Conflict is defined as a hostile relationship between 2 or more people that presents intense differences that cannot be compromised. Because humans are so diverse and sociable in nature, it is easy to see how relevant conflict is in everyday life, from relationships to more serious/violent cases of conflict in careers such as policing. This article will demonstrate the relevance of conflict in our society by describing and analyzing a real-life conflict in policing in Canada, explain my thoughts, feelings, behaviors and reflections on my experience in the simulation lab, and explain why my opinions about police offices on the front lines have changed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Conflict in policing is not always present, but there certainly are times when duties collide with conflicts with civilians. For example: On April 25, 2017, at approximately 12:00 a.m., a police officer in West Perth, Ontario received a call that later led to an SIU investigation. A concerned citizen called police to alert them to a drunk driver at a local Tim Hortons. When the police officer realized that the suspect had left the scene, several other officers joined in chasing him, strategically blocking some exits. A police officer was able to locate the suspect and successfully arrested him. The suspect, a 35-year-old male, complied and provided the officer with his driver's license and other pertinent information. Once the officer learned the suspect had several warrants for his arrest, he called another officer for backup. The second officer arrived shortly thereafter and parked in front of the suspect's vehicle to block it. As police approached the vehicle, it became apparent that the suspect was uncooperative as he did not want to communicate. The police, however, threatened to open the window. , the suspect backed this Chevy Tahoe into a police vehicle, then struck the second police car while escaping the officer's gunfire and leaving the scene. The suspect hid for the rest of the evening until he was chased by another officer which led to a "cat and mouse" chase for a couple of hours. Police eventually caught up with the driver as he crashed into a tree and attempted to escape on foot. The suspect climbed over a fence and, despite several warnings from an officer to cooperate, was hit twice with the Taser. The suspect continued to resist, so the officer tackled him to the ground and punched him on the shoulder to regain control and arrest him. The suspect had serious injuries to his collarbone and since it was defined as a "custodial injury", the case was further investigated by the SIU. Findings released in September 2018 conclude that officer force was adequate as the suspect resisted on several occasions. The injuries to the suspect are also believed to have occurred while the victim was climbing the fence. Since no articles exist other than the SIU report, no information was available on the exact charges charged. I suspect the lack of information was due to the fact that the accident was being investigated at the time. This example can be analyzed at every stage of the conflict process: before the incident, the prelude, there should have been pre-existing ideas of ethics, behaviors, opinions on police powers, and much more that I would not be able to analyze from one external perspective. Secondly, there is the triggering event: the suspect was drivingin a state of intoxication. Subsequently, the response to the suspect's behavior (drunk driving) becomes apparent when the cops stop him to investigate further. The differentiation phase occurs when the suspect and the police officers have a power struggle. In this case, the conflict escalates further as the chase continues. Finally the resolution with which the police officers finally caught the suspect and arrested him. It's also important to note that a whole other conflict begins when the SIU investigates the situation. In addition to this connection, this incident could be called an intangible conflict because there is no struggle for goods or assets, however, there is a struggle between power, ethics and cooperation between the suspect and the police. The suspect purposely avoided the police on numerous occasions, which demonstrates his desire for power and freedom and the police's desire for cooperation, justice and power. This incident is also an example of the competitive cycle; a type of dysfunctional conflict style. While this example may not look exactly like the cycle, it contains the same concepts: Concurrent cycles often occur in threatening situations when there are no other options to turn to. In addition to this similarity, both also have the same defining characteristic of “winning” or “losing” a conflict. I guess it was the suspect that the police officers had this mentality: either the suspect ran away or the suspect was brought to justice. To understand the reality of conflict in everyday policing, I completed a conflict management simulation at Humber College. The Sim Lab is an interactive virtual reality simulator that challenges the user to use and learn conflict management skills in a seemingly real-world scenario. While waiting for my simulation lab appointment, I felt very anxious. I understood that it was a simulation and that the outcome of the scenario had not been evaluated, but I still panicked because I didn't know what to expect. (As a side note, I had forgotten to take some medications the day before, so I was even more anxious than usual). When I was called and the instructor started explaining how to use the weapons, I felt very overwhelmed and started crying. The instructor was very helpful in calming me down, but I still felt very worried, even after the test scenario. I skipped straight to the actual scenario because I just wanted it to end. In retrospect, the scenario played out very quickly and seemed quite real, other than the delay in response time. In short, my scenario involved a mentally ill middle-aged man wandering around a public park carrying a large knife. This is an intangible conflict because there is the struggle for freedom (not wanting to go back to the mental hospital) alongside more complicated struggles with mental health. As I assessed the situation, I began to empathize with the man, even though he wasn't real. This man was mentally ill and not on medication, so I could imagine how he might feel intimidated by authority figures armed with various weapons. I approached the man with palms up to show there were no weapons out and an open posture in an attempt to be seen as friendly. The man seemed calm at first, but became aggressive when I asked him to put the knife down so we could talk. The man started waving the knife because he feared he would have to return to a psychiatric hospital. I tried to assert myself and firmly told him to put the knife down and that I wasn't there to hurt him. At that moment the man put the blade of the knife against his arm and threatened to kill himself,.