Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, training is a model for first-responding law enforcement officers to more effectively deal with mentally ill persons, with the goal of improving safety for the officers, mental health consumers, family, and citizens. Developed in 1988 as a partnership between the Memphis, TN Police, the Memphis Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental … [Read more...]
Police Tactics Used Against the Police
As I was reading another officer down article the other day, it struck me that our own tactics are the very ones being used so effectively against us. When I went to SWAT school in the late 80’s, most police teams visually resembled the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (SAS). You know, black BDU’s, black balaclava hoods, black nylon load-bearing vests, black … [Read more...]
Pedestrian Stop Shooting Video
Walking backwards almost got a North Carolina deputy killed. At about 4:15 am on August 29, 2009, Guilford County (NC) Sheriff's Corporal J. Mecham made a pedestrian stop on a suspicious person later identified as Daniel Roy Smith. Unknown to Corporal Mecham, Smith was an escapee from a halfway house where he was serving time for a federal bank robbery conviction. … [Read more...]
Minimize Your Risk in an Ambush
On Saturday, May 29, 2011, there were two separate criminal ambushes on law enforcement officers with different situations and results. In San Antonio, TX, Bexar County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kenneth Vann was responding to an accidental shooting call across town. While enroute to the call, he stopped in traffic at an intersection and was fired upon by the occupant(s) of … [Read more...]
Traffic Stop Shooting
Seeing his partner dragged under a car on a traffic stop gone bad, an Albany, NY police officer was forced to shoot and kill the car's driver to save the first officer's life. This is the video that was presented to the Grand Jury, which found the officers' actions reasonable. It is a combination of video from the patrol car and from a … [Read more...]
Traffic Stop Shooting Video
This police shooting happened during a traffic stop in Tomah, Wisconsin. Notice that the driver immediately exited the truck and started shooting. Watch how the suspect engaged both officers while he was shooting. You see him shooting at one officer, then shift his fire to a second officer and then back to the first officer before retreating back to his truck. … [Read more...]
6 Things That Can Save Your Life
There are six things you can do before going on duty tonight that may save your life. The list is short, but critical to your survival. 1. Commit yourself mentally to survival - This is the most important, so I lead with it. You must mentally commit yourself to survival right now. If you are not mentally prepared for a violent encounter, all the tools in the world will … [Read more...]
Flashbang Accident Kills SWAT Officer
One kind of flashbang manufactured by CTS Combined Tactical Systems This week, a search warrant service when the accident occurred. Approximately 45 minutes after the operation, the officer was in his driveway at home “attempting to render his equipment safe” when the distraction device inadvertently exploded. He suffered massive internal injuries and efforts to … [Read more...]
Crime, the Economy, and Congressional Spending: Yep, the Citizens Are Pissed
During the past few weeks, Americans have been watching their 401(k) and other retirement funds sink. Most people are just now starting to wonder how bad things will get. I'm no economist, but I suspect things are going to get a lot worse before they start to get better. Cops get to see a wide cross-section of society. We deal with people of all races, … [Read more...]
Foot Pursuits: Use Care When Chasing Suspects
Police officers receive a lot of training in vehicle pursuits, yet most cops get very little training in foot pursuits. The reason comes down to lawsuits. If an officer initiates a vehicle pursuit and subsequently the suspect or officer strike an uninvolved citizen, the officer's city will be facing an expensive lawsuit. If the same officer engages in a foot pursuit, there … [Read more...]