadly force was necessary.
Dunsmore acknowledged the use of force policies are very vague and subjective.
“There’s a reason for that,” Dunsmore said. “Every police officer is different. I’m not as young as I once was. We come in different ages. We come in different sizes. We come to the table with different skill sets.
“What might be reasonable for me may not be reasonable for the next trooper. It really has to meet the ‘reasonableness’ standard.”
Fox Chapel Area High School seniors Helen Xu and Lily Cannon attended the event for their AP Government class.
They were happy to learn about some Supreme Court cases that influenced police actions.
They were surprised to learn drivers needed to turn on their headlights when windshield wipers were active.
Dunsmore showed video of a traffic stop in which a woman was pulled over for going the wrong way down a one-way road.
The woman refused to comply with commands. An officer busted her window and took her out of the car.
Dunsmore said Pennsylvania drivers are obligated to show their license and to get out of their vehicle when asked.
Dunsmore talked about how public perception of police could be influenced by media personalities, TV/movies, social media, political affiliation, personal experiences and stories from friends and family.
“Trust is a huge cornerstone for policing and having a positive relationship with our communities,” he said.
“I didn’t promise that everything up on the screen we were going to be thrilled about, but I was going to be transparent about it and provide that information. My goal was that when you left here, that you were a more informed member of our community than when you came in.”
“That’s how we build and keep communities safe,” Steele said. “I am so grateful for Trooper Dunsmore staying late. The community has a lot of questions and found the session very useful.”
The session was recorded and will be posted on Steele’s social media sites and website.