# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/21 "2003-04-06T01:33:53Z")
And what if I have arthritis? (I do) I saw this on _Cops_ once. They cuffed him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/22 "2003-04-06T01:34:28Z")
[ul]😃 [sup] **Actually you need two one-armed people for this trick.** [/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/23 "2003-04-06T16:21:44Z")
Q.E.D., you can sign a mouthful with two arms if you want…I know a deaf guy who works for Target & he only has about 7 fingers for two hands & another guy on Maui with just four altogether. They seem to get around in life alright. ``` Dragonblink, I haven't been handcuffed before, but a cop once put my hands in back of me. I believe that the law does not specify that they have to read you your rights first if you are a danger to them. So, they could keep a deaf person from talking if safety is a factor. ``` ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/24 "2003-04-07T22:43:06Z")
**To the belt** I would think that there is the danger that when unwatched, or pushed up against a wall or cruiser or face down on the ground, the perp might be able do undo the belt buckle and then loose the belt. So, the second cuff should not only go around the belt, but also through a belt strap-holder-thingie. But, of course, that can be ripped off by a fairly strong perp. So, you’d have to cuff 'em to a solid object like a car door handle or the cage in the back of a cruiser. Corrections facilities have the chain-belt handcuff restraint that’ll do for a one-armed individual. ## Peace. How do you imprison incorporeal beings? ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/25 "2003-04-08T02:29:20Z")
They shouldn’t have to- how much of a threat are they when they are un-armed? ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/26 "2003-04-08T05:35:12Z")
We do have a belly chain that goes around the waist and has a handcuff hanging on each side. This could be used if available. When I replied to the OP, I was thinking of arrests in the field. If doing a transport or something where I have more time for arrangements, there are lots of options. When I had to handcuff a one-armed person’s wrist to their belt, I was aware that they had a greater opportunity than usual to get loose. So I just kept a closer eye on them. Even in a normal handcuffing situation, you don’t just cuff them then ignore them. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/27 "2003-04-08T05:48:41Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Dragonblink \* > \*\* Is there a procedure for restraining someone while still leaving his or her hands free for sign language?_\* There’s no _procedure_ for that, but an awful lot of law enforcement is common sense and improvisation. If for some reason I don’t trust the suspect with his or her hands free, then they stay cuffed and we just won’t be able to communicate until it is safe to remove the cuffs (i.e. they calm down, I have the person in a secure place, or I have plenty of backup standing around). ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/28 "2003-04-08T05:55:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MSU 1978 \* > \*\*They shouldn’t have to- how much of a threat are they when they are un-armed? \*\* ROFLMArmO! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/29 "2003-04-08T07:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\* > How do you imprison incorporeal beings? \*\* This was covered in _Legal Rites_ by IIRC Isaac Asimov. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/30 "2003-04-08T14:29:21Z")
Anyone else see this thread’s title and think “The Fugitive?” ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670/31 "2003-04-08T15:24:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dragonblink \* > > * * * > > (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 🙂 ) \*\* The point there was that the poster made reference to having one’s hand **s** free to sign–if you’re one-armed, you’re typically not going to have two hands (barring Thalidomide-type circumstances–I knew a girl who had hands coming straight out of her shoulders.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-person/166670.md?page=1)