Last Friday in Oklahoma the Tulsa Police shot Terence Crutcher. Mr. Crutcher's SUV had broke down. The police were called regarding an abandoned vehicle. Mr. Crutcher was unarmed and there was no weapon found in the vehicle. An investigation is ongoing.
Law enforcement protocol dictates that once a suspect has been shot, tasered, etc., and the scene is secure, the police (or other professionals whom they designate) are to immediately render first aid. In this example, approximately 2 minutes 32 seconds transpired between the shooting and care.
Note the three officers are slowly backing up clustered in close proximity to each other (touching) - making a themselves an easy target had there been any armed opposition. They were neither securing the area nor rendering medical care.
You're probably familiar with the saying, "Flight, Fight or Freeze" describing the ways human beings behave when there's a perceived severe threat - and in this scenario we've seen a form of each. The police first fought, their brains (temporarily) froze - and then they took flight (retreated).
This is a textbook example of how, when we're far from emotional baseline (the calm 'normal' self), our objectivity - even if we're trained professionals - often goes out the window. And while there is a multitude of nonverbal signals contained in this video, this particular one is a body language manifestation of emotional processing (indeed emotional shock) - for although the officers' intellects realizes what's occurred, their emotional brains are still trying to come to terms with the events.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3698: Hillary Clinton v. Donald Trump in Upcoming Debates, My Contribution to This Month's Article in "The Atlantic"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3693: Grace VanderWaal Wins America's Got Talent Season 11
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3683: Milo Yiannopoulos believes trolling is his way of "Doing God's work"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3634: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the Democratic National Convention, Emails and Body Language
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3562: Police Officer Tim Purdy, De-Escalation and Body Language
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3669: Jordan Spieth, Bill Murray and the Asymmetrical Smile
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2993: Fight in Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport - Passengers Break Up Homophobic Attack - Threat Assessment Warning Signs
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3676: Colin Kaepernick Says He Be Sitting Down During the National Anthem
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