Striking are the parallels we find in the story of the "arrest" of Zerahemnah in the Book of Mormon to what officers experience today. Just to mention one, today they scream, "Drop it," warning the suspect before killing him. Sometimes multiple times. Look for that in this story as well.
The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is not so wrong to liken the things on its pages to our days and to our problems.
Led by Zerahemnah, the Lamanites had attacked the Nephites. The attack was wrongful, and places Zerehemnah in our story to be likened unto a criminal today. In our story, Zerahemnah finds himself in jeapordy of being arrested the cops -- whoops, make that Nephites. The story says Zerahemnah and the Lamanites "became frightened . . . even until they began to flee." Even so today, when someone is about to be apprehended, it is because they are scared of being arrested that they turn and flee the cops.
So, Zehahemnah and his men "were pursued by (Officer) Lehi and his men." The officers catch up with Zerahemnah and his co-villains and surround them, and "they were struck with terror."
"Now (Officer) Moroni, when he saw their terror, commanded his men that they should stop shedding their blood." Even so, we should wonder if police officers, when they can see the person is running in fright, should back off and not shoot. I think of Bernardo Palacios, and of how he turned in fright and ran from officers, with indicators being that the very reason he was fleeing was that he was scared of the officers and what they might do to him.
"And (Officer) Moroni said unto Zerahemnah: Behold, Zerahemnah, that we do not desire to be men of blood. Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you."
So, we are in what today is called the deescalation phase, where you try to talk the criminal into surrendering himself. Officer Moroni makes it clear they do not want to kill, even that they don't want to be "men of blood." Even so, officers today should not want to kill, but should be anxious to not have to kill someone. They should lament the very thought of it. "Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you." Just because the chase has reached a juncture where the officers can shoot, does not mean they should.
Officer Moroni then gives warning to the criminal. "I command you by all the desires which ye have for life, that ye deliver up your weapons." In other words, "Drop it."
But, notice there is more explicit, empathetic, and reaching-out-to care language in the words of Officer Moroni than those sometimes used by officers today. "All the desires which ye have for life" were Moroni's words. Could officers today be more pleading, more empathetic? Could they say, "Please, sir, life is wonderful," or, "Please, sir, I beg you by all the desire that you have for life"?
Moroni then offers Zerahemnah freedom. "Go your way and come not again to war against us," he says. Even so, officers today should give those they are chasing the hope that they will be set free if they just stop running. "If I don't find anything to arrest you for, I'm going to let you free." And, repeat it. "Bernardo, I'll let you free if I can. If it is possible, I won't arrest you. Stop, and let's see if I can just let you go free."
Then, the officer will have to make good on that promise. He will have to do as much investigation as possible right on site at that time to make a determination.
Well, Zerehemnah gives up his weapons, only to have them given back because he will not say that he will not return to war against the Nephites. Moroni gives another warning. "Now as ye are in our hands we will spill your blood upon the ground, or ye shall submit to the conditions which I have proposed."
In his anger, Zerahemnah rushes forward to slay Moroni, even as those resisting arrest sometimes raise their guns to shoot the officers. One of Moroni's fellow officers smites Zerahemnah's weapon to the earth, and then swings his own sword at Zerahemnah, taking off his scalp but not killing him. That he disarmed him equates with an officer today trying to disarm the other person, as oppose to just killing them. Under today's rules, we are not as likely to do that. When officers shoot, the idea is not to disarm, or to disable to the point that the gun won't be used, but to kill. When the Nephite officer swung his sword and took off Zerahemnah's scalp, he might have been aiming to kill, but just ended up disabling. The point is, though, he stopped trying to kill Zerahemnah at that point. Even so, officers today should cut short their attempt to kill just as soon as the person has been disabled. Too often, it is twenty more bullets for a person lying on the ground.
Perhaps one of the most pertinent passages in the story of the arrest of Zerahemnah, is Alma 43:46. The Nephites were taught that it was their duty to protect themselves, but listen how they were not to be the first to shoot: "Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies."
Even so today, officers are told they are to protect themselves, "not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies." But today, do they kill too quickly? Is the first or second offense when they see the person aiming at them, shooting at them, or what? Whatever it is, there needs to be provocation before our officers shoot.
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