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.

At the hospital, she became lucid and told officers she had ingested three mushrooms.  She asked what had happened to her.  She did not recall the fight in the intersection.

The next night officers responded to a local McDonald’s for a man running around the parking lot shouting that people were chasing him and trying to kill him.  In his paranoid state, he did not believe the uniformed officers were really the police.

As in the last case, the fight was on when the officers tried to take him into custody for psychiatric evaluation.  Unfortunately, this guy was well over 300 lbs.  The officers used good tactics and took him to the ground immediately and decisively, preventing anyone from getting seriously injured.

At the scene, the man began to struggle on the ambulance gurney and tore out an IV in his arm, sending blood spurting.  A clip on the IV tube cut one of the officers on the wrist and that officer also went to the hospital for an exposure evaluation.  The suspect’s blood tested negative for any biohazards.

After being sedated at the ER, this man said he had smoked synthetic marijuana sold as “K2.”  Hospital records showed he had been in the ER before for erratic behavior after smoking this same substance.

Whether they are on psilocybin mushrooms, synthetic marijuana, or any hallucination-producing mood modifier, the suspects’ violent and unpredictable behavior is dangerous to police officers and deputies.

For some reason we are seeing more of the psilocybin mushrooms in my area.  We had an impaired driver in our holding cell on a DUI charge.  He suddenly lost it and began ramming his body into the reinforced glass wall.  He started screaming for us to help him, but he displayed aggressive actions toward us.  We fought him on to a stretcher and took him to the ER.  They heavily sedated him to put him out of his hallucinogenic “shroom rage.”

In the old days, we fought with bad guys on phencyclidine, called PCP or angel dust, which had powerful hallucinogenic effects.  The drug was said to give people superhuman strength and resistance to pain.

Suspects on any of these hallucinogenic drugs do have a heightened resistance to pain compliance, mainly because the drugs dull any physical sensations.  Along the same line, they seem to display uncanny strength, but they can exert maximum physical effort because they do not feel fatigue, lactic acid build-up, or pain associated with broken body parts.

The most dangerous side effect of hallucinogens is their distortion of a person’s reality.  They may be reacting to what they perceive as a life-threatening situation to them.  Because of this, normal moral inhibitions do not come into play.  They may be totally committed to murdering you to save themselves from the “monsters.”

Another deadly consideration for our routine day at the office.

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department.  He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader.  He is currently the K9 Unit Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

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.

The kit is easy for an operator to use.  Once strapped on, the officer needs only to glance at it to be alerted.  The cassette windows start out a single color.  If a cassette changes to two colors, it has been exposed to the toxic chemical.

No power source is required.  The cassettes have chemically reactive strips inside that remind me of “litmus paper” from junior high school Chemistry.

I found the Chameleon to be very unobtrusive.  The face of the kit measures 3 7/8” X 2 ¾.”  The entire armband weighs less than two ounces.  The strap is adjustable up to 14” in circumference.  A larger 18” armband is available.

The cassettes for each different type of hazard are individually pre-packaged, so the user just inserts all the cassettes in the armband and he or she is ready to go.  Initially enclosed in foil, the cassettes are loaded just prior to deployment.

Once opened, the cassettes have a 24-hour service life. They also remain viable after salt or fresh water immersion for up to one hour.  Overall cassette shelf life at room temperature is 24 months.

I recently received this Chameleon test kit.  A month ago, it is something that an officer could have used at a reported meth lab in one of our apartment complexes.  I have also been involved in search warrant services with SWAT where a suspected lab was in operation.  Detectors such as these could provide a valuable safety warning to officers.

In a previous article on Chemical Suicides, we talked about detection on the approach to one of these scenes.  This product would definitely assist in that.  In my area, we are lucky to have a Fire Rescue Haz-Mat response in mere minutes.  Not all officers are as fortunate.

Since I can’t just stand back and not give something a try, I used the included test kit in my secret lab.  The enclosed chemical training vials set off the cassettes appropriately.

In further experimentation, I found that, in less than 5 seconds, the Chameleon’s Chemical Suicide pack detected a vapor concentration of a common household chemical (no, I’m not going to say what) and gave a bi-color alert on one of the cassettes.

(Blaring disclaimer:  I am not Haz-Mat trained, nor am I a chemist.  I cannot speak to the absolute accuracy of any kit like this.  As usual, do your research and consult with the proper subject matter experts before using a product such as this in the field.)

I found Morphix Chameleon starter kits with one armband and packs for either Clan-Lab or Haz-Mat with ten cassettes each (ten uses) for under $200.00 on-line.  Cassette refill packs were about $150.00 for a ten-use kit.  For fifteen bucks an incident, I’d say that was well worth the money.

Officers are continuing to confront more complicated survival scenarios for each day’s pay.  Every bit of training and tools we can find to mitigate these risks is a bonus for our safety and the safety of our citizens.

Randall is a twenty-three year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department.  He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader.  He is currently the Midnight Shift K9 Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

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.

An attack may be bait. Consider that the initial incident may be used as bait to pull in first responders, with a second bomb set to kill public safety workers.  Variations of this technique has been used many times throughout history, but the one I remember most vividly was in 1997.   I was a reserve deputy in the area where this attack occurred, and I watched it live on television.  Eric Rudolph used multiple bombs at an abortion clinic.  The initial detonation drew in first responders and the second detonated after their arrival.

The initial bomb and follow up shooting were completely different styles of attack. With the initial incident being a bomb, what degree of focus shifted for law enforcement to looking for the “wrong” thing?  How many officers unconsciously stopped looking for suspicious people and instead were looking for suspicious packages?  Just because one attack came in a specific method doesn’t mean any additional attacks will resemble it.

For active shooters, fast response is critical. Initial reports indicated the terrorist(s) murder rampage on the island lasted at least 30 minutes.  At the time of this article, more than 80 people are believed to have been killed before police were able to respond and stop him/them.  Several factors contributed to his unchecked ability to kill:

• The location of the incident was an island, slowing a responding SWAT team.
• People on the island were not armed, ensuring they would be victims, not survivors.

Whether the response comes from a police officer or an armed citizen, the only sure way to stop a murderer is by armed intervention.  This means that police officers must be prepared to respond quickly, immediately and alone to engage the shooter and stop the killing.  If backup arrives on scene with you, great.  But if a cover officer is not with you, you must still go and engage the threat right now!

Yes, responding alone is more dangerous, but that’s what we have to do to stop the killing.  If you’re not up for it, I’d suggest you re-evaluate why you are a cop.

These kinds of incidents are a reality.  They can happen in your jurisdiction, in your town.  So, prepare yourself now.

Links

• Mumbai-Style Attacks: Are We Vulnerable?
• Terrorists Targeting Our Children: More Facts for Police Officers
• Terrorists Next Plan: Killing Our Children at School
• Domestic Terrorism – The Threat Is Real
• News from ILEETA 2011: Preparing for a Mumbai- or Beslan-style attack in the United States of America
• Suspects in Terror Case Wanted to Kill Jews, Officials Say
• NYPD: Queens Men Wanted to Attack Synagogues, Kill Jews in Terror Plot
• 2 men accused of buying guns, grenade, plotting to bomb NYC synagogue and kill Jews
• Bailout Bags
• Bail Out Bags – Podcast

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.

Peroxide-based explosives can be made into liquid or solid explosives using common hydrogen peroxide. If you will reach back to your high school chemistry class, you may recall that hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer. Mixing concentrated hydrogen peroxide (CHP) with a fuel can create a liquid explosive. Fuels such as acetone and ethanol may be used, but even things like black pepper and sugary drink powders can be used. Different fuels mixed with varying concentrations of CHP can create explosives that range from high energy to low energy.

Liquid peroxide-based explosives have been used in a variety of international terrorist incidents, the highest profile being the attacks on the London transit system in 2005. The terrorists in the foiled 2006 plot to blow up several airplanes were also planning on using liquid peroxide-based bombs.

Two different solid peroxide-based explosives can be synthesized from liquid peroxide explosives. They are triacetonetriperoxide (TATP) and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD). Both of these compounds are very dangerous to make, handle, and use, as they detonate very easily. Keep this in mind should you ever stumble across someone who might be mixing this stuff up. Due to its unstable nature, it has been nicknamed the “Mother of Satan.”

TATP is normally seen as crystals, and HMTD is seen as powder.

TATP and HMTD have been used in a myriad of explosions such as:

• an alleged member of the Glass Dessert Underground anarchist group who died in an explosion while making TATP in July 2006 in Texas
• a University of Oklahoma student died while carrying TATP that exploded outside a college football game in October 2005
• a man was convicted in 2002 of making HMTD in an apparent attempt to commit acts of terror in in the UK
• the “Millennium Bomber” had, among other explosives, HMTD in his possession as part of his planned attack on LAX

So, while I won’t tell you how to mix this stuff up yourself, I will tell you a few things you should pay attention to while on traffic stops, or when you are in someone’s home. If you run into something you suspect may be one of these nasty substances, back off and call the guys in the funny suits.

Chemicals to watch for:

• hydrogen peroxide antiseptic
• hair coloring
• wood bleach
• acetone
• ethanol
• nitro methane
• sulfuric acid
• citric acid
• haxamine (solid fuel for camp stoves)

Indicators of manufacturing:

• foul odors/caustic fumes
• paint discoloration
• metal corrosion
• structural damage
• strong chemical odors from exterior drains/sewers
• multiple fans in multiple windows
• dead vegetation
• refrigerators and coolers

Stay safe!

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Another threat to police officers are “bottle bombs.” Bottle bombs are usually made by mixing common household chemicals in a bottle. The reaction of the chemicals is what causes the explosion. The force of the explosion causes most of the damage, but the chemicals themselves are toxic, and can cause burns to exposed skin or lung tissue (if inhaled.)

Precursors used in the manufacture of these bombs include cleaning chemicals, gasoline, chlorine, and alcohol. The delay in time from mixing the chemicals to the explosion can vary from a few minutes to an hour depending on what was mixed, in what quantities, and the size of the container. The container can be almost anything, but 2-liter and smaller soda bottles are frequently used.

Keep your eyes open for anything that might be used to make these bombs when inside residences. Be extremely careful if you locate any potential devices, and contact the bomb squad to dispose of them. That’s what they get paid the big bucks for, right?

Stay safe!

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