# How would the police handcuff a one-armed man? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151 "2003-12-05T14:04:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/41 "2003-12-06T09:20:58Z")
> [@](#): > > _by 2trew_ > > I meant enclosing the whole works… How on earth could _I_ get in trouble? I just wanted some clarity. Advocating the clamping of a one-armed suspect’s wrist to his genitals is probably not such a good thing. It’s likely quite painful and somewhat dangerous. Thank you for clearing it up, though it is my sincere hope that none of our members would apply your methods. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/42 "2003-12-06T11:30:31Z")
Anything to add, **2trew**? I’ve built a little [shrine](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=227600) to you… ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/43 "2003-12-07T06:53:08Z")
I saw that. Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/44 "2003-12-07T07:03:57Z")
Sigh. Stand back and let a pro handle this. You handcuff a one-armed man via the use of a waist chain. This chain, as the name implies, wraps around the person’s waist and is fastened by a padlock (behind the back to prevent being tampering with). You then attach one end of the handcuffs (or mechanical wrist restraints as they are officially called) to the person’s wrist and the other to the waist chain (running it through a chain link so it can’t be slid around). ---
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/45 "2003-12-07T13:34:09Z")
Why can’t the waist chain be slid around? ---
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/46 "2003-12-07T13:38:11Z")
And what about a two-armed man with no hands? How do you restrain him? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/47 "2003-12-07T21:16:03Z")
Look, if you can’t restrain a person using ordinary devices you gotta let him/her go. Simple. ---
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/48 "2003-12-07T21:56:34Z")
just beat them unconcious ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/49 "2003-12-07T22:00:50Z")
> [@](#): > > I think a armless person would be much more accustomed to it and therefore more dangerous than a handcuffed one. “It’s only a flesh wound. Come back here! I’ll bite your kneecaps off!” Ni, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/50 "2003-12-07T22:22:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beastal \* > \*\*Why can’t the waist chain be slid around? \*\* From how I read the post, so I guess I could be wrong - the cuffs are put through a link of the waist chain, so sliding the waist chain involves moving your arms with it - so no matter where the waist chain’s lock is, it’s out of the cuffed person’s reach. ---
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/51 "2003-12-07T22:35:32Z")
damn thats like a mouse running around a wheel ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/52 "2003-12-07T22:57:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gluteus maximus \* > They’d pass the handcuffs through his backmost beltloop and cuff his one wrist twice behind his back. I know you changed your mind about this, but is this even possible? Passing handcuffs through a beltloop, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![capnfutile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@capnfutile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capnfutile)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/53 "2003-12-07T23:44:18Z")
This all begs the next question - What is the sound of one hand being cuffed? /ducks,runs capn ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/54 "2003-12-07T23:59:09Z")
Going through the belt isn’t going to work, guys. All he has to do is undo the belt and take it off. Duh! ---
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/55 "2003-12-08T00:16:10Z")
I came up with another method, kick him in the nuts ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/56 "2003-12-08T00:36:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by commasense \* > Going through the belt isn’t going to work, guys. All he has to do is undo the belt and take it off. Duh! And how is he going to undo his belt with his hand cuffed behind him? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/57 "2003-12-08T00:39:26Z")
You don’t watch kung foo movies, do you **Shodan**. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/58 "2003-12-08T04:34:54Z")
Tengu’s right. The point isn’t to prevent the chain from moving. It’s to prevent the lock from being brought around to where the hands are. > [@](#): > > And what about a two-armed man with no hands? How do you restrain him? I’ve restrained armless people, legless people, armless and legless people, naked people, unconscious people, and dead people. But I’ll admit I’ve never had to handcuff someone with arms but no hands. Offhand I guess I’d put a pair of handcuffs immediately above their elbows and figure the elbow joints would prevent them from being slipped off. > [@](#): > > And how is he going to undo his belt with his hand cuffed behind him? You would be astounded at some of the things I’ve seen people do while in handcuffs. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/59 "2003-12-08T06:32:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*And how is he going to undo his belt with his hand cuffed behind him? \*\* Slide the buckle around and undo it. It might be a little tricky, but if you’re motivated enough it can be done. By tearing out the beltloops if all else fails. The point is cuffing to a belt is hardly secure enough to be relied upon to restrain a one-armed criminal madman. And now for my more practical alternative: I suspect most police vehicles carry large quantities of “plastic handcuffs,” otherwise known to us tech geeks as nylon cable ties. All you’d have to do is string three or four of these together to make a “belt” around his waist, and loop the metal cuffs through them. Presto! ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151/60 "2003-12-08T06:39:02Z")
I’m curious as to how they’d restrain a guy with one regular arm (and hand) and a prosthetic arm. While the real arm could be restrained via a waist chain, some prosthetics I’ve seen terminate in a scissor hook and are tapered so they’d just slide out of a handcuff. Would a cop remove the prosthetic arm to restrain him then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-police-handcuff-a-one-armed-man/217151.md?page=4)