Pocatello police discuss arrest procedures in wake of nationwide shootings

Tuesday night attendees of Pocatello’s Citizen Police Academy learned about arrest techniques, a topic of much interest after a string of police-involved shootings around the nation.

“A lot of things across the country that are happening and a lot of people have questions about why police officers do things,” said Capt. Roger Schei, head of the Pocatello Police Department’s patrol division.
Schei said most of the people they deal with are generally compliant when placed under arrest, but occasionally he said a suspect will try to evade.

Such was the case in both South Carolina and Oklahoma earlier this month when officers fatally fired on evading suspects.

Schei said his officers generally try to avoid using force.

“We have a lot of times where we display a Taser, and just because the Taser’s displayed, people will comply,” said Schei.

He said how an officer reacts to this type of situation ultimately depends on a number of factors, such as the size of the suspect and the location.

The Citizen Police Academy started last week and runs through May 26. Attending are 16 private citizens who have passed background checks.