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Will audiences believe a police procedure like this?

H

harmonica44

I and another actor are training for parts in the script I want to direct where we will play police officer characteres, along side the main actor, whoever we cast. In the training, a former cop who is teaching us, taught us a move of how to reach into someone's mouth and tear out the person's cheek literally. I and my friend actor their thought it could be possible, but he said it that it's taught, and that he saw that a cop had done that to a perp after arriving on the scene of a case once. And I thought, well that's going in the script, during one of the fight scenes.

But you never see cops do that to perps in movies, so I wonder if audiences will believe such a move of wild physics. Will they if they see it, and it's done well, or will they think that movies like that, are unrealistic movie mumbo jumbo? I mean you see things like that in a Steven Seagal movie, but never a movie like End of Watch, which is more what I am going for. And audiences are accustom to certain things being believed in certain movies.
 
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Is this cop cheek rip a key part of the story or just in there for a gory gag?

Seems like in the real world it's excessive use of force.
Suspect, while in excruciating pain, is barely incapacitated and remains quite dangerous.

Now... if you're just dying to use this horrifying effect then I'd have a non-cop/non-accountable character do it to another character.
But not a cop in the story - UNLESS - it's a key story element, as in because X happened Y was the result, good or bad (likely very bad.)
 
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It's to show how the police have to resort to killing sometimes, to save their own lives, when they don't have back up to subdue the attackers. I wasn't planning on showing gore, but rather just showing enough so the audience knows what happens, but mostly implying it.
 
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@harmonica44

I think this will play just fine, and be a real audience attention-getter if it is *set up* appropriately:
- In previous scene(s) this particular cop is shown capable of doing this, and is motivated in this scene.
- The genre and tone of the movie makes it "believable," as you alluded in your original post.
- The scene's situation is not out of line with such a response, e.g., the guy wasn't stealing a cup of coffee.

My two centavos, good luck with it-
 
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No agency that I know of would ever teach a move like that. 1. the human mouth is filthy and there is a health issue. 2. the suspect has teeth and can bite the fingers off of the cop. 3. it is on par with lethal force and is much less lethal (and effective) than just shooting the bad guy. 4. civil liability on a move like that would be huge. If you want a cop to kill a bad guy with his bare hands, there are numerous ways to do it. If the idea is for the cop to coerce the bad guy into giving up information, have him shove two fingers (index and middle) into the bad guy's nose. The thumb goes on top of the nose and presses down. The bad guy's nose will gush blood, but it will mostly be blocked by the good guy's fingers. This is incredibly painful because you are applying pressure to the sinuses. While prying up (like a bottle opener), rotate the hand in either direction. You will hear a popping sound as the bad guy's nose breaks. The finishing move here is either to yank the fingers out of the nose quickly, slinging blood in an arc or to rip the bad guy's nose off by yanking upward.
 
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Well I assume this move is for if a cop runs out of bullets or his gun has been knocked away, which is what happens in my script. I will find out more about the move, from the cop.

As far as showing the cop in previous scenes, to show that he is capable, this cop in the script is not a very main character and this is his first scene actually. He just sort of happens to arrive in the wrong place at the wrong time, which leads to a fight scene and other plot turns that move the story into the next chapter.
 
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Are you sure this is "proceedure"?

Forces will train in hand-to-hand combat, Jui-Jutsu and Krav Maga are apparently quiet popular. But I don't think any real police force would condone killing a criminal in such a horrifically violent way.
 
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In what position is the suspected criminal in - on his back while the cop is on top thrusting his hand into his mouth? If so, the cop should not do any action that you describe because he is in control and should be able to subdue the suspect without resorting to something like you describe. Though if the perp is on top punching the cop in his face and lets out a ferocious roar (thus opening his mouth) and the cop jabs his hadn in there and happens to rip out his brain, cheek, whatever, I can see it being a situation of self-defense and would be kind of cool.
 
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Yeah the cop said that you wouldn't use this move unless you had a guy on top of you with a knife and you couldn't get him off and you have to do something fast, before he stabs you to death or something like that. Which would be the situation in my script.
 
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I don't know what training the cops have where you are from but over here, training is within two areas. These are 'control and restraint' and 'breakaway.' Cops are not taught to 'fight,' rather their training and testing for the training is within these two areas.

'Control and restraint' is self-explanatory. 'Breakaway' is pretty obvious too although a thumb in a cheek would fall into the 'absolutely desperate' category of breakaway, only to be used in a life threatening situation.

It is possible just phenomenally unlikely.

And my other comment would be - 'just shoot a short.' Any short. Just get one in the can!
 
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The only reason a police officer will put his hand inside the mouth of a perp is to retrieve key evidence such as a crack rock especially before the perp swallows that evidence. Granted this is very dangerous to do because a suspect can easily chomp off any number of your digits.

If interested in adding a layer of legitimacy then check out Lee Lofland's book "Police Procedures and Investigations - a Guide for Writers."
 
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Cops murder or kill [depending on your point of view] perpetrators on a regular basis. I don't think anyone would have a problem believing that they would disfigure a perp. Have a look on Utube and see just what they are capable of!
 
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That's one strange killing move... Yep, if the press got a hold of that (if a real officer used that move), they would have a field day.

He could simply use an elbow strike to the head to knock the guy out, or strike the throat (can kill), eyes or groin etc...

I would question the advice your cop buddy is giving you.
 
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I saw him for more training again, and he said that he learned that move while he was in China, learning other martial arts, and that it was not part of his police training techniques. He just thought he'd teach that one cause it would be interesting for a movie.
 
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