Two choices for police – neither a real good one

A sheriff's deputy in West Virginia is lucky to be alive after she fought off a drug-fueled college student.

Kristen Richmond wrote about the encounter on Facebook and included some pictures of her beaten and bloodied face. She described the assailant as a "5'-11", 195-pound collegiate male athlete who was gooned up on an unknown drug." She was unable to get a call for help out, so she and her K-9 partner battled the kid for five minutes before her partner found her and joined the fight. (Read her full account of the encounter  [Caution: graphic images and language])

During the scuffle, the suspect kept reaching for Richmond's service weapon, but never got it. Randy Sutton of Blue Lives Matter says it could have been a disaster.

"[This] reveals the danger that every police officer faces," he tells OneNewsNow. "This sheriff's deputy was literally in a fight for her life. She could have justifiably used her firearm."

And although Richmond never says it in her Facebook post, Sutton confirms that many officers fail to protect themselves, hoping to avoid a second mauling later by anti-police activists.

A recent case in point involves two Minnesota police officers who chased and fatally shot a suspect [Caution: graphic images and language] who was carrying a gun and refused to obey their commands to stop. The district attorney's office ruled the shooting justified, which lead to a threat of violence from a protester: "We want the officers arrested in the next 48 hours or there will be further consequences," said that protester. "If you don't … I'll let you finish that."

Sutton says the two choices that law enforcement officers are left with in today's climate are (1) shoot the bad guy and have your life ruined, or (2) fight it out and get beat to a bloody pulp – if you're lucky.