“Jumping the GUN?”

Does this picture really tell the whole story?

“Jumping  the  GUN?”

(You make the call)

By Glenn Peppers                                                                                                                    May 12, 2014

“Just because a man doesn't roll over like a dog for you doesn't mean that you have to shoot him down like a dog either!” 

The video posted above greatly bothered me because this was a situation that in my eyes did not have to go down like that, at all! It also bothered me because this man, a newlywed husband at the time, Mr. Anthony Bruno reminds me of a good friend of mine. In fact, he looks a lot like him! My friend is also a big gentle giant who'll do anything in the world for you, especially if you just ask him nicely!

That whole situation leading up to Anthony Bruno being shot to death on his wedding night by an off duty police officer somewhat of an odd occurrence. Anthony Bruno and his wife were returning to the Marriott Hotel in Kansas City from their wedding reception byway of a taxi cab, when an argument ensued, causing the cab driver to throw money into Anthony Bruno’s wife Stephanie’s face over a dispute about the fair, and the dropping off an intoxicated cousin within the cab. The tossing of money back into wife Stephanie’s face by the cabbie caused Bruno to punch the cabbie in the face. 

Off duty police officer, Donald Hubbard was working security at the Marriott that night, ended up in a foot chase with Mr. Bruno as a result, and then shortly after the chase, a scuffle on the sidewalk took place that ended with Hubbard shooting Mr. Bruno twice in the chest area. Bruno died shortly after receiving these gunshot wounds at a nearby hospital. 

Now from my angle and view of things, this situation was mostly an incident steeped in pride, testosterone and this whole "You gonna do what I say or I’ll kick your ass!" thing some law enforcement officers have going on. Off duty officer, Hubbard had Mr. Bruno down, and it appeared to me that Mr. Bruno was managed. He was out of breathe, intoxicated and done with running and fighting with anyone at that point. Also from what I saw in the video, Mr. Bruno (laying partly on his back and side) was in a position to be questioned and talked down and his behavior de-elevated! This should have been Peace Maker time! Talk the drunk guy down, send the cabbie and the drunk cousin on their way. Let the newlyweds go to their hotel room, and call it a night! End of story! It least it should have been the end of the story!... But it wasn't! 

A Knee to the Head

On the video, I can hear Mr. Bruno saying to the officer, "Can't you be nice" as Bruno wasn't even putting up a fight at that point. But just because the man wouldn't roll over, the officer took great offense, and didn't even bother to ask Mr. Bruno, Sir what’s going on here? Let’s talk this thing out!” So with his pride broken, the officer then raised his body up into the air and came down with a knee onto Mr. Bruno's in the head, and then took him into a front faced, MMA style headlock, cutting off his air! And believe you-me, that choke hold is designed to do one specific thing... and that is cut off your air and bring you into a full submission by choking you out (as the term goes)! 

Front Face Choke Hold

In martial arts, and MMA fighting, when you've been put into this hold in a match, and you're not a strong or creatively skilled enough of a fighter, you will have to Tap Out (give up), or its lights out!... in other words, you’re unconscious for sure! In the street if this happens to you, you may easily die! 

So what is the most natural thing anyone does when they cannot breathe because they're airway is being choked off? Try and get that person off you so that you can breathe! The officer had the situation in control until he started in kneeing and rough-housing the man. 

Most anyone would protest to this kind of treatment... if they can live through it! Most people past their grade school fighting age years are not use to fighting or being physically managed at all! In fact, most people aren't even in any kind of physical condition to suffer that kind of trauma to their bodies, especially if they have health problems. So for the average adult’s body to be stressed to the point of being tremendously manhandled, and beaten within an inch of their life, this kind of action can take you completely out of your element of pain and tolerance, and you just might lose it and See RED! That groom was angry, and he was pissed. He had given up, and then all of a sudden, a knee to the head, and then a front face choke hold! Thus why he started hitting the officer! 

Sure Mr. Bruno shouldn’t have run from the officer in the first place. Police officers hate it when you run from them! It seems to make them even madder that you had the audacity to try and get away from them. Therefore, when they catch you, you’ve got an ass whipping coming! I personally don’t feel this is just cause to pummel someone sending them to the light at the end of the tunnel! 

In all actually, I couldn't blame Mr. Bruno for being angry! Sure he was intoxicated. Hell, it was the man’s wedding night. And he apparently did have a ride back to his hotel, that is until his cab driver insulted his bride. Which started the whole incident in the first place. I feel that entire situation could have been avoided, had Rambo the Cop not rushed in and felt that he had to immediately get physical and chop down this big man without finding out what actually went on, and judge the situation more accordingly from there! I worked in mental healthcare for a lot of years, and Physical Management through CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) was something we had to stay current on (license-wise) every year, given the type of clients we serviced. 

I know for a fact this training (CPI) is available to law enforcement (as well as other forms of martial arts and street fighting techniques). CPI is taught to healthcare workers, security people, and social workers, etc. in just about any place of employment or workplace where you just may have to use force in order to physically manage someone. Or as a means to subdue or take them down without hurting them or yourself. Not to mention, I've studied and fought using various martial arts styles for well over forty years. Believe me, this situation did not have to happen the way that it did! 

Glenn Peppers