The Newhall shooting on April 6, 1970 resulted in the death of four officers with the California Highway Patrol and helped usher in a new era of officer safety training. The shooting, also called the Newhall Incident and the Newhall Massacre, pitted two hardened criminals against two pairs of relatively young officers. Sadly, poor training and planning cost those officers … [Read more...]
Edged Weapons: Dismiss Them at Your Own Peril
For some reason, a lot of police officers do not treat knives and other edged weapons as a serious threat. Yet, on average, 1358 officers each year are attacked with an edged weapon. The breaks down to 3 to 4 edged weapon assaults per day on police officers. I imagine that some of this complacency comes from the fact that here in the USA, nearly everyone is walking around … [Read more...]
21 Foot Rule – MythBusters Style
In 1983, Dennis Tueller penned an article for SWAT magazine called "How Close is Too Close?" In that publication, he suggested that being within 21 feet of a suspect armed with a knife was the "danger zone." Tueller's thinking was this: MythBusters recently ran an episode where they "test" bringing a knife to a gunfight, or some such nonsense. Here is their recreation … [Read more...]
SWAT Attitude
A Few Words on the SWAT Attitude... I have lately been talking with a few SWAT guys about their perspectives of their tactical teams. While I won’t go into politics or particulars, I will say a central theme in my many discussions has revolved around attitude. Not as in Attitude with a capital “I’m a badass SWAT guy, so blah, blah, blah.” Attitude, as it relates to … [Read more...]
Two is One, One is None
It was almost 10 years ago that I started my SWAT experience, and since then I’ve added dozens of new terms and sayings to my vocabulary. Perhaps one of the most enduring, and broadly applicable, is the saying, “two is one and one is none”. The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared”, and that is the basic premise to this saying. Specifically, the premise is that you need a back-up … [Read more...]
Fighting Hallucinogens
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 … [Read more...]
Key Breaks
Key breaks are a momentary open mic typically caused by an officer bumping the transmit button on the radio getting into a car or reaching for gear. To the rest of the officers on the channel, it frequently sounds like just a burst of static. The vast majority of the time, key breaks are accidents. Before departments had the fancy radio systems that identified … [Read more...]
Training for Police and Animal Encounters
It is part and parcel for our profession that we, as officers and deputies, regularly interact with the local animals. Not always the human kind. Whether dealing with a cow on the freeway or a bear in a neighborhood, law enforcement officers face deadly encounters with animals that we are not necessarily trained or equipped to handle. Having worked in Florida, I am … [Read more...]
There I was, minding my own business…
Bluesheepdog has been emphasizing officer safety issues since its inception. Recently articles, videos, and stories from other sources have emphasized the dangerous job law enforcement has especially in the difficult times we live in now. Richard has posted the FBI research findings from interviews with prisoners who have felonious assaulted and killed officers. Videos have … [Read more...]
Trauma Pak with QuikClot for First Responders Review
Adventure Medical Kits’ Trauma Pak with QuikClot is a recent offering that is an important addition to the patrol car, bailout bag, or go-vest. AMK markets a line of first aid products designed for outdoor adventurers and travelers. Their first aid kits are combinations of items tailor-made for different users’ needs from outdoor sport to professional. The Trauma … [Read more...]