We’ve said it a million times before, and we’ll say it a million times afterwards: police officers need to learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu. An incident that happened recently in New Hampshire is yet another reason why.
New Hampshire state police trooper Bryan Tracy used Brazilian jiu-jitsu in order to control and arrest a suspect, despite the fact that he had every right to use deadly force.
On Sunday night in June, Officer Tracy saw wanted fugitive Matthew Drake walking near the Plymouth airport in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
Tracy told the man he was under arrest, but Drake took off running. Tracy deployed his K-9 on Drake, and the dog took him to the ground.
Drake, however, still wasn’t ready to give up. Worst still, he had military training and was “very strong” according to Tracy. He was also going for Tracy’s taser, which would have given the trooper the right to use deadly force.
Tracy, however, had a better idea. He used his Brazilian jiu-jitsu training to subdue Drake and take him into custody. However, it wasn’t the physical aspects of BJJ that helped the trooper, but the mental ones.
“It’s not so much the actual, physical component, it’s the mental piece of it,” Tracy told 10 Boston. “It allows you to have a clear, you know, picture of what’s going on, and in stressful situations, it allows you to stay calm and maintain your focus.”
Drake is now facing numerous charges, including assault on a police officer.
