Using Ju-Jit-Su to Arrest A Perp

Using Ju-Jit-Su to Handcuff a Perp
(Stories OF The Lost Patrol)
(C) James J Alonzo

1982; 
It was a normal summer night in Evans, the temperature was well in the eighties and so was the humidity. Patrolling during one mid-night shift with Jack, in the Evans, NY area we had set up a radar position to clock and ticket speeders. As we sat there enjoying a couple of donuts and coffee,  a vehicle shot past us at a about 100 miles per hour! 

"Shit!" I shouted as Jack started the patrol vehicle and took off like a shot after the speeding vehicle!

As I was trying to relive my self from the hot coffee that spilled on my lap, Jack shouted back at me,

"We got a good one! He has no license plates on the car! He's driving erratically! I bet he's drunk!"

Later we would find out one other thing, the driver of the speeding vehicle was a native american named Stanley Running Bear. Stanley was a Seneca Indian, who was a native american traditionalist, did not like the laws of the land, hence not having license plates on his vehicle. He also stood 6'8", 300 lbs., wore his dark black hair in long braids. The thing he did love was whiskey, and he was mean when ever he was stopped by the police. 

Now Stanley was not the smartest man in the world but he sure made up for his lack of intelligence with a natural powerful strength. Stanley was well known to both of us and to every other Law Enforcement Officer in Erie County, and he was known to fight almost every time he was arrested.

From a dead start to catch a vehicle that passes you at such a high rate of speed takes a few miles. When we caught up to his vehicle, Stanley was already stopped and out of his vehicle and he was standing along side the road by a little 24 hour two bit shack which sold cigarettes, beer and wine. We pulled up beside him and both got out of the patrol car. 

Jack walked up to him and told him,

" Your under arrest Stanley, turn around!"

He looked down at my 5'10" height and Jack's 6'3" and our uniforms, and announced,

"No, I don't abide by white man's laws!"

He got agitated right way, and started telling us that he was native -american, a Chief, and was a citizen of the Seneca Nation, not the f!*%#ing United States. Jack told him, 

"Put your hands on the patrol car now!"

But Stanley being Stanley, had other ideas, and started to resist! 

"No! You are nazi's"

I grabbed one arm and my partner grabbed the other. In just a matter of a couple of seconds our arms, hands and bodies pushing and shoving, were all tied up together in a three way fight for control! 

(back in the 1980's there was no such thing as a Taser)

Jack and I were getting tired fast but Stanley had not even broken out in a sweat as we punched, pushed and shoved trying to get Stanley to the ground. That was when my partner decided that it was time to quit playing around. 

Ju-Jit-Su! Jack remembering he had been reading a book on hand to hand combat. He figured if he broke Stanley's thumb he would quit fighting, so my partner grabbed Stanley's thumb and started to bend it backwards as hard and as far as he could. Well, Stanley did not seem to mind at all, in fact he just fought harder.

"Shit!" I shouted out in pain, because I was getting hurt in this fight. My partner after hearing my exclamation of pain, he knew that he had to get Stanley off of me fast, so he bent the thumb even further back.

"OWW! 

I was really in pain at this point and decided it was time to kill someone or something, I had to have relief. With pain induced strength I managed to push Stanley backwards onto the hood of the patrol car and Jack and I were able to hand cuff him.

As i was standing there shaking my hand with the injured thumb, trying to relieve the pain, Jack asked me, 

"Are you okay?" 

" I think so, but Stanley almost broke my thumb!"

Jack looked at me and then at Stanley and said, 

"Yeah, well if it make you feel better, I almost broke his too!" 

I looked at Stanley, and his hand did not seem to be hurting him. I asked Jack

"Who's thumb did you have?" He looked at me and then at Stanley and it dawned on him and he said, 

"Oops! I wondered why this Ju-Jit-Su shit wasn't working?"

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