Cape police seek to minimize potential violence with jiujitsu, de-escalation techniques

While the Cape Girardeau Police Department regularly takes proactive measures to provide officers with self-defense and safe-detention training, the local police force has made such training even more readily available in recent weeks.

Following the death of George Floyd and subsequent unrest in Minnesota, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu of Southeast Missouri professor Brian Imholz started volunteering his time to lead weekly jiujitsu classes at the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

On Wednesday afternoon, four local police officers joined Imholz in the police station’s defensive tactics training room where they practiced a variety of de-escalation techniques and familiarized themselves with ways to minimize potential harm during a police encounter.

One of the four officers participating in Wednesday’s training session, Sgt. Joey Hann stated he and many other Cape Girardeau officers take personal time to train at Imholz’s academy in Jackson several times a week.

“It is my belief that the more often an officer forces himself to defend himself from a difficult fighting position and the more an officer acclimates themselves to controlling a difficult adversary, the more calm they will be when they apply these techniques in real life scenarios,” Hann stated. “That equates to our officers being hurt less and our officers hurting less offenders during detentions and arrests.”

Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann acts as an attacker as patrolman Jacob Monteith practices a self-defense technique Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Police Department in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS

According to Hann, de-escalation techniques are used anytime officers deal with a subject who demonstrates an apparent potential for violence.

“De-escalation techniques are very effective as they let the person know exactly what is expected of them and it let’s them know that we have no intention or desire to hurt them,” Hann stated. “We must always be prepared to react and defend ourselves, but these techniques minimize the potential for the interaction to become adversarial or violent.”

Hann stated the police classes provided by Imholz are tailor made for law enforcement, and the training sessions show officers a variety of ways to counter an attacking subject with non-lethal force and safely detain a subject while minimizing harm.

Cape Girardeau resident Cantrell Andrews, a jiujitsu student of more than one and a half years, was also in attendance during the Wednesday training. Andrews stated that with proper practice, jiujitsu techniques can help officers prevent situations from escalating.

Hann described Andrews as a friend of his for several years, and stated they have discussed how the actions in Minneapolis damaged relationships and placed a gap between police and black communities.

“Having Cantrell come into the station to spar with our officers and make a connection through our shared interest in martial arts is a great first step in bridging that gap,” Hann stated.

From left, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu of Southeast Missouri student Cantrell Andrews and professor Brian Imholz watch as Cape Girardeau police patrolman Jacob Monteith practices a de-escalation technique on Sgt. Joey Hann during a free training session Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Police Department in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS

Andrews agreed that participating in the jiujitsu session provides the opportunity to begin bridging gaps, but sit-down conversations and open-minded attitudes would also have to play a role in rebuilding ties between the communities.

Andrews and Hann both stated they have respect for Imholz’s experience and knowledge of self-defense, and Hann expressed extra gratitude for the jiujitsu professor’s recent donations of time and training to police.

“We are extremely blessed to have a professor of his caliber who is willing to donate so much time locally,” Hann stated.