It’s less lethal.
I personally have no real issue with a police baton being used in this manner, along with its other uses noted in @Czarcasm’s post above. It’s certainly better than shooting them to death.
But although it may be less lethal than a firearm, I nevertheless do take issue with police officers using a baton to club someone into submission, especially blows to the head or kneecaps. No civilized society should allow its law enforcement agents to club people into submission with blows to the head or to cripple them.
The head and knee caps are not the trained target area of the baton. It’s behind the knee and elbow but never the head nor back of the neck.
Right, I acknowledged and quoted you saying that in my post. That’s commendable.
My point was that any police officer that nevertheless clubs someone over the head or breaks their kneecaps in contravention of their training should be fired and face criminal charges for assault.
And they probably would. Intentionally striking someone on the head with a baton would be lethal force. Unless, of course, lethal force suddenly became justified during the encounter.
I think an additional factor is that while autoworkers, steelworkers, and coal miners are also essential (and had strong unions which eventually gave consessions) outsourcing domestic law enforcement overseas is not an option.