New Orleans Police Chief Instructs Citizens on How Not to Get Shot by a Cop

New Orleans PD chief Michael Harrison wants to give some insights into what citizens should expect from members of the New Orleans Police Department in a video released by NOPD News. 

"I will talk about what you should do when you are stopped by the police so that everyone is clear about what's expected from police officers and then give you some insight as to what police officers are expecting from you," Harrison begins the video. 

"I want you to know that just like most police departments across America, we train our officers to only stop people under what's called reasonable suspicion," Harrison says. 

According to Harrison, police have "reasonable suspicion" if they believe "a crime has been committed, was committed or is about to be committed." He doesn't delve too much into the last part. Instead, Harrison moves on to suggestions for community members. 

''Keep your hands where the officer can see them so we're not going to use force at that moment," Harrison advises. He warns that if the person stopped does not coorperate with police officers, force may be used.

''The first thing they want is the explanation as to why they've been stopped," he says, and goes on to explain why the worst thing a person can do in that situation is become combative.

''That's when we start to see struggles and people get injured with escalating use of force,'' he said. Harrison insists that police officers will inform citizens why they were stopped, but first the cops have to ensure their own safety. 

"We have promised to transform this department to give you the best police department in America. We're not there yet, but we're certainly on our way, and we're far better than we used to be, and we are totally transparent, which means we will let you know what we're doing every step of the way," the police chief says. 

Watch: