A simple thanks on this post isn't enough. This is why I was hoping to see you or Caine show up in the thread. I'd love to see your take on "taking it to the next level" that apdst spoke that all cops are taught not to do. IE they shouldn't have pepper sprayed the kid because that was "taking it to the next level" because he wasn't actively stabbing anyone (but somehow subduing him wouldn't be "taking it to the next level"). The whole thing from apdst made little sense to me as it was horribly illogical, especially considering what he was saying, but perhaps you could explain it better.
Glad to see that my thoughts regarding which way was safer, and liability, were correct though.
An anecdote or two from my cop days might help explain things a bit.
We're taught and trained to respect edged/pointed weapons. We watch videos that show officers getting stabbed by perps, that show how a perp can run 25' and stab you in the time it takes to draw and fire twice. We see pics of cops that didn't go home, pics that show their death wounds by knives, and it is quite gruesome. We're taught that any perp with a edged/pointed weapon who is inside 25' and moving forward is SHOOTABLE. We're taught to try to keep 25' from any perp that has a blade or shank during any attempt to "negotiate a surrender".
Now consider a classroom with a berserk 8 year old in it, holding a shank (improvised stabbing implement), and likely pacing around like a caged tiger, making threats. Hard to keep 25' from him at all times, and to make sure no one else gets too close to him, etc.
"Take control of the scene" is one police adage. "Neutralize imminent threats of grave bodily harm" is another.
I once did a "negotiated surrender" of a perp who had an edged weapon. He had it in his hand, but he wasn't running around making threats. He stood in one place and didn't move while I talked to him, which is a good thing for him; if he'd moved towards me or anyone else he'd have gotten shot. If we'd had tasers back then, or if I'd been carrying OC at the time, he would have gotten sprayed or zapped if he didn't cooperate immediately. You can't take chances with this stuff; the human body is fragile and very very vulnerable to stabs. A 2" blade can create a 4" deep wound through tissue compression, and there are a number of places on the body where a 4" deep stab can be fatal or at least life-threatening.
Even in my day, nearly a decade-and-a-half past, we were taught to take knives and shanks VERY seriously. Nowadays they have tasers and everyone has OC. That's good because it reduces injuries and deaths of suspects and officers alike. If you've never tried to grapple with someone who has an edged weapon you don't know how hairy that is, how easily someone can suffer a critical injury.
Probably most people don't know how much effort is required to drive a pointed object between someone's ribs and into their lung. Regrettably, I
do know exactly how much effort is required, and it is almost
effortless. A healthy 8yo boy could do it with
ease.