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Article: Body language miscues. (Cop Talk).
- Article from:
- American Handgunner
- Article date:
- May 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Publishers' Development Corporation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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An Anglo cop is giving a stern lecture to someone he's about to let off with a warning instead of arrest. But the suspect, a Hispanic, is looking at the ground as the officer speaks. The cop reads this body language as an insult. The lawman barks, "Hey, buddy, I'm talkin' to you," and soon a confrontation escalates. This is because no one told the Anglo cop that in Hispanic cultures, casting of the eyes downward is a sign of deferential respect.
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