Key mistake is that the police officer fails to keep a safe distance or at least adopt a defensive posture and bladed stance while close to the suspect. Incident appears to be mental health related.
Sucker punch – standard elements
Victim standing with hands in pockets within striking range. Aggressor does not telegraph, strikes while talking to distract victim. Striking from this range happens so quickly that it is impossible to react in time for the vast majority of people.
knocked out with a slap
Shop owner lays counter-ambush on robbers
The robbers started this with an advantage of initiative, numbers, preparation and mental preparedness. This is why the ambush is the most effective form of attack. If the shop owner were to react at this time, he would lose the majority of the time.
This shop owner feigns submission, waiting until the robbers are no longer focused on him and draws to fire when they are at their most vulnerable. This is a counter-ambush.
Double underhooks upper body takedown to high mount
Police officer takes down belligerent woman with an upper body takedown.
Fist fight escalates to fatal stabbing.
When one of these young men starts reaching into a bag, the other does not recognise the danger he is in, and does not react accordingly. Police pay special attention to this kind of behaviour because they may be reaching for a weapon.
Cop counters standing headlock with slam
Body lock slam followed by head stomps
Slam on hard surface in school bathroom
A potentially fatal slam. High risk of severe head injury.
Do not use standing headlocks – unless you’ve trained them A LOT.
The standing headlock is one of the most common positions in street fights. People who are inexperienced in grappling tend to do it instinctively, for better or worse. The results are so-so with some people successfully dragging their opponent to the ground. For others it doesn’t work at all.
It can also be potentially disastrous.
There are limitless examples of “self defence” instructional videos on the internet showing headlock escapes which involve foot stomps, groin strikes, eye gouges, throat grabs and the like, however the most effective and deadly method is the slam or suplex. Any method of throws or slams can kill on a hard surface. Being slammed while holding a headlock is one of the worst ways for it to happen.
On the other hand, those who have extensive training in the position are able to use it safely and effectively. They understand how to apply a throw, how to set up the position, how to transition to something else and when to disengage. Watch the below demonstration for an example of a safe (for both parties) and effective throw:
If you don’t understand the position inside and out, simply do not use it. You might feel like you’re doing something useful, but the risks do far outweigh anything you might pull off with nothing more than luck.