Scottville Police Officer Shows Remarkable Poise After Being Threatened with Knife

[XLFD]

A good police officer will use a bit of discretion before using deadly force against an aggressive threat.  Scottville Police Officer Scott Fessenden, according to his police report (and this Mason County Press report about it) dealt with a knife-wielding assailant verbally threatening his life by using non-lethal force, and taking them into custody.  At great peril to his own safety. 

Officer Fessenden could have shot the man while he was advancing towards him menacingly with a knife, but he chose to use pepper spray and non-deadly force in incapacitating the man, who apparently had mental issues.  The measures used by Officer Fessenden were commendable in today's day and age where the officer's safety is often paramount to any other concern.  He retreated, had the opportunity to shoot a man moving at him with a knife, but resisted the impulse and neutralized the threat to himself anyway.

If the report details exactly what happened, what Scottville Police Officer Fessenden did very early today was truly brave, heroic, and what we should expect from our law enforcement in such situations.

                 Scott Fessenden Being Sworn into Office on May 5, 2014. (Photo courtesy of MCP)

 

SCOTTVILLE — A Scottville Police Officer received minor injuries after he was assaulted by a man with a knife early Sunday morning.

The assault took place at Thornwild Apartments about 2:55 a.m. between Officer Scott Fessenden and a 79-year-old man. According to a police report, the police department was initially called to the man’s apartment at 1:38 a.m. The man called 911 for an undetermined reason but “appeared confused.”

Officer Fessenden arrived at the apartment and stated in his report that the man was surprised to see him. The man told the officer that he called 911 because his son had gone fishing and had not yet returned. While the man seemed slightly confused, he also answered questions correctly, such as his name, address and date of birth. The officer then called Adult Protective Services central registry, made contact with a worker who stated the current conditions of the man did not seem to constitute immediate intervention.

The officer eventually left the scene.

At 2:55 a.m. the man called 911 again. This time the man stated that there were people outside his residence trying to kill him and other people.

Officer Fessenden knocked on the door and the man responded that the door was broken and that the officer was going to have to knock it down. The man then said “Can you feel that?” The officer asked what he was referring to. “This 12 inch steak knife that I’m going to (expletive) kill you with.”

The officer then stepped back away from the door and the man opened the door and allegedly lunged towards the officer with a 10-inch butcher knife. Officer Fessenden retreated several feet while calling for backup on the radio. When running out of room to retreat, he reached for his sidearm and gave the man repeated orders to drop the knife.

The man shook his head no, according to the police report, and progressed towards the officer with his knife raised. The officer then chose to use pepper spray instead of discharging his firearm, the report stated, which stunned the man. Officer Fessenden then took the man to the ground, the man continued to physically resist, threatening the officer’s life. Fessenden eventually was able to handcuff the man.

Deputies from Mason County Sheriff’s Office also arrived on scene and EMS and fire department first responders were called. The man was transported to Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital by ambulance. Scottville Police Chief Don Riley said Officer Fessenden received a cut to his thumb and to his arm, non of which were life-threatening.  

Riley said he would have supported Officer Fessenden no matter which defensive tactic he took. Riley said, including the two calls Sunday morning, police have been called to the apartment six times. He said the man was not charged because his issue seems to be a medical condition. Police are working with the man’s family to prevent any further danger to the public or first responders, Riley said.

[Jasper]

Yes, Officer Fessenden performed his duty as a police officer.  Fail to understand why people are praising him.  Fessenden is an example of what police are hired to do.  Shooting someone should be the last resort, instead of the first resort, as many cops these days fire first before assessing the situation.  He performed his duty as a police officer----that is his job!  Would the outcome been different if this man was black?  Would the outcome been different if the man was young?  

[Willy]

I think that officer Fessenden deserves credit for logically analyzing the situation and acting accordingly instead of just being another trigger happy cop whose only concern is with their own safety. He's the type of officers we need.

[stump]

It's interesting that he was not charged with some kind of offense. He's lucky to be alive if the report is correct. I agree that it could have ended up very different and I would side with the officer if deadly force was used. Luckily, officer Fessenden won't have to live with that.

[AQUAMAN]

Yes, officer Fessenden did perform his duties, as he was trained, and was expected. Sadly, not ALL officers given that same situation seem to perform this very way. Instead, what we seem to have of recent years is over-reactions and untimely and unnecessary deaths. The assaulting citizen was, afterall, 79 years old. The officers of today have a great deal of arsenals at their disposal to use: pepper spray, tasers, batons, self-defense fighting, and psychology. After all we've witnessed in the local and national news these days, he needs our praise and reinforced support for a job well done. Perhaps other local officers can learn from this sad episode and copy what this officer did into the future. 

[XLFD]

Other officers probably won't learn, in fact I haven't seen anybody in law enforcement say anything positive publicly about Fessendon's encounter; SPD Chief Riley put it out there that he would have supported Fessendon whatever action he took.  In this area, two retired people were killed in January 2014 by police with itchy fingers who were apparently in fear for their lives and needed to shoot old men in situations where you or I would not have.  The sad fact is that there are plenty of local officers that would have chosen deadly force in this encounter and alter the facts to best serve their narrative.  We have to be thankful that there are officers who use their heads and value other's lives, as well as their own.

[AQUAMAN]

We have to be thankful, isn't a narrative of definitive?? I would like to think that we have LE Officers that will react the same, and be good LE examples. People, not strictly LE types that believe in immediate reactions, but , ones that use their heads and souls to perform the job. Ones that actually care about human life, and their own lives at the same time. This in itself defines, at least for me, the real hero in LE. It's really hard to expect that in local LE, unless you believe that all the last incidents in Mason County are just common and routine.