# How Do Police Handcuff A One-Armed Person? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670 "2003-04-05T11:27:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/1 "2003-04-05T11:27:14Z")
- - - Saw a Iraqi photo of a bunch of people sitting with their arms zip-cuffed, and got to wondering. I asked one local cop already but she said she didn’t know as she was fairly young and the issue had never come up… ~ ---
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/2 "2003-04-05T11:41:36Z")
You could either just do the person’s ankles or maybe one could ziptie his arm to his torso? A bit brutal would be to ziptie the single arm to the persons neck… but i bet it would be effective… ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/3 "2003-04-05T11:41:46Z")
I’d imagine they’d tie em to their leg. ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/4 "2003-04-05T12:12:24Z")
The Police could cuff the arm to one of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/5 "2003-04-05T12:26:04Z")
I **found** it! Now, I have no way of determining if this is true, but your question reminded me of [this](http://www.ausmall.com.au/law/crime5.htm). ---
**Author:** ![yme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/35a633/32.png) [@yme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yme)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/6 "2003-04-05T14:34:51Z")
Take their belt off and wrap their arm around their torso. He he. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/7 "2003-04-05T14:39:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nanoda \* > \*\*I **found** it! Now, I have no way of determining if this is true, but your question reminded me of [this](http://www.ausmall.com.au/law/crime5.htm). \*\* Why is that article on a page about dumb _criminals_? Guy seems pretty smart to me; it’s the cops who screwed up that one. Man, that made me laugh hard! ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/8 "2003-04-05T14:47:58Z")
When I’ve done this (and it’s only happened twice) I hand cuff them to their own belt. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/9 "2003-04-05T15:13:07Z")
How do you handcuff a one-armed suspect? How do you handcuff a one-armed suspect? How do you handcuff a one-armed suspect? Ear-lie in the morning! Cuff his hand to the belt he’s wearing! Cuff his hand to the belt he’s wearing! Cuff his hand to the belt he’s wearing! Ear-lie in the morning! Cuff his wrist to his ankle! Cuff his wrist to his ankle! Cuff his wrist to his ankle! Ear-lie in the morning! Attach one end to the cruiser! Attach one end to the cruiser! Attach one end to the cruiser! Ear-lie in the morning! Zip-cuff belt and zip-cuff handcuff! Zip-cuff belt and zip-cuff handcuff! Zip-cuff belt and zip-cuff handcuff! Ear-lie in the morning! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/10 "2003-04-05T15:16:42Z")
No more coffee for you today, **Johnny**!! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/11 "2003-04-05T15:21:24Z")
No more coffee, **Johnny L.A.**! No more coffee, **Johnny L.A.**! No more coffee, **Johnny L.A.**! Ear-lie in the maaarrrrnin’! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/12 "2003-04-05T16:32:08Z")
“When I’ve done this (and it’s only happened twice) I hand cuff them to their own belt.” I don’t wear a belt. Plus, wouldn’t that be a bit unfair cause if you handcuff me I couldn’t use my hands for sign language? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/13 "2003-04-05T16:36:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*“When I’ve done this (and it’s only happened twice) I hand cuff them to their own belt.” > > I don’t wear a belt. Plus, wouldn’t that be a bit unfair cause if you handcuff me I couldn’t use my hands for sign language? \*\* If you only have one arm… Think about that for a moment. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/14 "2003-04-05T16:37:55Z")
If the suspect does not have a belt, and if you have some extra zip-cuffs, you can make a belt out of the cuffs and then cuff the wrist to it. As I type this I can imagine that a limber suspect might be able to work the “belt” over his head. In this case you might want to make a belt that goes around the thigh and another one that goes around the waist, and then cuff the wrist to both of them. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/15 "2003-04-05T16:51:19Z")
Although I was never a police officer , I was a parole officer. I never had to cuff a one-armed person, but I did have to cuff a few people who really couldn’t be cuffed behind the back. In these cases,we used a restraining belt, with handcuffs attached to the belt at the front, and which buckled in the back. Seems to me that would work for a one armed person, although I don’t know if police officers generally have such belts available. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/16 "2003-04-05T18:33:21Z")
Duct tape should work well enough- or super-glue their arm to their body. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/17 "2003-04-05T19:07:13Z")
One-armed perps go free. It’s the law of the land. Or, you shoot them in the foot. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/18 "2003-04-05T22:02:18Z")
**Handy** ’s point makes me curious – if you handcuff a deaf or mute individual, it becomes a lot more difficult for them to communicate, assuming they’ve waived their right to remain silent (so to speak). Is there a procedure for restraining someone while still leaving his or her hands free for sign language? (I’m not entirely sure what you were getting at, **Q.E.D.** , but one-armed people can and do speak sign language. However, my caffeine has yet to kick in so I may have totally misread you 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/19 "2003-04-05T22:27:29Z")
Our current trustee at work (max security prison) has one arm. I’ll ask him how it went down the next time I see him. I am off on vacation this week, so it’ll be a little while. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/20 "2003-04-06T00:08:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badge \* > \*\*When I’ve done this (and it’s only happened twice) I hand cuff them to their own belt. \*\* That’s one of the ways we teach in DAAT. I also teach doing this if the person is so obese they can’t get their arms all the way behind their back. It’s still better than cuffing in the front. I never advise cuffing a suspect to an officer. It’s dangerous. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670.md?page=2)