# Florida officer proves that trusting your own instincts is one of the keys to officer



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Florida officer proves that trusting your own instincts is one of the keys to officer survival*
*

*By Dave Smith

Lead Street Survival Seminar Instructor

From the Calibre Press _Street Survival Newsline_

On June 21, 2007 25-year-old Detective Jeff Bates, a five year veteran of the Broward County, FL Sheriff's Office was on patrol in an unmarked car when he saw William Sherman, age 46, walking down the street. Detective Bates, a member of BSO's Selective Enforcement Team, was wearing black pants and a shirt emblazoned with the word "SHERIFF" on it. He observed Sherman, whom he thought looked "suspicious," as he walked down the street, and decided to exit his vehicle and speak with him.

As a department spokesman told the press: _"This is something cops do all the time&#8230; it's just in their mind that if they see someone out of place they stop and have a chat with them."_ Detective Bates, who's suspicions about Sherman were correct, had the presence of mind to call for back up _before_ encountering Sherman, who stabbed the detective in the thigh with a steak knife shortly after the encounter began. Sherman, who lives only a block from where the encounter took place, didn't get far. Just after Bates was injured, his back up arrived on the scene, took control of Sherman, and found two more knives in his possession. Sherman is awaiting charges and Detective Bates was treated and released the same night.

Full Article: http://www.policeone.com/writers/columnists/davesmith/articles/1284135/


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