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Fighting Hallucinogens

by Randall

January 30th, 2012

mushrooms Twice in two nights this week, my officers had to fight people who were out of control on hallucinogenic substances. These drugs are a serious cause for concern for law enforcement.

In the first instance, an officer rolled up on an unknown situation in the middle of a large intersection. A Good Samaritan was trying to hold down an out-of-control girl who was screaming “Kill me!” over and over again at the top of her lungs.

The officer and citizen managed to keep the 90 lbs. girl on the ground. Another officer arrived to replace the citizen. Now with two officers trying to handcuff her, the girl began to fight and actually began pushing up off the pavement with them on her back.

The first officer unloaded a can of OC into the girl’s face. It had no effect and she pretty much drank it like a Slurpee. Whirling around, she kicked the female officer in the groin. The crazed girl was finally subdued and taken for medical treatment.

Categories Bombs/Explosives, Drugs, Officer Safety
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Morphix Chameleon Review: A Toxic Chemical Detector

by Randall

October 10th, 2011

Have you had to respond to a possible clandestine meth lab or a chemical suicide or maybe just a strange smell? Morphix Technologies has developed a unique armband kit that detects toxic gases to protect first responders.

The Morphix Chameleon is a chemical detection unit that is worn on the forearm or attached by Velcro to the uniform of a first responder. The purpose of the kit is to provide an officer, firefighter, or soldier with immediate visual identification of the presence of hazardous gases.

A passive detector, the Chameleon has ten windows, called cassettes, which change color when exposed to certain chemicals. The Chameleon can be configured for Clan-Meth Lab, Chemical Suicide, or Haz-Mat detection by simply changing the cassettes.

Categories Bombs/Explosives, Drugs, Officer Safety, SWAT, Terrorism
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Police Response and Terrorism – BlueSheepdog Podcast #26

by Richard

July 25th, 2011

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Police response to terrorism in the wake of the Norway terrorist incident is the topic of today’s police training podcast.

Last week’s terrorist attacks in Norway should be a wake up call to every community that thinks “It can’t happen here.” I look at what we know so far from the incident, consider some of the ramifications of responding to bomb attacks and examine police response to active shooter scenarios.

The incident in Norway was beyond ugly, but it is not unprecedented. Nor will it be the last.

Law enforcement must prepare to respond to terrorism today.

Police Response and Terrorism - BlueSheepdog Podcast #26 [ 44:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Categories Active Shooters, Bombs/Explosives, Podcasts, SWAT, Terrorism
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Norway Terrorism

by Richard

July 23rd, 2011

Norway Terrorism Norway suffered a great tragedy on Friday when dozens of people, many of them teens, were gunned down by at least one subject dressed as a police officer. At this time, it appears this attack was coordinated with a bomb that was set off outside the prime minister’s office earlier in the day.

If you have paid attention to world events, you know this is not an original incident. Bombs have been detonated by terrorists around the world for almost as long as we have had explosive technology. Mass shooting incidents are also not new.

There are a few things about this incident, which are important to consider.

An attack may be the main attack, or it may be a distraction. It is impossible to say at this time what the intent of the terrorist(s) was with the bombing. However, that attack likely pulled resources toward it. Officers may have been diverted from other areas to respond to that incident location, which may have reduced the ability to respond to the second attack.

Categories Active Shooters, Bombs/Explosives, Terrorism
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Department Report on Flashbang Death

by Randall

March 23rd, 2011

Flashbang Death The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police released a statement on March 16, 2011 in reference to the tragic death of Ofc. Fred Thornton on February 25,2011. Thornton was killed by a flashbang following a SWAT call.

The press release stated, “there are no reasons to believe or evidence to suggest the device safety features failed or that a malfunction caused the device to be activated.”

The distraction device was a Defense Technologies Def-Tec 25 FSDD.

During the night of the incident, Thornton, a twenty-three year SWAT veteran, was designated to throw a flashbang during the warrant service if needed. He did not throw the device, but had apparently pulled the pin in preparation.

The investigation revealed he partially re-inserted a pin to deactivate the device at the scene. “Reinsertion of a pin is not an authorized technique for attempting to render the non-reloadable Def-Tec25 FSDD stable,” the report stated.

Thornton was apparently trying to fully insert a pin to deactivate the device when it exploded in his garage, killing him.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police procedures, the flashbang should be expended by detonation if the pin is pulled. Re-insertion of a pin is not authorized, according to the department.

As I stated in the previous article, we must all use our SWAT gear with great care.

Randy is a twenty-three year veteran officer of a mid-size Florida police department. He served as a SWAT team officer for 21 years, to include 12 years as a team leader. His other duties included police K9 handler, FTO, and detective. Currently serving as a midnight shift sergeant, he is also his department’s SWAT Coordinator.

Categories Bombs/Explosives, Officer Safety, SWAT
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