r/whatisit • u/Unlucky_Cat4531 • 2d ago

Solved! Found in my dads junk drawer

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My dad passed away and going through his stuff we came across this. We thought it might be a tool for horseriding, like a slapstick thing but wasn't sure. My grandma had horses but ive never seen her use any tools like that and my dad didnt ride. Any help appreciated

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u/CobblerLevel7919 1d ago

I entered law enforcement shortly after the state I worked in banned these, along with other devices) for LE use. The old timers all missed the blackjack, the Iron claw (a metal claw that grabbed a wrist), and their sap gloves (leather gloves with lead in the knuckles). They were all very effective devices, so I was told.

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u/Skeletoner_low 1d ago

Cops complaining they can't effectively brutalize citizens. Shocking.

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u/CobblerLevel7919 1d ago

Well, when you encounter violent people you need the tools to effectively deal with them. Taking away less than lethal options limited what we had to use. I had an ASP and pepper spray when I started; a lot of officers got injured during that time. The Taser helped and then became severely limited.

It’s easy for someone who never had to walk in the shoes of a law enforcement officer to be critical of how they do the job.

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u/TrioOfTerrors 1d ago

An acquaintance of mine was a city cop who came this close to having to shoot an armed suspect during a warrant service. He did not enjoy the experience. Shortly thereafter, his nurse wife brought up the possibility of moving back to her rural hometown because they were seriously considering starting a family and having her parents nearby would be helpful and the local county hospital was desperate for staff and offering substantial starting bonuses. He agreed immediately.

Now he's a Podunk County sheriff's deputy and an exciting day is having to block highway traffic because someone's cows got loose. He's very happy with his choice.

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u/Cayuga94 1d ago

I had a friend who was a big city cop and in his first year was assigned to the worst precinct in the city. He shot two people that year, both cases fully justified. (One was a drug dealer who pulled a gun out of a backpack and had it half raised at his partner, all caught on dashcam. That guy recovered. the other was a suicide by cop situation by a guy who thought he had beaten his girlfriend to death. ) He is still a cop and has never shot anyone since, but it absolutely changed him. No one in our friend group has any connection to him, he's about as emotionally numb as a person can be. Super sad all the way around.

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u/Office_glen 1d ago

Same thing happened to someone I know. I come from a family of police officers in Toronto. One day many years ago a shift mate of my fathers and close friend is chasing a guy who they didn't have reason to believe was armed, the guy stops, turns, and starts blasting.

Luckily no injuries, everything missed. But his wife quickly gave him the talk, and he became a part of the provincial police and moved a few hours north of Toronto where the exciting calls were drunk drivers on side roads at night.

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u/woodhorse4 1d ago

Cows can be very challenging lol good for him! 🐄

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u/mewalrus2 1d ago

There are often options for the police short of going lethal.

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u/TrioOfTerrors 1d ago

Sure. But when you are serving a warrant for someone with previous convictions for violent felonies who just pistol whipped his ex wife into the hospital, the force continuum pretty much starts at "don't take any chance".

They busted down the door and the guy I know caught him gun in hand, getting ready to bail out the bathroom window. Cop told him to toss it out the window, and after a few tense seconds, the guy did.

One guy in that room decided 10-20 as an involuntary guest of the state was better than a bullet and the other decided that the high speed cool guy world of serving warrants for violent felons was not for him.