Blue Sheepdog

Edged weapons are generally considered to be knives, razor blades, and other slashing and stabbing weapons. They may be designed as weapons, such as a balisong (butteryfly knife), or an edged weapon may be improvised, such as a shard of broken glass.

On average, 1358 officers each year are attacked with an edged weapon. The breaks down to 3 to 4 edged weapon assaults per day on police officers.

I suspect that even the most timid administrator will agree that a machete is a deadly weapon, but what about a Swiss Army knife with a 1″ blade? The truth is, the smaller the blade, typically, the more deadly it is. In “The Dynamics of Stab Wounds,” researchers found that an adequately sharp blade of any length can inflict a fatal slash wound to an area such as the neck. Additionally, they found that:

“The ideal weapon is, in fact, a short thin-bladed knife, with a stiff blade, about 7 cm (about 2.75″) in length…”

A blade of less than 3″ may be the ideal weapon? How many people do you encounter each day with a pocket knife that meets that length? Especially now that the folding knives with the pocket clips have become fashionable.

What training have you had in simply disarming a subject who has a knife clipped to his pocket? Police training programs and policies need to address this issue. While we all may be able to agree that a knife is a deadly weapon, a lot of cops do not perceive the small knife as being dangerous. Trainers need to teach officers that all edged weapons are dangerous, and how to deal with them in the safest manner possible.

I will, of course, have more on this subject in the near future.

Stay safe!