Salisbury community leaders receive deescalation training

SALISBURY, N.C. — Following the cities of Chicago and Raleigh, community leaders in Salisbury received descalation training.

Anthony Smith, who is an NAACP leader and local pastor, helped organize the training partly in response to the shooting death of Marquise Feamster, who was shot and killed in Salisbury in 2014. He was 23-years-old.

"He was trying to turn a corner," Smith said.

Smith knew him well and it’s the last words Feamster told a pastor that stick with him.

"His last words were, 'We got to do something for these kids,'" Smith said.

Those final words drive Smith to make his community safer.

[Police: Confrontation between 2 men leads to shooting at Salisbury]

In partnership with the NAACP, he and a group of about 20 community members received deescalation training from the Salisbury Police Department.

The goal is to be able to resolve conflicts before they turn violent.

"That's the prayer, zero violence," Smith said. "Zero violence would be great."

Last weekend, an argument inside a Waffle House led to one man being shot in Salisbury.

Overall, the city has seen improvements, officials said.

The police chief said assaults with deadly weapons are down 50% and homicides are down 75% compared to last year.

Local pastor Olen Bruner said he took the training, so he could engage with his community and help keep the crime numbers down.

"How can we be a leader in a community if we do not share with people some of the more positive aspects of our community?" Bruner said.

Leaders were taught the three keys to deescalation: are staying calm, knowing your surroundings and being an active listener.

Smith hopes people apply those lessons and help reduce violent situations.

"The end goal is to look out for our babies," Smith said.

De-escalation strategies according to the Salisbury Police Department:

1. Do not touch the person, ask first
2. Do not wear anything hanging around your neck
3. Do not maintain constant eye contact
4. Do not argue or try to convince someone
5. Do not be defensive even when they insult you
6. Keep your boundaries and stand in a stance position
7. Stay calm at all times and speak with a low tone of voice
8. Be respectful at all times and not defensive
9. Empathize with the person's feelings and not behavior.
10. Trust your instincts at all times

Salisbury police said do not try deescalation tactics if the person is armed; in such instances, they said, the police should be called.

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