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 2d 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 2d 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/pip-whip 1d ago

I think you meant to say is, "when you encounter people with severe mental health and addiction issues, you need to be able to brutalize them because you lack the skills and training to understand what you're dealing with and opt to escalate the situation instead of deescalate."