Me: 6164 One on the ground.
Dispatch: Go Ahead
Me: White male, black shirt, blue pants Northbound on South 1st St.
“One on the ground” is the code we use when someone takes off running from us. I made a traffic stop on a guy and when he came to a stop, he jumped out of the car and took off through the woods. Over the hills and through the woods to grandmother’s house, we go. Literally, this guy ran to his grandmother’s house when I caught him in the front yard. My commitment to fitness has paid off once again, but that’s a different article.
After taking the suspect to the ground the struggle to apply handcuffs begins, luckily I had my trusty ASP Ultra hinged cuffs on my belt. One cuff, two cuffs, double lock with my ASP Lockwrite Pen, and this rabbit is caught. As a Police Officer, I know a thing or two about handcuffs and handcuff keys. In my 10 years, I have used many brands and can say with confidence that ASP’s new steel cuffs are my favorite.
ASP has come a long way with their cuffs and provide a lightweight aluminum and steel pair. The double-sided keyhole and lock feature is a must-have. Being able to lock and unlock your prisoner’s from any angle is a convenience that I will never again go without. Cuffs come in hinged and chained models. The double lock warning bar is clearly visible and color-coded depending on the level of security you want. Both double and single locks are released with one key turn which is a nice feature. No longer do you have to turn your key one way to cancel the double lock, then the other to release the cuff. The lock assemblies are also replaceable. While I’ve never had one break, it’s nice to know I won’t have to buy a new pair of cuffs if it does.
Now on to the ASP LockWrite Click Pen.  I often thought about how convenient it would be to have a pen that was also a handcuff key. Well ASP has done it, and all of it. The pen has a cuff key at the writing end and the ballpoint is capable of locking your ASP Ultra cuffs when fully extended. The LockWrite Pen cartridge is replaceable and can be purchased on the website. The ink is clear and I have had no issues with writing notes in the field. Appearance wise the pen is sleek and attractive. It comes in black accents, silver accents and the blue high-security model specific to the high-security cuffs. ASP also sells a twist model if that’s your fancy. I’ll pay for convenience and this pen is just that.
Overall I’m happy with the ASP Ultra Cuffs and the LockWrite Pen and will continue to use them as my go-to tools in the field.
Author – Matt Walker is a Texas Law Enforcement Officer of 10 years and serves as a SWAT Operator for his department. He is also the head defensive tactics instructor and holds various instructor certificates such as Krav Maga Force Division Instructor, FBI Defensive Tactics Instructor, Tactical Breaching Instructor and various others. Mr. Walker holds and undefeated Mixed Martial Arts record and is a practitioner of Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Olympic weightlifting.