— But you shot him in the neck and someone else shot him in the eye.
— I missed. I aimed for his torso, but it all happened very quickly.
— So again, why not just shoot him in the leg? Even before he started moving toward you, why not just shoot him in the leg and call it a day? He’d be immobilized instantly.
— If I shoot at his leg and miss, he could very well come at me and stick the knife in my neck.
— You’re serious. You were really worried that he’d hurt you.
— Of course I was. Have you heard of the twenty-one-foot rule?
— Tell me.
— The basic principle is that if a suspect is within twenty-one feet of an officer, and is holding an edged weapon like a knife, then that suspect presents a clear and present danger to the officer. And deadly force against him is justified.
— So if a man is holding a knife within twenty-one feet of a cop, the cop is justified in shooting him.
— If that suspect is threatening to use it, yes.
— Why twenty-one feet?
— That’s the area the suspect could cover in a short amount of time — not enough time for the officer to escape or protect himself. This was based on research done by an officer in Salt Lake City.
— So tell me something. If I’m holding a knife, and you’re twenty-two feet away, all you have to do is step one foot closer to me, and then you get to shoot me. Isn’t that possible?
— No.
— Yes it is. By your interpretation, it’s possible.
— The rule is a guideline for officers to know the distance within which the suspect could reasonably present a deadly threat.
— Does the suspect have to be moving toward you?
— Not necessarily. If he’s threatening me with a knife, and he’s within twenty-one feet, then I’m permitted to use deadly force.
— Oh shit.
— What?
— This is what I feared. I mean, I knew you could be one of those cops misinterpreting that rule, but I hoped you weren’t. I wanted it to be more complicated.
— I’m not misinterpreting anything.
— But you are, you fucking asshole. The twenty-one-foot rule is … Do you really not know? You’ve got that look on your face that says you have no idea what I’m talking about but you think I might actually know something you don’t.
— That isn’t the look on my face. I’m tired, and now I’m getting angry.
— Stop. You have no idea. Let me describe what the twenty-one-foot rule actually is. The rule says that a suspect armed with a knife can cover twenty-one feet in the amount of time a cop can remove his gun from his holster, aim it and fire it. Do you understand?
— Yes. But I’m not sure that’s correct.
— It’s a guideline. If you’re faced with a man armed with a knife, and you’re within twenty-one feet, you should get your weapon out. That’s what the rule states. Just that you should have your weapon unholstered if an armed man is that close.
— I don’t believe that’s true.
— It is true. That’s from the manual, you idiot.
—
— You have nothing to say?
—
— This is so fucked up. I think you shot my best friend because you and your buddies can’t read. I think you shot my best friend in the neck and head because you thought there was some rule that allowed you to do it. Some rule that you were too lazy or stupid to actually look up and read. You hear that the rule says you have to shoot anyone with a knife if you’re within twenty-one feet, and so you shoot a tiny guy holding a kitchen knife who poses no threat to anyone. Doesn’t that seem fucked up to you? I’ll answer for you. It is fucked up. And you’re a fucking idiot. And you know what else? I don’t think he was even moving. I know you say now that he was moving toward you, but I’m betting he wasn’t. I know you got everyone to agree with you that he was moving, but I think he just turned toward you. The one autopsy said that the bullet entered his neck at an angle that indicated his head had just turned toward you. I think he turned toward you, and you freaked out and shot him. And you thought all this was acceptable because you were thinking of the twenty-one-foot rule, which you don’t even fucking understand.
— You’re mistaken on all your facts.
— I think you killed my friend because you can’t read.
— Fuck you.
— Okay, maybe you can read. But think how silly it looks to the world that twelve cops in SWAT gear can’t subdue one five foot seven man holding a kitchen knife. I mean, doesn’t it make you feel a little embarrassed?
— No. These people don’t understand the actual dangers.
— Because there aren’t actual dangers in that situation.
— Do you know how long it takes for an agile person to cover that twenty-one feet? It’s about a second and a half. In that time, if your friend had decided to stick that knife in my neck or my face, he would have done it.
— But you had your gun out.
— Yes, to prevent him from killing me.
— I’ll tell you why you shot him. Because you were all gathered around him, and you assumed the logical end to that situation is your guns are fired and someone is dead. It doesn’t seem right otherwise. Do you agree with that?
— No.
— That every story ends with the firing of a gun?
— No.
— That you should get your way, on your timetable?
— No.
— You were all yelling at him, saying drop the knife, do as we say, do it now, do it now. And he doesn’t. He yells more. Your adrenaline boils. And you want it all to end. There must be an end, and it must come quickly. You can’t wait. You can’t back down. Your guns all drawn have failed to make him do what you want him to do, and that drives you all crazy. You think, You’ll submit to our will.
— No.
— And you’ll do it now, because we’ve already been here, what, ten minutes?
—
— That’s enough time, right? Too much time. The narrative was departing from what you recognize as normal and true. Normal and true is that he submits or he dies on your timetable.
— No.
— Do you realize what a strange race of people we are? No one else expects to get their way like we do. Do you know the madness that this unleashes upon the world — that we expect to have our way every time we get some idea in our head? That twelve heavily armed men can surround one man with a steak knife and the outcome is a backyard execution? Does that not indicate to you that we have work to do? That as a people we have improving to do?
—
— Well?
— Well what? Sure. We have improving to do. I’m chained to a post. You have improving to do. Your friend is dead. We have improving to do. This base is collapsing around us. We have improving to do. To know this — I can’t see why this is helpful to you or anyone else. All this, and I don’t think you’ve learned a thing.
— You’re so wrong. God, I love how wrong you are.
BUILDING 55
— I just want you to know how wrong you are. How wrong you always are and always have been.
— That’s fine, Thomas.
— It’s all been necessary. I just solved the whole thing with Don. The cop confessed. I know everything.
— You brought a police officer out here?
— I can get anyone I want.
— Thomas, you must know that as your mother I care about your welfare. I don’t want you killed. You must know that. I’ve been hearing helicopters and I have a bad feeling. And no matter our differences and issues, I want you to live and to heal.