A Police Officer's Response to John Piper

I never imagined the first blog I posted would be to disagree with John Piper.  There is perhaps no one living that I have greater respect for than Piper.  His books occupy more space on my bookshelves than any one single author.  For years he has encouraged, strengthened, convicted, enlightened, and fed me with biblical truth through his sermons, articles, and books.  As a matter of fact, I am currently on my second read through of Future Grace.  Therefore, what I have to say is in no way intended to disrespect Pastor John.   

However, as a Christian, former Marine, and current police officer, I felt compelled to say something after reading Piper's article "Power, Police, and Another Shooting" (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/power-police-and-another-shooting).  After viewing the video footage that came out of the recent St. Louis shooting, where two police officers shot and killed a man armed with a knife, Piper wrote an article asking two questions- "Are we putting appropriate restraints on the possible misuses of power?  And are we pursuing every means available for subduing threatening people without killing them?"  

First, let me say that I think Piper handled the situation very well (especially in light of how poorly I think many Christian leaders seem to be  handling the Furguson, MO incident).  He went out of his way to show that he does not have any suspicion of police officers and even went as far as to praise his local law enforcement.  I also think his questions are perfectly right for anyone, law enforcement or not, to ask.  I agree with him that the human heart is depraved and those in power face an inevitable temptation to abuse that power.  This thinking is not only biblical, it's American.  It's why our government is structured the way it is (our first independent government, the Articles of Confederation, did not even have an executive branch); we are suspicious of any one person getting too much power.

I also agree with asking the question of whether or not we are pursuing every means available for subduing threatening people without killing them.  No one wants unnecessary bloodshed.  My issue is that, by the way he wrote the article, it seems that Piper would answer no to both of these questions.  He seemed to think that the police officers who shot the man armed with a knife should have done more to stop the threat without killing the aggressor, and he implied that these officers abused their power when they killed the man armed with a knife. 

Now, when it comes to spiritual combat, Piper is indeed an expert.  He wields the sword of the Spirit better than any in our day, and he has been my trusted spiritual combat guide for years.  However, as we all know, expertise in one area does not guarantee expertise in another, and Piper is not an expert in physical combat.  Piper calls for a re-examination of how police officers are trained, but what experience with or knowledge of police training does he have?  What does Piper know of dealing with human aggression, as compared to those who deal with it on a day-in, day-out basis?  As a newcomer to spiritual combat might not see the harm in a married man doing a little "harmless" flirting with a co-worker, so a newcomer to physical combat might not recognize the danger of a mentally unstable man with a knife feet away from police officers. 

Do Piper and those who agree with him understand how quickly a man with a knife can bridge a gap of twenty feet?  Fifteen feet?  Ten?  Do they understand that the most efficient and effective way to stop a threat is by placing your bullets in the center mass of the person who is the threat, and if you attempt any other route you greatly diminish the likelihood of stopping the threat?  Do they understand that even if several bullets make contact with the threat, he may still be able to get close enough to use his last remaining strength to plunge that knife into your neck?  Do they understand why you don't bring a less than lethal weapon to a knife fight?  Do they understand what happens physiologically to the human body during a deadly force encounter?  They might, but I doubt it. 

Piper, more than anyone, has taught me to think deeply about the world God has made.  There is more going on in the video than meets the eye.  To those unfamiliar with physical combat, it looks like a hasty kill.  But to those with eyes to see, who have had their powers of discernment trained by constant practice distinguishing between good and evil when it comes to deadly force encounters, these men were justified in killing that man.

I get it.  It is extremely unfortunate that this man died.  Doing police work in a fallen world, as a fallen human being, is difficult.  We don't know everything.  Maybe that man was bluffing and had no intention of killing those police officers, but we don't know that, and neither did the two cops who pulled the trigger.  How close does a man with a knife have to get to a police officer before the officer is justified in killing him in the eyes of the public?  I believe they were justified, and do not believe it was an abuse of power. 

While I do not think that only those in law enforcement can criticize situations like the shooting in St. Louis, I will say this: those who have ideas about how deadly force encounters should be handled but who do not work in law enforcement have the luxury of never staking their lives on their ideas.  They will never have to, as they say, put their money where their mouth is.  For police officers, this is not an intellectual game.  This is life and death.  At some point our theory becomes practice, and I want, and I know my family wants, the practice that is most likely to bring me home at the end of the night.