MAY 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 5 - Austin Cover
MAY 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 5 - Austin Cover • National Police Week • Memorial Services in Austin, Houston & Harris County • Are You Prepared to Stay Alive: A Officer Survival Guide • DC Cops race, crash, and get beat up by one officer's momma • Warstory/Aftermath - White cop shoots black teenager in the back
MAY 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 5 - Austin Cover
• National Police Week
• Memorial Services in Austin, Houston & Harris County
• Are You Prepared to Stay Alive: A Officer Survival Guide
• DC Cops race, crash, and get beat up by one officer's momma
• Warstory/Aftermath - White cop shoots black teenager in the back
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The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 1
<strong>MAY</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
On the <strong>Cover</strong> (S)<br />
Another first for the BLUES.<br />
Two covers for one issue. Both<br />
feature the Moms of Fallen<br />
Heroes honored in Memorial<br />
Services in <strong>Austin</strong>, Houston &<br />
Harris County. We want to wish<br />
each Mom a Happy Mother’s<br />
Day and know you are loved by<br />
your Blue Family.<br />
58<br />
62<br />
66<br />
FEATURES<br />
32 NATIONAL POLICE WEEK<br />
34 MEMORIAL SERVICE AUSTIN<br />
50 MEMORIAL SERVICE HARRIS COUNTY<br />
54 MEMORIAL SERVICE HOUSTON<br />
72 ARE YOU PREPARED TO STAY ALIVE?:<br />
OFFICER SURVIVAL GUIDE<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
04 Publisher’s Thoughts<br />
06 Editor’s Thoughts<br />
8,10 Guest Editorials<br />
12 Your Thoughts<br />
18 News Around the State<br />
26 News Around the Country<br />
114 Daryl’s Deliberations - Daryl Lott<br />
122 Blue Mental Health with Dr. Tina Jaeckle<br />
126 Running 4 Heroes<br />
128 Remembering My Hero - Officer Bryan Hebert<br />
134 Honoring our Fallen Heroes<br />
140 End of Watch -Taken too Soon<br />
142 Outdoors with Rusty Barron<br />
144 Marketplace - Discounts for LEOs<br />
150 Parting Shots<br />
152 <strong>No</strong>w Hiring - L.E.O. Positions Open in Texas<br />
114<br />
DARYL’S DELIBERATIONS<br />
by DARYL LOTT<br />
116<br />
120<br />
OFFICER SURVIVAL GUIDE<br />
11 Officer Defense Tips & Tactics<br />
From the Editors of<br />
72<br />
HEALING OUR HEROES,<br />
by SAMANTHA HORWITZ JOHN SALERNO<br />
OUR TEAM<br />
MICHAEL BARRON<br />
founder & publisher<br />
MICHAEL BARRON<br />
editor-n-chief<br />
REX EVANS<br />
contributing editor<br />
DIANE TRYKOWSKI<br />
creative editor<br />
RUSTY BARRON<br />
outdoor editor<br />
TINA JAECKLE<br />
contributing editor<br />
DARYL LOTT<br />
contributing editor<br />
SAM HORWITZ & JOHN SALERNO<br />
contributing editors<br />
DOUGLAS GRIFFITH<br />
HPOU contributing editor<br />
JANICE VANZURA<br />
sales mgr / austin<br />
PHIL PIERCE<br />
sales mgr / dallas<br />
OUR CONTRIBUTORS<br />
T. EDISON<br />
light bulb award<br />
SHERIFF ED GONZALEZ<br />
HCSO newsletter<br />
SGT. WHITE<br />
warstories/aftermath editor<br />
KATHLEEN DIAS<br />
contributing editor<br />
JOE VARGAS<br />
contributing editor<br />
HOLLY HEBERT<br />
contributing editor / COPS<br />
OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
PETER KOPECEK<br />
cover #1 <strong>Austin</strong><br />
VICKY PINK<br />
cover #2 Houston<br />
The BLUES Police Magazine is published monthly by Kress-Barr, LLC, P.O. Box 2733, League City Texas 77574. The opinions<br />
expressed in articles, op-eds and editorials are those of each individual author and do not reflect the opinion of<br />
The BLUES or its parent company. Rebuttals or submission of news articles and editorials may be submitted to:<br />
The BLUES Police Magazine - bluespdmag@gmail.com. The entire contents of The BLUES is copyrighted© and may not be<br />
reproduced or reprinted without the express permission of the publisher. The BLUES logo is a Trademark of Kress-Barr, LLC.<br />
2 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 3
The Real Heroes of <strong>2021</strong><br />
It’s a humbling experience to<br />
walk among heroes. In this case,<br />
the heroes are the surviving family<br />
members of peace officers<br />
lost in the line of duty in Texas.<br />
Each year, Concerns of Police<br />
Survivors (C.O.P.S) along with the<br />
State of Texas and police agencies<br />
from across the State, gather<br />
together at the Texas Police<br />
Memorial at the Capitol to honor<br />
these fallen officers. This year<br />
the event was moved to a stadium<br />
a few blocks away.<br />
Even though they have suffered<br />
the worst pain imaginable,<br />
they continue to go about their<br />
lives knowing a greater good<br />
was served. That one life was<br />
given so that another could be<br />
saved. They know in their heart<br />
of hearts that God will continue<br />
to watch over them as well as<br />
the Peacemakers he has called<br />
home, for they are truly the Children<br />
of God.<br />
So, on this peaceful Sunday, as<br />
the evening sun slowly sets in<br />
the hills above this bustling city,<br />
mothers & fathers, husbands &<br />
wives, sons and daughters, aunts<br />
& uncles, grandchildren and<br />
great grandchildren, each walk<br />
on stage to meet the Lt. Governor<br />
and Governor. One by one, hugs<br />
are exchanged and tears flow as<br />
Governor Abbott and his wife<br />
Cecilia comfort these heroes of<br />
heroes and present them with<br />
medals to honor their fallen<br />
officer.<br />
It is a saddening fact that<br />
each year, both groups of heroes<br />
grow larger and larger. This<br />
past year we lost over 362 officers<br />
including 234 that lost their<br />
life due to COVID. That’s 212 more<br />
than the year before. And in <strong>2021</strong>,<br />
the number across the nation is<br />
already 119. Hundreds of thousands<br />
of family and friends now a<br />
part of a group they wished they<br />
never heard of. You see, if given<br />
a choice, none of these heroes<br />
would be here today. They would<br />
rather be anywhere but here. But<br />
this was God’s will and for whatever<br />
reason He chooses to call His<br />
children home, we honor that and<br />
pray He watches over His growing<br />
flock of angels.<br />
As the bag pipes play, the sound<br />
of a 21-gun salute, and officers<br />
from around the state standing<br />
at attention, are all vivid memories<br />
for these family members.<br />
Memories most would rather not<br />
relive, but they know it’s their<br />
duty to be here and support the<br />
new members of this fraternity. In<br />
my 36 years of law enforcement,<br />
I’ve attended way more services<br />
for fallen officers than I care to<br />
count. At each one you can’t help<br />
but relive all ones before. You<br />
remember every single moment<br />
that you buried your partner, your<br />
friend and in many cases your<br />
own family. And at every single<br />
service, thoughts race through<br />
your mind, “What if this were my<br />
service?” My family, my wife and<br />
my kids receiving a folded flag.<br />
The Sheriff, Police Chief or Commander<br />
standing before them, saluting<br />
them, holding back a wave<br />
MICHAEL BARRON<br />
of tears that will fall when they<br />
aren’t looking. As each ceremony<br />
progresses, your mind is overwhelmed<br />
with grief and yet the<br />
sad realization that even though<br />
this isn’t your service or your<br />
family, the next time it may very<br />
well be. But today, today you<br />
mourn for the fallen. You honor<br />
your brothers and sisters in Blue<br />
with pride and integrity. It’s what<br />
you were trained to do.<br />
But as I stand here today,<br />
taking all this in one more time,<br />
I pray to our Father in Heaven<br />
that He watches over all His<br />
children both here and those<br />
He has called home. I beg him<br />
repeatedly to not take any more.<br />
Please let us grieve over the<br />
ones we’ve lost without having<br />
to add to that burden. Please add<br />
no more members to this club.<br />
Let us come here to honor those<br />
that have fallen in years gone by<br />
without adding a single name to<br />
the Police Memorial both here<br />
and in Washington. We ask this<br />
in your name Father, Amen.<br />
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4 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 5<br />
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It’s been a rough 14-16 months, duty. Look, if that alone doesn’t<br />
$150,000 right? COVID. Large scale ..what demon-<br />
get it your won’t attention, get I don’t you. know<br />
strations, a serious series of critical<br />
reviews in the National Media<br />
and Social Media, and an overall<br />
sense of “Anti-Law Enforcement”<br />
in the air. Then, our own personal<br />
issues. For example, in my family<br />
my son and dad both are battling<br />
cancer. Thankfully, both are winning<br />
their respective fight, at the<br />
time of print. Others I know are<br />
battling financial problems, relationship<br />
problems, kid problems<br />
and well, just problems.<br />
<strong>No</strong> matter who you are, whether<br />
you’re a Cadet in the Academy<br />
or you’re the Chief, guess what?<br />
We’ve all got problems. Yes, we<br />
do. Some are different than others.<br />
Some are less than or greater<br />
than. But one thing is for sure,<br />
we’ve all got them, and they can<br />
compound into what amounts to<br />
a bit of a breakdown or disillusionment<br />
(college word for WTH<br />
just happened).<br />
Look, no matter what the problem(s)<br />
are, no matter who you<br />
are, if you’re wearing a badge and<br />
a gun, it doesn’t mean you’re still<br />
not a “HUMAN BEING”. For God’s<br />
sake, take a deep breath. Slow<br />
everything down. Even if, for only<br />
a moment or two. That doesn’t<br />
mean you’re weak, bro. It means<br />
you’ve got the where with all<br />
to at least understand, I’ve gotta<br />
stop here for a moment, and<br />
there’s no shame in that.<br />
Over the last few years, the<br />
number of Law Enforcement<br />
Officer Suicides has doubled and<br />
more and doubled is the number<br />
of Law Enforcement Officers<br />
killed / lost in the line of<br />
what else to say. Life is tough. It’s<br />
tougher if you’re a cop.<br />
If for some reason any of us<br />
have felt we “had to be” Superman<br />
or Superwoman, well that<br />
may be applicable at a certain<br />
point in time when at work. (and<br />
for all the mothers who wear a<br />
badge, I understand that is an<br />
everyday, all day function…there!<br />
I said it!!!) But no matter how<br />
strong we are, how much we<br />
exercise, eat right, live right and<br />
do right…there are moments in<br />
life where everything will just go<br />
wrong. It just does.<br />
I believe it is fair to say, time<br />
are tough for everyone in Law<br />
Enforcement. The job was always<br />
hard. <strong>No</strong>w though, it’s even harder.<br />
The pressures of life, people,<br />
the world moreover and of<br />
course, the ever-present pressure<br />
of not screwing anything up by<br />
taking action. Such pressure can<br />
wear a person down. Mentally,<br />
emotionally and physically. It<br />
doesn’t mean that this job has<br />
become “impossible”. It remains<br />
highly possible to be a good cop<br />
and do a good job.<br />
If you’re feeling the pressures<br />
of this job, this life right now,<br />
please know you are not alone.<br />
Of the thousands of Law Enforcement<br />
Officers in Harris County<br />
alone, I can assure you, we are<br />
all feeling the heat right about<br />
now. That being said, lean on<br />
someone if you need to. Don’t be<br />
afraid or ashamed. There’s absolutely<br />
nothing wrong with telling<br />
someone “I’m tired” or “I’m really<br />
down right now”. Hell, odds are<br />
REX EVANS<br />
the response may be “What? You?<br />
Hell bro, me too! I didn’t want<br />
to say anything because I didn’t<br />
think you’d understand.” Well,<br />
I am here to tell you, more and<br />
more of us are completely understanding<br />
now.<br />
Should you be considering<br />
giving up this profession, I beg of<br />
you, don’t. Please, don’t. We need<br />
to stay strong and stay together<br />
now, more than ever. Our line has<br />
always been then. <strong>No</strong>w we find<br />
where the Thin Blue Line is thinner<br />
than ever before. <strong>No</strong>w is not<br />
the time to walk away. If it’s more<br />
than that, if you’re down and<br />
hurting, PLEASE, for God’s sake,<br />
talk to someone. Anyone. Hell,<br />
reach out to me. I would rather<br />
listen to you than listen to TAPS<br />
at your funeral because the hardships<br />
you were facing dragged<br />
you down.<br />
It has always been and continues<br />
to always be imperative that<br />
we all do this one thing; take care<br />
of ourselves and each other. In<br />
today’s world, it is perhaps paramount<br />
above everything else. For<br />
how can we save the world if, we<br />
refuse to save ourselves and one<br />
another?<br />
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6 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 7
A Letter to the American Public: Why You<br />
Must Decide What You Want from Cops.<br />
If you recruit well, conduct thorough background checks, and train<br />
constantly, you can have a human with a kind heart and good ethics<br />
– but you can’t have perfection.<br />
By Kathleen Dias<br />
This article is reprinted with<br />
permission from The Rural Badge<br />
blog.<br />
It’s time for the American public<br />
to decide what we want from<br />
law enforcement. Warriors?<br />
Counselors? Guardians? Priests?<br />
Social workers? Magicians?<br />
Do we want the cheapest cops<br />
possible? Or do we want welltrained<br />
and well-screened cops<br />
who are equipped with every<br />
tool needed for every possible<br />
eventuality?<br />
Or do we want the beat cop<br />
from grandaddy’s hometown,<br />
with nothing but a smile, a<br />
wheel gun and one set of cuffs?<br />
Really, we want it all. Admit it,<br />
we do – and we want it all without<br />
paying for any of it.<br />
Every officer needs to be an<br />
empathetic, well-spoken, SEALtrained<br />
ninja with double majors<br />
in psychology and social<br />
work, who considers the job a<br />
calling, and has no bills to pay,<br />
no nerves to fray, and enforces<br />
the law completely objectively<br />
while also using discretion at all<br />
times, unless it’s going to result<br />
in arresting – or not arresting –<br />
the wrong person at the wrong<br />
time, for the wrong thing, in the<br />
opinion of every member of the<br />
public.<br />
If that person existed, he<br />
wouldn’t work for you. So, we’ve<br />
got to deal with what exists, and<br />
what exists are humans.<br />
Humans are fallible, and their<br />
bodies are frail. Their brains<br />
play tricks on them when they’re<br />
under stress, and then keep them<br />
from sleeping by replaying the<br />
stressor on an endless loop later,<br />
trying to find ways to “fix” whatever<br />
went wrong.<br />
Humans come in varieties, not<br />
exactly like dog breeds, but close<br />
enough that the analogy works:<br />
If you need a bite dog, you don’t<br />
start with a Golden Retriever.<br />
Possibly, you can teach the Golden<br />
to bite on command, if you’re<br />
persistent enough, and mean<br />
enough, but in the process, you’ll<br />
ruin everything that made him a<br />
Golden to begin with.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w translate that back to<br />
people.<br />
Warriors, soldiers and great<br />
war generals like Patton may live<br />
for the fight but they don’t always<br />
play well with others after<br />
the battle. They can be harsh.<br />
They can use bad language in<br />
settings where you wish they<br />
were polite. They find humor in<br />
ugly, dark places that just frighten<br />
the rest of society. They’re not<br />
always...nice.<br />
If you want only a cuddly, soft,<br />
empathetic officer whose first<br />
response is always a soft answer<br />
and compassion, you can have<br />
that. She’ll never embarrass her<br />
chief at Coffee with a Cop. He’ll<br />
present well on camera every<br />
time and remind you of someone’s<br />
grandfather. He’ll be the<br />
perfect SRO until there’s an active<br />
shooter at your kid’s school.<br />
Suddenly, society insists on the<br />
warrior.<br />
They want the demon Malinois,<br />
55 pounds of rawhide, spring<br />
steel and gator teeth, driving<br />
into the gunfire and doing anything<br />
it takes – anything – to<br />
keep the children safe.<br />
And once the threat is gone,<br />
society wants the Malinois to<br />
morph back into the therapy dog.<br />
They want the warrior gone,<br />
the counselor returned, the off<br />
switch thrown.<br />
That’s not how it works.<br />
And it’s not fair.<br />
I tell you now: the unicorn<br />
doesn’t exist. You can’t have it.<br />
What you can have is a human.<br />
If you recruit well, conduct<br />
thorough background checks and<br />
train constantly, you can have<br />
a human with a kind heart and<br />
good ethics who is willing to<br />
fight hard, be uncomfortable and<br />
even get hurt for you.<br />
You can have a human who<br />
tries. You can have someone<br />
who struggles, who sometimes<br />
fails, who gets better with time<br />
and experience and who has<br />
setbacks.<br />
But you can’t have perfection.<br />
In fact, you can break perfectly<br />
good humans by insisting they be<br />
something they can’t be – things<br />
no one can be.<br />
Decide now that as long as<br />
cops get recruited from the<br />
human race, they’re going to be<br />
exactly human, with everything<br />
that means. The rest of society is<br />
also human, after all.<br />
Maybe it’s time we decide what<br />
we want from the rest of us, too.<br />
About the Author<br />
Kathleen Dias writes features<br />
and news analysis on topics<br />
of concern to law enforcement<br />
professionals serving in rural and<br />
remote locations. She uses her<br />
background in writing, teaching<br />
and marketing to advocate for<br />
professional levels of training<br />
and equipment for rural officers,<br />
open channels of communication<br />
for isolated departments, and<br />
dispel myths about rural policing.<br />
She’s had a front-row seat<br />
observing rural agencies – local,<br />
state and federal – from the Sierra<br />
foothills to California’s notorious<br />
Emerald Triangle, for more<br />
than 30 years.<br />
RED MARK USA<br />
Rescuing the Innocent<br />
Houston Police officers, Harris County Sheriff’s deputies and deputy<br />
constables are imprisoned by a corrupt district attorney on trumped up<br />
charges. A progressive police chief investigates and fires officers by the<br />
dozens on spurious complaints.<br />
The USA is under the control of a leftist government. Anyone found in<br />
contempt of the new ideology has their bank accounts closed and locked.<br />
That’s the Red Mark.<br />
Left wing rioters burn and destroy churches, synagogues, mosques and<br />
temples. The First and Second amendments to the Constitution are declared<br />
null and void. Right wing insurrectionists plot to kidnap the mayor and city<br />
council.<br />
Corrupt and inept Department of Human Relations police abuse citizens<br />
and act like a new Gestapo.<br />
Dozens of police officers, sheriff’s deputies and constables are scheduled<br />
for execution by public hanging in front of an angry mob. It’s up to a group<br />
of officers and deputies to rescue them before they’re killed. Working in<br />
strictest secrecy, knowing that the discovery of their plot will mean prison<br />
and death, they work against time to rescue the innocent.<br />
Deacon Blue is a retired Houston Police Officer.<br />
Available on Amazon Kindle or paperback. $9.95<br />
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8 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 9
joe vargas<br />
By Joe Vargas<br />
Over the past few years, critics<br />
have pointed to the need for more<br />
police training as a solution to the<br />
shortcomings of law enforcement.<br />
I would agree training is a necessity<br />
and should be an ongoing<br />
priority at every police agency, but<br />
getting it done is not simple.<br />
Questions on what training<br />
should be implemented and in what<br />
priority have been discussed both<br />
internally within law enforcement<br />
departments and with the communities<br />
they serve. Frankly, the task<br />
can be daunting. Department priorities<br />
and community expectations<br />
have to be taken into consideration.<br />
Curriculum has to be developed and<br />
trainers have to be trained. Then,<br />
there are the costs associated with<br />
training.<br />
What people don’t take into consideration<br />
is that every time a police<br />
officer is in training, someone must<br />
take their place, or their job isn’t<br />
getting done. For even the smallest<br />
departments, that can require up to<br />
thousands of hours a year.<br />
I’ve compiled a partial list of what<br />
can be considered training priorities<br />
by police departments and the<br />
community, along with the number<br />
of hours that might be required.<br />
As you can see, law enforcement<br />
leaders must take many things into<br />
consideration when planning these<br />
much-needed trainings. This is not<br />
GUEST EDITORIAL<br />
<strong>No</strong> Simple Answers for Police Leaders Tasked<br />
with Training Law Enforcement.<br />
Training is a necessity and should be an ongoing priority at every<br />
police agency, but getting it done is not as simple as it may seem.<br />
a simple or easy task to accomplish.<br />
DE-ESCALATION TRAINING<br />
Officers confronted with violent<br />
and non-compliant subjects have<br />
been criticized in their response<br />
when things go terribly wrong, especially<br />
when deadly force is used.<br />
The goal of de-escalation training is<br />
to provide officers with the skills to<br />
slow down, create space, and rely<br />
on communication to defuse volatile<br />
encounters.<br />
Let’s say that 24 hours of training<br />
would suffice for every officer in a<br />
police department.<br />
CRISIS INTERVENTION AND RE-<br />
SPONSE<br />
While not quite the same as<br />
de-escalation, crisis intervention<br />
training works to reduce injury or<br />
death during police interactions<br />
with people suffering from mental<br />
illness or who are experiencing<br />
a mental health crisis. This seems<br />
like a worthy effort and is critically<br />
needed at a time when these encounters<br />
seem to occur with some<br />
frequency.<br />
That would be another 24 to 40<br />
hours of training.<br />
POLICE RESPONSE TO HOME-<br />
LESSNESS<br />
<strong>No</strong>t a single city in the country<br />
isn’t dealing with issues related to<br />
homelessness and homeless behavior.<br />
Police departments have assumed<br />
the role of the lead government<br />
agency on these issues.<br />
Homelessness impacts the community’s<br />
sense of well-being, safety<br />
and security. In this situation, police<br />
are often caught in the middle. Law<br />
enforcement is criticized if they<br />
step back and allow social service<br />
and non-profits to deal with the<br />
problem. If they take enforcement<br />
measures to set boundaries and<br />
they are taken to task for being insensitive<br />
and coming on too strong.<br />
If we ignore the violence and<br />
drug-related issues the problems<br />
can quickly go out of control.<br />
At least 24 hours of training<br />
would be helpful in providing tools<br />
for the officer’s toolbox.<br />
Coordinated homeless outreach:<br />
Where does law enforcement fit in?<br />
Collaborative responses are the<br />
most successful at efficiently using<br />
resources and driving down the<br />
homeless population when properly<br />
implemented.<br />
RACIAL SENSITIVITY, BIAS AND<br />
CULTURAL COMPETENCY<br />
Police officers throughout the<br />
country have been criticized for a<br />
lack of understanding of how racial<br />
bias can affect how they enforce<br />
the law and respond to calls for<br />
service. Implicit bias training is an<br />
effort to help officers understand<br />
how stereotypes and cultural biases<br />
can and do impact how we respond<br />
to people.<br />
Recent historical precedent shows<br />
how police departments were used<br />
to enforce racist and unfair laws, so<br />
naturally, there is distrust and suspicion.<br />
There is a real debate on the<br />
effectiveness of the training and if it<br />
leads to fairer policing. Training is,<br />
however, better than doing nothing.<br />
Most of the classes being offered<br />
are 8 hours in length and usually<br />
involve all department employees.<br />
PROCEDURAL JUSTICE<br />
Procedural justice speaks to the<br />
idea of fairness and transparency,<br />
such as how police departments<br />
interact with their communities and<br />
how they implement everything<br />
from enforcement strategies to<br />
personal contacts with the public. A<br />
great deal of this training is directed<br />
at police leadership, middle<br />
managers and supervisors. In reality,<br />
all offices could benefit from this<br />
kind of training.<br />
The training is usually one or two<br />
days.<br />
MOBILE FIELD FORCE<br />
2020 was a year of demonstrations,<br />
protests and riots across the<br />
country. The critiques of police<br />
responses to these events are universal<br />
regarding the lack of training<br />
and preparation. These rebukes are<br />
not just for the officers on the line<br />
but in the command, as well as<br />
control of the situations by police<br />
commanders. Granted, this is not<br />
something police departments do<br />
every day but is something they<br />
have to be prepared to handle.<br />
Training of 24 hours for officers<br />
and 40 hours for police commanders<br />
could go a long way toward<br />
improving the police response.<br />
DUTY TO INTERVENE<br />
Something that has come up rather<br />
recently has been the failure of<br />
backup officers to intervene when<br />
they see another officer taking actions<br />
that are escalating a situation<br />
or are illegal. What can and should<br />
an officer do when they see something<br />
like this occurring? It’s been<br />
a standard oral board question for<br />
new hires for years. New hires are<br />
asked, “What do you do when you<br />
are working with an officer who is<br />
breaking the law?”<br />
There is a move to make “duty to<br />
intervene” a legal requirement for<br />
officers. Most departments already<br />
have this as a matter of policy. If<br />
this becomes the law, departments<br />
need to better train officers in how<br />
to handle these situations.<br />
That would be another 4- to<br />
8-hour block.<br />
RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAF-<br />
FICKING<br />
The public response to the crisis<br />
of human trafficking has been huge.<br />
Across the country, many jurisdictions<br />
have created task forces<br />
and collaboratives to deal with<br />
the issue. Young women and men<br />
being coerced into sex trafficking<br />
is happening in just about every<br />
city in America. In order to respond<br />
effectively, police officers need the<br />
training to identify the signs and respond<br />
in a manner that understands<br />
the suspects in these cases are, in<br />
fact, victims.<br />
About 8 hours of training would<br />
be helpful for every officer in the<br />
country.<br />
ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING<br />
Recent events continue to show<br />
the need for first responders to be<br />
trained in how to respond to events<br />
where an individual is actively engaged<br />
in killing or attempting to kill<br />
people in confined and populated<br />
areas. This can happen in a school,<br />
shopping center, or any area where<br />
the public gathers. While rare, the<br />
need for officers to be prepared for<br />
these dangerous and horrific calls is<br />
the reality of our times.<br />
Ideally, 8 hours every year might<br />
adequately prepare an officer in the<br />
field to respond. Triple that for an<br />
officer assigned to a SWAT unit.<br />
WAIT, THERE’S MORE<br />
As you can see, a lot of training<br />
needs to be done, in addition to<br />
the significant amount of ongoing<br />
training that still has to occur on a<br />
regular basis.<br />
Arrest and control techniques,<br />
police firearms and range training<br />
and emergency vehicle driving are<br />
all skills that have to be continually<br />
refreshed. It comes as no surprise<br />
these are some of the areas where<br />
police departments have the most<br />
civil exposure. Add to that regular<br />
legal updates, since the laws are<br />
constantly changing due to case<br />
decisions and legislative action. Add<br />
specialty investigative training for<br />
detectives and the hours continue to<br />
add up.<br />
Regular training is also needed<br />
on personal well-being, fitness and<br />
stress management. Police physical<br />
and mental issues are a real problem<br />
and are worthy of a department’s<br />
attention.<br />
HOW TO PRIORITIZE POLICE<br />
TRAINING<br />
Let’s say you are the police chief<br />
of your city.<br />
How do you prioritize the training<br />
on this list? Add in the complicating<br />
factor that due to the COVID-19<br />
pandemic, your department budget<br />
has been reduced and there may<br />
be also public outcry to defund the<br />
police.<br />
Let’s not forget you have to make<br />
sure officers are still responding to<br />
calls and investigating cases.<br />
What is most important to get<br />
done first and how long is the training<br />
going to take? Is it going to be<br />
months, weeks, or years? It can be a<br />
daunting and challenging task.<br />
Training is needed, is necessary<br />
and is beneficial for any law enforcement<br />
agency.<br />
The decisions on how it gets done<br />
and how soon are not easy to solve.<br />
Public expectations need to be realistic:<br />
all this training isn’t going to<br />
happen overnight.<br />
About the Author<br />
Joe is a retired Anaheim Police<br />
Department Captain, a columnist<br />
at BehindTheBadgeOC.com and a<br />
POST-certified public and crisis<br />
communications instructor. He can<br />
be reached at JVargas@behindthebadgeoc.com.<br />
10 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 11
THERE IS NO GOOD ANSWER<br />
“He was a 13-year-old baby.<br />
How could the police kill him?”<br />
“He was 13 years old; he wasn’t<br />
a threat.”<br />
“If the police are scared of a<br />
13-year-old, they shouldn’t be<br />
the police.”<br />
“I don’t care if he had a gun, he<br />
put his hands up.”<br />
“13-year old’s brains aren’t developed;<br />
he doesn’t know what<br />
he’s doing.”<br />
Just like the 13-year-old<br />
and 15-year-old girl that carjacked<br />
an Uber Eats driver and<br />
then killed him. But she was a<br />
13-year-old baby, she wasn’t<br />
a threat, right? Tell that to the<br />
family who buried 66-year-old<br />
Mohammad Anwar who was a<br />
hard-working Pakistani immigrant<br />
who came to the United<br />
States to create a better life for<br />
him and his family.<br />
Just like the two 12-year-old<br />
girls who planned out and then<br />
lured their classmate into the<br />
woods where they viciously<br />
stabbed her 19 times and left her<br />
to die. Do you think the victim’s<br />
parents believe children aren’t<br />
capable of harm?<br />
Just like the 15-year-old that<br />
was a part of the group that<br />
followed and then fatally shot<br />
the retired firefighter outside of<br />
a popcorn shop in Chicago. Did<br />
you watch that video? Don’t. It<br />
will make you sick. A man spent<br />
his entire life serving others<br />
and was just trying to enjoy his<br />
retirement before being gunned<br />
down because he had a nice car.<br />
He had a concealed weapon and<br />
returned fire. He did everything<br />
right. But still lost his life and<br />
one involved was a 15-year-old<br />
male.<br />
Still think children aren’t<br />
capable of violence? Chicago<br />
saw a spike in juveniles, age<br />
17 and younger, arrested for<br />
first-degree murder. So not old<br />
enough to drive or get a lottery<br />
ticket, but old enough to kill.<br />
A total of 36 juveniles arrested<br />
for homicide in Chicago<br />
last year. That is a 35 percent<br />
increase over 2019. Are you still<br />
going to claim children aren’t<br />
a threat? Some of the most<br />
heinous crimes in our history<br />
are carried out by children.<br />
So, stop using his age as an<br />
excuse. Stop letting emotions<br />
take control of you. A 13-yearold<br />
can kill you just as easily<br />
as an adult.<br />
This police officer received<br />
notification of 8 shots fired into<br />
a vehicle. He chased after a<br />
subject in a dark alley who he<br />
knew to be armed. The subject<br />
turned with a gun in his hands.<br />
838 milliseconds between<br />
when the subject dropped the<br />
gun and when police fired a<br />
single shot. Virtually, at the<br />
same time. Go ahead and time<br />
that on your phone. See just<br />
how quick 838 milliseconds<br />
are. <strong>No</strong>w do it after shots were<br />
just fired, you’re chasing someone<br />
in the dark who can turn<br />
and fire on you any second, and<br />
you have no idea what race<br />
or how old this subject is. The<br />
subject turns toward you with a<br />
gun. Are you going to wait for<br />
him to make the right decision?<br />
Are you going to give him the<br />
opportunity to shoot and kill you<br />
first? 838 milliseconds to make<br />
it home to your family. Go ahead<br />
and look up how fast your brain<br />
can process information and<br />
how fast it can process information<br />
under stress.<br />
But everything is the police’s<br />
fault. Let’s not blame the parents<br />
who let their 13-year-old son out<br />
on the streets with a 21-yearold<br />
at 3 a.m. with a loaded gun. I<br />
don’t know about you, but when<br />
I was 13 my parents knew my<br />
every movement. That’s the way<br />
it should be when your young<br />
mind needs guidance. This child<br />
obviously didn’t have any.<br />
Let’s not blame the child himself,<br />
the one who had no regard<br />
for human life. He was an innocent<br />
child, right? So, use your<br />
brain and tell me. What was he<br />
doing with a gun at that time out<br />
in the streets then? His friends<br />
who are crying for his innocence<br />
and the death of cops, say “Say<br />
RIP Lil Homicide.” How do you<br />
get the nickname Lil Homicide at<br />
the age of 13? Tell me that. <strong>No</strong>t<br />
everyone grows up with a good<br />
home life or good parents, but<br />
they all don’t choose to turn to a<br />
life of crime either.<br />
Is it sad a 13-year-old lost his<br />
life? Yes. May God have mercy on<br />
his soul. Could all of this have<br />
been avoided? Yes. Is it the police’s<br />
fault for doing their job? <strong>No</strong>.<br />
This isn’t about backing the blue<br />
or blindly supporting police. This<br />
is about right and wrong. That<br />
officer will pay for it the rest of<br />
12 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 13
his life knowing he had to take<br />
the life of a young boy. I’ll get<br />
a lot of hate for this post and I<br />
don’t care. It’s not the police’s job<br />
to raise and discipline your children.<br />
Raise your kids so the first<br />
time they’re dealing with authority<br />
isn’t when they are dealing<br />
with the police.<br />
It’s cool and hip now to make<br />
thugs and criminals heroes<br />
while vilifying the police for<br />
simply doing their jobs. Every<br />
time you cry police brutality or<br />
racism in instances it doesn’t<br />
apply, you’re taking away from<br />
the times it does. This isn’t a race<br />
issue. I don’t care if someone is<br />
a police officer. I don’t care if<br />
they’re a known criminal. If they<br />
are wrong, they are wrong. If<br />
they acted correctly, they acted<br />
correctly. Stop letting the media<br />
control what you think about<br />
everything. Think for yourself<br />
based off your own research and<br />
with a logical mind.<br />
#ADAMTOLEDO<br />
MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL<br />
Officer Chauvin was convicted<br />
on all 3 counts by the jury.<br />
George Floyd was a career<br />
criminal. His last crime resulted<br />
in his death. Officer Chauvin is<br />
likely going to prison for a very<br />
long time. It is also very likely<br />
his verdict will be overturned<br />
because of irresponsible Democrats<br />
such as Maxine Waters.<br />
She yelled in a crowd to convict,<br />
convict, convict Officer Chauvin<br />
for murder. She is an elected official,<br />
and it was totally inappropriate<br />
for her to be spewing hate<br />
during a trial. Also, Biden, the<br />
worst President ever in the history<br />
of the United States, said he<br />
was praying for a guilty verdict.<br />
Beyond disgraceful. The jurors<br />
were not sequestered during the<br />
trial. They were threatened on<br />
social media and so were the<br />
witnesses. One witness for the<br />
defense had a bloody head of a<br />
pig on his front porch and everything<br />
was smeared in blood.<br />
Stupidly, the animals that did<br />
this did not know the witness<br />
moved from this home 5 years<br />
ago. There have been memorials,<br />
marches, demonstrations, protests,<br />
looting, rioting and more<br />
for Floyd. The family are millionaires<br />
now because of his death. It<br />
is over, or so I thought. There are<br />
now more memorials planned<br />
for him. There is a huge mural of<br />
him in Houston, Texas that shows<br />
wings on his back. That is beyond<br />
ludicrous and disrespectful,<br />
especially to the pregnant woman<br />
that he held at gunpoint with<br />
the gun pointed at her stomach<br />
while his friend ransacked her<br />
house and robbed her. I would<br />
really like for the media to shut<br />
their mouths about this case. I<br />
never want to hear the name<br />
George Floyd again. Biden should<br />
attempt to be President and consider<br />
visiting the border where<br />
there is a real crisis. Harris, who<br />
is supposed to be in charge of<br />
the border crisis is totally MIA.<br />
She has only laughed when<br />
asked if she planned on visiting<br />
the border. It seems that has<br />
been swept under the rug.<br />
SHERYL SHEFFIELD SMITH<br />
THEY NEED TO STHU AND GET<br />
A JOB!<br />
BLM issued the demand in concert<br />
with a broader demand to<br />
“defund” all police departments<br />
across the country, because,<br />
they claim, current and former<br />
law enforcement officials were<br />
involved in the January 6th riot:<br />
“The police that met our BLM<br />
protestors this summer with<br />
assault rifles, teargas, and military-grade<br />
protective gear were<br />
the same police that, on Wednesday,<br />
met white supremacists with<br />
patience and the benefit of the<br />
doubt, going so far as to pose for<br />
selfies with rioters.”<br />
Black Lives Matter seems to<br />
ignore that the group’s “freedom<br />
summer” protests often ended<br />
in riots and destruction; in some<br />
cases, the riots and arson associated<br />
with, or which followed, anti-police<br />
brutality and anti-racism<br />
protests in the summer of<br />
2020 caused more than a billion<br />
dollars in damage and often left<br />
minority neighborhoods ravaged.<br />
FED UP<br />
AMONTEBELLO POLICE<br />
HELP 92-YR OLD MAN<br />
Earlier today, officers responded<br />
to the Bank of America in<br />
Montebello regarding a patron<br />
who was causing a disturbance.<br />
Upon officer’s arrival, they discovered<br />
that a 92-year-old man<br />
was trying to withdraw money<br />
from his account, however his<br />
California identification card was<br />
expired. Per the banks policy,<br />
because his identification card<br />
was expired, they were unable to<br />
fulfill his request. The gentleman<br />
was upset, and the police were<br />
called.<br />
Once officers arrived, Officer<br />
Robert Josett decided to take<br />
the man to the DMV in town to<br />
help him renew his identification<br />
card. With the assistance of the<br />
DMV, his identification card was<br />
renewed, and he was taken back<br />
to the bank at which time he was<br />
able to withdraw money from<br />
his account. He thanked Officer<br />
Josett and went on his way.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
14 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 15
16 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 17
Biden <strong>No</strong>minates Sheriff Gonzales to Head ICE<br />
WASHINGTON — President<br />
Joe Biden has nominated Texas<br />
sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, to lead<br />
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement<br />
for the Department of<br />
Homeland Security.<br />
Since 2017, Gonzales has served<br />
as sheriff of Harris County, Texas,<br />
which is the largest sheriff office<br />
in Texas and the third largest in<br />
the country. He has led a team of<br />
5,000 employees in the position<br />
and previously served 18 years<br />
with the Houston Police Department,<br />
rising to the rank of sergeant,<br />
according to his profile on<br />
his office’s website.<br />
If confirmed by the Senate as<br />
the next director of ICE, Gonzales<br />
would lead the agency charged<br />
with strengthening border security<br />
and preventing the illegal<br />
movement of people, goods and<br />
funds into and out of the U.S. The<br />
agency has about 20,000 deportation<br />
officers, special agents,<br />
analysts and other staff.<br />
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas<br />
praised Biden’s pick in a<br />
statement Tuesday.<br />
“Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is a strong<br />
choice for ICE Director,” Mayorkas<br />
said. “With a distinguished<br />
career in law enforcement and<br />
public service, Sheriff Gonzalez<br />
is well-suited to lead ICE as<br />
the agency advances our public<br />
safety and homeland security<br />
mission. I hope the Senate will<br />
swiftly confirm Sheriff Gonzalez<br />
to this critical position.”<br />
In 2017, as Harris County’s new<br />
sheriff, Gonzales withdrew from<br />
a partnership with federal immigration<br />
authorities that allowed<br />
local officers to determine the<br />
immigration status of jailed<br />
crime suspects, citing a lack of<br />
resources. They were then allowed<br />
to hold people selected<br />
for deportation, the Houston<br />
Chronicle reported.<br />
Gonzalez would succeed Tae<br />
Johnson, who has been serving<br />
as acting ICE director since Jan.<br />
13. He previously served as the<br />
agency’s deputy director.<br />
ICE has not had a permanent<br />
director since 2017. The agency<br />
operated with five acting directors<br />
under the Trump administration.<br />
This comes as the Biden<br />
administration has faced challenges<br />
at the border, including a<br />
surge of unaccompanied minors<br />
crossing into the U.S.<br />
EDITOR - If confirmed by both<br />
houses, Harris County Commissioners<br />
Court will pick a replacement<br />
to head the Sheriff’s office<br />
until the next election. The BLUES<br />
recommends PCT. 1 Constable<br />
Alan Rosen as the #1 choice to<br />
lead the Sheriff’s office.<br />
Our entire Sheriff’s Office family<br />
is saddened by the heartbreaking<br />
loss of our brother, Deputy Alexander<br />
Gwosdz. We came together on<br />
Wednesday with his close circle of<br />
loved ones to pay tribute to a beloved<br />
son, brother, and remarkable<br />
public servant.<br />
Deputy Gwosdz was looking<br />
forward to dedicating his life to<br />
protecting and serving our communities.<br />
He knew early on he wanted<br />
to earn the badge and wear this<br />
uniform. He came from a family of<br />
public servants. His father, Deputy<br />
Chris Gwosdz, who was an auto<br />
theft investigator, retired from the<br />
Sheriff’s Office last year after 34<br />
years of service. His sister, Catherine,<br />
serves as a jailer with the<br />
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.<br />
Deputy Gwosdz joined our agency<br />
in 2012 as a detention officer in<br />
the Harris County Jail. Two years<br />
later, he took a leap in fulfilling<br />
his dreams by graduating from our<br />
training academy. He served as a<br />
patrol deputy in northwest Harris<br />
County, patrolling the very neighborhoods<br />
where he grew up and<br />
lived.<br />
He also was a member of our<br />
High-Water Rescue Team. These<br />
critical team members respond to<br />
rescue calls during flooding events<br />
and have completed rigorous swift<br />
water training. They monitor and<br />
prepare for the worst-case scenario<br />
and encourage our residents to do<br />
the same.<br />
In 2017, during Hurricane Harvey,<br />
Deputy Gwosdz was in our communities<br />
on a high-water rescue<br />
vehicle. For those of us who lived<br />
through it, we’ll never forget Hurricane<br />
Harvey’s destruction and<br />
devastation. He was there for his<br />
“Deputy Gwosdz remembered for his love for his job<br />
and immense pride in helping others.”<br />
neighbors and teammates through<br />
it all.<br />
Deputy Gwosdz’s profound impact<br />
on those who knew him was evident<br />
in the many stories and memories<br />
shared over the past week. He<br />
was remembered for his endless<br />
love for his job and immense pride<br />
in helping others.<br />
His Patrol District 5 teammates<br />
described their relationship as a<br />
close-knit family and brotherhood.<br />
They always looked out for each<br />
other.<br />
Deputy Aguilar and Deputy Ticas,<br />
who were his training academy<br />
classmates, recalled a time when<br />
they responded to a call for service<br />
involving an armed suspect inside<br />
a residence. Together, the deputies<br />
safely made their way into the home<br />
and deescalated the situation without<br />
any incident. They trusted each<br />
other with their lives.<br />
Deputy Gwosdz never hesitated<br />
to take appropriate action. Reserve<br />
Deputy Wilson, who also graduated<br />
from the training academy with<br />
him, will never forget his partner<br />
helping a shooting victim stay calm.<br />
He applied pressure to her gunshot<br />
wound until EMS arrived, and<br />
Deputy Wilson worked to clear the<br />
house.<br />
Deputy Gwosdz represented the<br />
very best among us. He possessed<br />
all the values you could want in a<br />
peace officer: compassionate, hardworking,<br />
honest, and kind. People<br />
cared for him well beyond his work<br />
here at the Sheriff’s Office.<br />
His passing reminds us of the<br />
dangers of this virus and the importance<br />
of banding together to do<br />
everything we can to fight it. Deputy<br />
Gwosdz had his whole life ahead of<br />
him. Our law enforcement personnel<br />
in our communities and inside<br />
the jail are at risk of being exposed<br />
every day. They’re on the front lines.<br />
This marks the fifth teammate to die<br />
after contracting the virus.<br />
We will keep Deputy Gwosdz<br />
and his family in our hearts. Your<br />
brothers and sisters in blue have the<br />
watch from here.<br />
18 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 19
Bill allowing permit-less carrying of handguns, doesn’t sit well with<br />
some Police Unions across the state.<br />
HB 1927 & HB 1911, known as “Constitutional<br />
Carry Bills” advance to Texas Senate Floor<br />
While Texas Republicans are<br />
already headed toward a collision<br />
course over platform priorities<br />
over a controversial election<br />
bill that recently made its way<br />
out of the state Senate and is<br />
headed to the House, they may<br />
have another juggling act on<br />
their hands over bills that would<br />
allow Texans to carry handguns<br />
both openly and concealed without<br />
a permit.<br />
In April, the Texas House Committee<br />
on Homeland Security<br />
and Public Safety passed two<br />
bills - House Bills 1911 and 1927 -<br />
which allow for unlicensed carry<br />
of a handgun - known as “constitutional<br />
carry” - if you are not<br />
prohibited by law to do so, with<br />
HB 1927 on the schedule to be<br />
discussed on the House floor.<br />
Ahead of this, several law enforcement<br />
leaders from across<br />
the state - including the Texas<br />
Municipal Police Association,<br />
Texas Police Chiefs Association,<br />
as well as police chiefs with<br />
<strong>Austin</strong> and San Marcos Police<br />
Departments and police unions<br />
for <strong>Austin</strong>, Houston, and Dallas<br />
- gathered outside the Texas<br />
Capitol to forcefully oppose<br />
these bills.<br />
“We are here not because we<br />
oppose the Constitution. We<br />
have all sworn to uphold<br />
the Constitution. You’ll<br />
notice I’m wearing a tie<br />
with the Constitution on<br />
it. We are here because<br />
of our concerns for public<br />
safety. We’re concerned<br />
that this bill passing will<br />
make the jobs for our<br />
law enforcement officers<br />
more difficult and more<br />
dangerous,” said Texas<br />
Municipal Police Association<br />
Executive Director<br />
Kevin Lawrence. “This bill<br />
is just bad public policy.”<br />
Lawrence went on to<br />
assert the way the law<br />
is now in Texas is actually<br />
constitutional carry,<br />
listing other constitutional<br />
rights - like driving a car<br />
- needing a license.<br />
Currently, you must<br />
have a license, which requires<br />
training, passing tests, and submitting<br />
fingerprints for criminal<br />
background checks.<br />
The timing of HB 1927 being<br />
placed on the House floor calendar<br />
has caught the attention of<br />
many, with so many deadly mass<br />
shootings scattered across the<br />
country, including two in Texas.<br />
Gun control advocates have<br />
pointed to these shootings as<br />
evidence. Bills like these should<br />
not be passed, and laws that<br />
make it harder - not easier - to<br />
get access to guns should be the<br />
priority.<br />
San Marcos Police Chief Stan<br />
Standridge, who is also the former<br />
president of the Texas Police<br />
Chiefs Association, emphasized<br />
how this could make things more<br />
dangerous not only for the public,<br />
but for law enforcement.<br />
“We are opposed to House Bill<br />
1911, which - if passed - would<br />
make it legal for a person who<br />
meets the eligibility requirements<br />
for obtaining a handgun<br />
license to now carry a handgun<br />
without a permit, without<br />
any level of training or firearms<br />
awareness,” Standridge said.<br />
“To operate a boat in this state,<br />
you must have a boaters education<br />
certificate. To cut a person’s<br />
hair, you must have a license. To<br />
be a peace officer and carry a<br />
firearm, you must be 21 years of<br />
age and complete a minimum of<br />
696 hours before licensure. Yet,<br />
some would suggest all citizens<br />
21 years and older who do not<br />
have a criminal record should be<br />
allowed to openly carry firearms<br />
into all public venues that are<br />
not otherwise prohibited. These<br />
same citizens would not have to<br />
demonstrate proficiency with a<br />
firearm or even basic awareness<br />
of firearms safety. At least with a<br />
license to carry permit, citizens<br />
must demonstrate basic knowledge<br />
and awareness of the laws,<br />
and the course now even teaches<br />
how to de-escalate to forgo the<br />
use of the firearm to begin with.”<br />
Bills allowing for handgun carry<br />
without a permit have failed<br />
in previous legislative sessions,<br />
but gun control advocates are<br />
worried this time around because<br />
new House Speaker Dade<br />
Phelan has supported such bills<br />
as recently as last session.<br />
However, even if these bills<br />
make it out of the House, they<br />
still have to make it through the<br />
Senate, where presiding chair<br />
and Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick<br />
has expressed concerns<br />
with these bills, citing concerns<br />
law enforcement leaders have.<br />
In fact, after the deadly mass<br />
shooting in El Paso, Patrick even<br />
floated the idea of tougher background<br />
check measures.<br />
A major point law enforcement<br />
leaders brought up Tuesday<br />
morning was how bills that<br />
allowed handgun carry without<br />
a permit make their jobs more<br />
difficult and dangerous.<br />
“This begs a simple question:<br />
At a time when violent crime is<br />
rising, and police-community<br />
relations are strained, do we really<br />
want to inject more firearms<br />
into this complex equation?”<br />
Standridge asked. “Your police<br />
departments are already called<br />
almost daily to enforce or at<br />
least educate citizens to wear a<br />
mask in private businesses. Can<br />
you imagine the number of calls<br />
we’re going to receive if House<br />
Bill 1911 is ultimately passed,<br />
wherein businesses do not want<br />
armed citizens inside. They will<br />
consequently call 911, and officers<br />
will be dispatched. At a<br />
time in our state, when we need<br />
to be lessening the frequency in<br />
which we engage armed citizens,<br />
we’re going to, in fact, do<br />
the exact opposite.”<br />
20 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 21
16-year-old may face second degree Felony charges.<br />
Mesquite PD Honors K-9 Kozmo Killed in the<br />
Line of Duty. End of Watch 4/26/21<br />
MESQUITE - A K-9 officer from<br />
the Mesquite Police Department<br />
who died in the line of duty,<br />
was honored Friday May 30th by<br />
police departments across <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
Texas.<br />
Officers and K-9s from multiple<br />
police departments gathered<br />
to honor Kozmo, who was<br />
brought back to the Mesquite<br />
Police Department from Texas<br />
A&M via police escort around 12<br />
p.m.<br />
Kozmo was escorted by honor<br />
guard and placed in rest inside<br />
the police building until his memorial<br />
service.<br />
According to the Mesquite<br />
Police Department, Kozmo was<br />
killed in the line of duty early<br />
Monday morning May 26th after<br />
a pursuit that took officers from<br />
Balch Springs to Mesquite and<br />
ended with three people arrested.<br />
Officers from Mesquite were<br />
called to assist with the pursuit,<br />
according to Mesquite PD.<br />
After using a spike strip to<br />
stop the vehicle, one person was<br />
arrested inside the vehicle, but<br />
two others ran off into a nearby<br />
wooded area.<br />
Police said Kozmo tracked<br />
the suspects down, but officers<br />
could not find him after the arrests.<br />
Kozmo was found at about<br />
4:13 a.m. and pronounced dead,<br />
police said.<br />
Police said a necropsy test<br />
determined Kozmo’s death was<br />
allegedly caused by trauma consistent<br />
with an assault.<br />
A 16-year-old male involved<br />
in the chase is now facing second-degree<br />
felony charges in<br />
connection with Kozmo’s death,<br />
police said.<br />
“Kozmo was an amazing and<br />
loyal dog who gave his life in the<br />
performance of his duties,” the<br />
Mesquite Police Department said<br />
in a statement. “We ask everyone<br />
to keep all of our officers in<br />
their thoughts and prayers as we<br />
deal with this loss.”<br />
22 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 23
t<br />
Alan Helfman Presented with Yet Another Lifetime Achievement Award<br />
HPD Chief’s Present Helfman with Award<br />
HOUSTON - At an award ceremony<br />
hosted by local businessman<br />
Tillman Fertitta, Alan Helfman was<br />
presented yet another Lifetime<br />
Achievement Award, this time by<br />
the Houston Police Department.<br />
In March, The BLUES presented<br />
Helfman with its first ever Lifetime<br />
Award and featured him on the<br />
cover.<br />
A local magazine had this to say<br />
about the award:<br />
Perhaps that award was presented<br />
because he has produced over<br />
100 fundraisers and given over $1<br />
million of his own money to the<br />
Houston Police Department (HPD)<br />
over the years. “My passion for the<br />
HPD is helping the widows pay<br />
the bills and stay in their homes,<br />
helping the guys who are hurt or<br />
sick—it’s really good money.”<br />
That’s just one of many Houston<br />
charities that he has supported.<br />
One way he consistently helps others<br />
is by donating cars.<br />
“My father and mother, Jack and<br />
Elaine Helfman, were my inspiration<br />
in giving,” said the native<br />
Houstonian about the founders of<br />
the Helfman car dealership. “They<br />
gave away three cars a year. Last<br />
year with the pandemic, I said,<br />
‘Game on!’ and gave away eight—<br />
two to the HPD, two to the Houston<br />
Fire Department (HFD), one to<br />
Houston Methodist Hospital, one<br />
to Ronald McDonald House, one<br />
to Rice University, and one to the<br />
Houston Community College.”<br />
As president of his family’s group<br />
of five Helfman Auto Dealerships—a<br />
family affair including the Helfman,<br />
Feldman and Wolf families—the<br />
gift of cars seems a natural. But<br />
HPD’s Executive Chief Larry Satterwhite and HPD Chief Troy Fenner,<br />
present Alan Helfman with a Lifetime Achievement Award<br />
it’s only part of Alan Helfman’s<br />
largesse. He puts on exciting fundraising<br />
events (two a month for the<br />
past 25 years before the pandemic),<br />
which are typified by 12 performers,<br />
sometimes Astros and Rockets<br />
cheerleaders, and his own band!<br />
“We dance and sing, jump, and<br />
three hours later, we’ve raised more<br />
than $100,000.”<br />
Recommends to Harris County Commissioner’s Court, that Harris County Constable Alan Rosen, be<br />
appointed to fill the remaining term of Sheriff Gonzalez should he be confirmed as the head of ICE.<br />
Constable Rosen is the most qualified and experienced candidate to step in and run the third largest<br />
sheriff’s office in the country. Therefore, The BLUES Police Magazine, the Largest Digital Police<br />
Magazine in the U.S. with over 65,000 readers in Texas, endorses:<br />
Constable Alan Rosen, for Harris County Sheriff.<br />
24 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 25
DC Police Hit by Russian Ransomware Attack<br />
WASHINGTON, DC– The Washington,<br />
D.C. police department<br />
said last month that its computer<br />
network was breached, and a<br />
Russian-speaking ransomware<br />
syndicate claimed to have stolen<br />
sensitive data, including information<br />
on informants, that it<br />
threatened to share with local<br />
criminal gangs unless police<br />
paid an unspecified ransom.<br />
The cybercriminals posted<br />
screenshots on their dark web<br />
site supporting their claim to<br />
have stolen more than 250 gigabytes<br />
of data, Fox News reports.<br />
The District of Columbia’s Metropolitan<br />
Police Department said<br />
in a statement that it had asked<br />
the FBI to investigate the “unauthorized<br />
access.” There was no<br />
indication that any police operations<br />
were affected, and the<br />
department did not immediately<br />
say whether it had been hit by<br />
ransomware.<br />
The Babuk group, a relatively<br />
new ransomware gang, said on<br />
its website that it had “downloaded<br />
a sufficient amount of<br />
Washington DC Police admitted to having suffered a ransomware attack.<br />
The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed this attack after the<br />
attackers – the Buk Locker gang – disclosed their activity. For now, the<br />
ransomware gang has threatened the DC Police to leak the data they stole<br />
through this attack. Around the same time, the attackers have made an<br />
interesting disclosure of their soon expected departure.<br />
information from your internal<br />
networks” and gave the police<br />
three days to contact it or “we<br />
will start to contact gangs in<br />
order to drain the informants.”<br />
Screenshots it posted suggested<br />
it has data from at least four<br />
computers, including intelligence<br />
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reports, information on gang<br />
conflicts, the jail census and other<br />
administrative files. One of the<br />
images, apparently of network<br />
locations accessed by the criminals,<br />
showed a text document<br />
on one computer titled “How to<br />
Restore Your Files.”<br />
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26 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 27
Idaho Cop Whose TikTok Mocked LeBron James Over<br />
His Ma’Khia Bryant Comments Has Raised $500,000.<br />
Donors raised over $500,000 in<br />
three days on behalf of a smalltown<br />
Idaho cop, whose viral<br />
TikTok appeared to mock LeBron<br />
James for expressing concern<br />
about the police killing of<br />
16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant.<br />
The money was raised for Bellevue,<br />
Idaho, police officer Nate<br />
Silvester through a GoFundMe<br />
campaign organized by a man<br />
describing himself as Silvester’s<br />
“best friend.” In the campaign’s<br />
description, the organizer said<br />
Silvester had been suspended<br />
from the force without pay because<br />
of the video.<br />
As the Idaho Statesman reported<br />
Saturday, Bellevue officials<br />
haven’t yet confirmed whether<br />
Silvester has actually been suspended.<br />
Bellevue Marshal Mynde Heil<br />
did not immediately return Insider’s<br />
request for comment about<br />
Silvester’s employment with the<br />
city police. Silvester likewise did<br />
not immediately return Insider’s<br />
request for comment.<br />
“The Bellevue Marshal’s Office<br />
is aware of the extreme controversy<br />
regarding Deputy Marshal<br />
Silvester’s viral TikTok,” the Marshal’s<br />
office said in a statement<br />
posted to Facebook on Tuesday.<br />
“The statements made do NOT<br />
represent the Bellevue Marshal’s<br />
Office.”<br />
It said it was a “personnel issue”<br />
that was being investigated<br />
internally.<br />
In the viral video, which as of<br />
Saturday racked up 5.1 million<br />
views and more than 700,000<br />
likes, Silvester sat inside his<br />
police car and performed a skit<br />
titled, “here we go again.”<br />
“Dispatch, I have arrived,” Silvester<br />
said, pretending to talk<br />
on his police radio. Music from<br />
“SpongeBob” played in the background<br />
of the video.<br />
He also rolled down the window<br />
and started to talk to people<br />
standing outside, though it<br />
didn’t appear he was actually<br />
speaking to anyone.<br />
“Excuse me, sir, can you put the<br />
knife down please, sir?” Silvester<br />
said in the video, indicating that<br />
one of the off-screen characters<br />
in the skit was holding a knife.<br />
Then, he pretended to receive<br />
a phone call from Los Angeles<br />
Lakers basketball star LeBron<br />
James. After Bryant was killed<br />
on April 21, James posted and<br />
eventually deleted, a tweet that<br />
said: “YOU’RE NEXT.” James<br />
called for “accountability” and<br />
included in the tweet a photo<br />
of Nicholas Reardon, the officer<br />
who shot Bryant four times.<br />
James later deleted the tweet<br />
to prevent the spread of further<br />
hate, he said.<br />
The scenario is a clear reference<br />
to Bryant, who in police<br />
bodycam footage appeared<br />
to lunge at another girl with a<br />
knife. Bryant’s killing sparked<br />
protest and outcry, and the mayor<br />
of Columbus called on the<br />
Department of Justice to review<br />
the police force for any instances<br />
of racial bias.<br />
“What do you think I should<br />
do?” Silvester asked the basketball<br />
player in the skit. James<br />
wasn’t actually on the other end<br />
of the phone.<br />
Silvester then said the character<br />
in his skit holding the knife<br />
was black, implying that the<br />
fake James had asked about the<br />
man’s race.<br />
“Well, they’re both black,” he<br />
said. “One guy is trying to stab<br />
another guy with a knife. Deadly<br />
force is completely justified.<br />
“So, you don’t care if a black<br />
person kills another black person,<br />
but you do care if a white<br />
cop kills a black person even if<br />
he’s doing it to save the life of<br />
another black person?” Silvester<br />
asked James.<br />
Toward the end of the video,<br />
Silvester thanked James, pretended<br />
to hang up the phone,<br />
and told the fictional people<br />
outside his window that they<br />
were on their own, wishing them<br />
“good luck.”<br />
In another video on his page,<br />
Silvester also appeared to defend<br />
Kimberly Potter, the Minnesota<br />
Police officer who last<br />
month shot and killed Daunte<br />
Wright in his car when she said<br />
she meant to discharge her taser<br />
rather than her gun.<br />
“The female officer in the<br />
Daunte Wright incident f----d<br />
up big time,” he said. “She made<br />
a huge mistake. It’s awful. It’s<br />
horrible. But at least she had the<br />
balls to wear the badge and do<br />
the job for 26 years in an area<br />
like Minneapolis.”<br />
In a video Friday posted to<br />
TikTok, Silvester thanked people<br />
who donated and said he wanted<br />
to move the discussion away<br />
from him and to drum up larger<br />
support for police.<br />
“I want to shift the focus with<br />
this GoFundMe campaign from<br />
me onto the bigger picture,<br />
which is law enforcement officers<br />
all over the country,” he<br />
said. “We are seeing good police<br />
officers literally walking away<br />
from their jobs because it is no<br />
longer worth it to be police officers.”<br />
“They don’t have any incentive<br />
to do the job anymore. It’s not<br />
safe and it’s not healthy for them<br />
or for their families. They’re<br />
being vilified and demonized<br />
constantly by Hollywood, by the<br />
media, and we can’t stand for it<br />
anymore.”<br />
He added that he was in the<br />
“primary stages” of launching<br />
a non-profit organization that<br />
exists to help officers who “find<br />
themselves in these very difficult<br />
situations.”<br />
“We’re going to get it up and<br />
running,” he said. “We’re going<br />
to start taking care of our men<br />
and women in blue.”<br />
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28 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 29
In Person Events Vary Across the Country<br />
National Police Week May 9-15<br />
National Police Week occurs<br />
every May, and in <strong>2021</strong> we will be<br />
commemorating it with virtual<br />
events that can be viewed from<br />
anywhere in the world. From May<br />
9–15, the National Law Enforcement<br />
Memorial and Museum<br />
will deliver programs to keep<br />
current officers safe and healthy,<br />
as well as ceremonies to honor<br />
those fallen officers whose<br />
names have been recently added<br />
to the Memorial. Be sure to mark<br />
your calendar for the 33rd Annual<br />
Candlelight Vigil, happening<br />
virtually on Thursday, May 13 at<br />
8:00 p.m. (Eastern).<br />
In-person events are planned<br />
for October 13-17, <strong>2021</strong> in Washington,<br />
DC to offer the same respect,<br />
honor, remembrance, and<br />
community support as National<br />
Police Week, while allowing<br />
law enforcement, survivors, and<br />
citizens to gather and pay tribute<br />
those who gave their lives in the<br />
line of duty.<br />
In 1962, President Kennedy<br />
proclaimed May 15 as National<br />
Peace Officers Memorial Day and<br />
the calendar week in which May<br />
15 falls, as National Police Week.<br />
Established by a joint resolution<br />
of Congress in 1962, National<br />
Police Week pays special recognition<br />
to those law enforcement<br />
officers who have lost their lives<br />
in the line of duty for the safety<br />
and protection of others.<br />
National Police Week is a collaborative<br />
effort of many organizations<br />
dedicated to honoring<br />
America’s law enforcement<br />
community.<br />
The principal organizers of National<br />
Police Week include:<br />
• National Law Enforcement<br />
Officers Memorial Fund<br />
(NLEOMF), which produces the<br />
annual Candlelight Vigil. Phone:<br />
202.7<strong>37</strong>.3400 | vigil@nleomf.org<br />
• Fraternal Order of Police/<br />
Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary<br />
(FOP/FOPA), which organize<br />
the Peace Officers Memorial Day<br />
Service at the U.S. Capitol. www.<br />
policeweek.org<br />
• Concerns of Police Survivors<br />
(C.O.P.S.), which holds the<br />
National Police Survivors’ Conference.<br />
Phone: (573) 346-4911 |<br />
cops@nationalcops.org<br />
• The Memorial Fund conducts<br />
a variety of programs and events<br />
each year to honor those law<br />
enforcement officers who have<br />
made the ultimate sacrifice and<br />
to increase public support for<br />
the law enforcement profession.<br />
• The Memorial Fund (along<br />
with Concerns of Police Survivors,<br />
the Fraternal Order of<br />
Police, and the FOP Auxiliary) is<br />
a principal organizer of National<br />
Police Week, the annual tribute<br />
to law enforcement service and<br />
sacrifice that is held each May in<br />
Washington, DC. They host both<br />
formal ceremonies such as the<br />
annual Candlelight Vigil each<br />
May 13 and impromptu, individual<br />
tributes to American fallen<br />
heroes of law enforcement.<br />
• The Memorial hosts several<br />
other commemorative events<br />
throughout the year such as the<br />
annual Wreath Laying ceremony<br />
to mark the Memorial’s dedication<br />
on October 15, 1991 and various<br />
special events for honored<br />
guests and notable anniversary<br />
dates, such as September 11th.<br />
• The Memorial Fund also operates<br />
various programs designed<br />
to raise awareness of law enforcement<br />
service and sacrifice,<br />
promote officer safety, and<br />
reduce injuries and fatalities. Our<br />
Drive Safely campaign encourages<br />
motorists to be careful around<br />
law enforcement officers on our<br />
roadways, where the majority of<br />
officers are killed each year. Memorial<br />
license plates in several<br />
states carry the distinctive Rose<br />
& Shield logo, reminding motorists<br />
of the sacrifice officers make<br />
for our safety and protection.<br />
• We encourage everyone to<br />
get involved in the Memorial<br />
Fund’s program and events, as<br />
a way to show your support for<br />
the brave men and women of<br />
law enforcement.<br />
• Interested in Holding an Event<br />
at the Memorial?<br />
Contact: Tyauna Brown,<br />
tbrown@nleomf.org or (202)<br />
7<strong>37</strong>-7135<br />
30 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 31
National Police Week<br />
32 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 33
Texas Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong> - <strong>Austin</strong>, Texas<br />
34 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 35
Texas Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong> - <strong>Austin</strong>, Texas<br />
36 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE <strong>37</strong>
Texas Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong> - <strong>Austin</strong>, Texas<br />
The following officers were honored at this year’s memorial service:<br />
• Christopher David Murray, Frisco Police Department<br />
• <strong>No</strong>rman D. Merkel, US Marshal’s Service<br />
• Ray E. Horn, III, Comal County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Russell Dean “Rusty” Salazar, Kendall County, Corrections Department<br />
• Donna Marie Moss, US Customs and Border Protection<br />
• Nathan Hayden Heidelberg, Midland Police Department<br />
• Albert “AJ” Castaneda, Jr., Grand Prairie Police Department<br />
• David Jones Fitzpatrick, The Colony Police Department<br />
• Jose Luis “Speedy” Espericueta, Jr., Mission Police Department<br />
• Carlos A. Ramirez, Kendall County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Jose Luis Blancarte, Kinney County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Moises Sanchez, Texas Dept. of Public Safety<br />
• Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, Harris County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Matthew Ryan Jones, Falls County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Christopher Charles Lewis Brewster, Houston Police Department<br />
• Kaila Marie Sullivan, Nassau Bay Police Department<br />
• Bryan Charles Pfluger, San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Clifton J. Martinez, San Antonio ISD Police Department<br />
• William Christopher Dickerson, Panola County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Nicholas Lee Reyna, Lubbock Police Department<br />
• Alan Daniel McCollum, Corpus Christi Police Department<br />
• Richard E. Whitten, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Christopher Scott Korzilius, Travis County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Amanda L. De Leon, Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• Justin Read Putnam, San Marcos Police Department<br />
• Jonathon Keith Goodman, Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• Akbar N. Shabazz, Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• John Andrew Rhoden, Bell County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Coy D. Coffman, Jr., Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• James D. Coleman, Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• Jason M. Knox, Houston Police Department<br />
• Caleb Daniel Rule, Fort Bend County Constable’s Office, Precinct 4<br />
• Ismael Z. Chavez, McAllen Police Department<br />
• Edelmiro Garza, Jr., McAllen Police Department<br />
• N. Kyle Coleman, Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office<br />
• Sheena Dae Yarbrough-Powell, Beaumont Police Department<br />
• Walterio Rodriguez, Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• James W. Weston, Jr., Texas Department of Criminal Justice<br />
• Peter John Herrera, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office<br />
• Lemuel Delray “DJ” Bruce, Jr., Houston Fire Marshal’s Office<br />
• Harold Lloyd Preston, Houston Police Department<br />
• Sean Sebastian Rios, Houston Police Department<br />
• M. Wayne Rhodes, Denton County Constable’s Office, Precinct 2<br />
38 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 39
Concerns of Police Survivors<br />
Pictured above left to right: Judy Pfluger, Cheryl Railsback, Sheri M. Sullivan, Judy Rule, Valerie Zamarripa, Sylvia Alaniz, Santitos Gonzales, Annette Bennett,<br />
Jamie Putnam, Charlotte Taylor, Shelia Yarbrough, Deide Powell, Rebecca Dickerson, Patricia F. Castaneda<br />
40 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 41
Concerns of Police Survivors<br />
Hundreds of Surviving Families gathered<br />
together for their Annual Luncheon<br />
at the Sheraton Hotel in <strong>Austin</strong>.<br />
Afterwards, everyone participated in a<br />
giant Balloon Release.<br />
42 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 43
A Group of Truly Inspiring Women<br />
When we think of the word<br />
“COPS” we usually think of “Police<br />
Officer’s” as in plural, right?<br />
Well, you may (or may not)<br />
know there is an organization<br />
called “COPS” which stands for<br />
Concerns of Police Survivors. In<br />
literal terms, its name defines its<br />
purpose.<br />
This organization supports<br />
surviving family members of<br />
fallen Law Enforcement Officers.<br />
It’s comprised of mothers,<br />
fathers, brothers and sisters,<br />
spouses, and surviving children.<br />
The organization is there for<br />
those who’ve lost their whole<br />
world.<br />
COPS is an (501C3) organization<br />
that began in 1984 with only<br />
110 initial members. Initially the<br />
group was established to provide<br />
sincere and honest relief for<br />
those surviving family members<br />
of a fallen Law Enforcement Officer.<br />
Today the organization has<br />
over 50,000 members.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w if that sounds like a lot,<br />
it is. This is due to the large<br />
amount of surviving family<br />
members of fallen Law Enforcement<br />
Officers. You see, when<br />
one of us falls, it isn’t just the<br />
officer that falls…it’s the entire<br />
family.<br />
When an officer is killed in the<br />
line of duty, Federal, State and<br />
Local Government entities step<br />
in and provide financial assistance<br />
for the fallen officer’s family.<br />
Then of course there’s the 100<br />
Club who also does an amazing<br />
job of assisting surviving family<br />
members. But as anyone who’s<br />
been through this traumatic<br />
experience will attest to, no<br />
amount of money can make up<br />
for the officer themselves. To be<br />
completely fair I don’t think anything,<br />
or anyone can.<br />
However, this is where COPS<br />
come in. They aren’t about the<br />
financial support; they are about<br />
the moral and emotional support.<br />
To be there for those who are<br />
crushed and hurting to curse at,<br />
cry with, laugh with and hopefully<br />
in some way, help one another<br />
begin to pick up the pieces of<br />
their shattered lives and world.<br />
I have attended dozens of memorial<br />
services organized by the<br />
state and even the National Peace<br />
Officer Memorial Service. I have<br />
knelt upon one knee and deliv-<br />
ered our Nation’s Flag unto the<br />
trembling hands of a fallen Law<br />
Enforcement Officers widow<br />
and embraced their heartbroken<br />
children. <strong>No</strong> amount of<br />
words could temper the pain of<br />
such a moment.<br />
So, when I mention organizations<br />
like COPS and the 100<br />
Club, I have a good understanding<br />
of what they stand for.<br />
COPS has always gone far and<br />
above what anyone ever ex-<br />
44 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 45
A Group of Truly Inspiring Women<br />
pected. Their tenacity and commitment<br />
to those who are survivors<br />
is in fact immeasurable.<br />
They are amazing, truly beautiful<br />
people who’ve lost so much and<br />
yet refuse to let the pain and<br />
grief stop them from helping<br />
others. Inspirational doesn’t even<br />
begin to adequately describe<br />
what these amazing people do<br />
each and every day.<br />
The Houston Chapter of COPS<br />
is one that I have come to know<br />
personally. The men and women<br />
here are without a doubt some<br />
of the strongest, most resilient<br />
human beings I have ever<br />
had the privilege of knowing.<br />
Year after year, as Officers in<br />
the Houston area are tragically<br />
taken from us, the COPS Team is<br />
there to support the family and<br />
walk them through the process.<br />
<strong>No</strong> one is ever really prepared<br />
to bury a loved one, especially<br />
a law enforcement officer, but<br />
these loving souls from COPS<br />
step in and assist the family in<br />
every way possible. In a way they<br />
are all part of a large family that<br />
no one asked or wanted to be a<br />
part of.<br />
I’ll close with this. I have the<br />
utmost respect and admiration<br />
for the men and women of the<br />
Houston Chapter of the COPS Or-<br />
46 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 47
A Group of Truly Inspiring Women<br />
ganization. I know how much they lost and yet<br />
they march on despite their own personal suffering.<br />
I humbled to see their tenacity to not<br />
let their own loss define how they continue to<br />
live. They are truly magnificent people with a<br />
combined heart, as big as Texas itself.<br />
In the words of an old Sergeant, “Let’s be<br />
careful out there….”<br />
48 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 49
Harris County Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong><br />
The following officers were honored at this year’s memorial service:<br />
• Deputy Omar Diaz, 39, died on July 6, 2019, after suffering a pulmonary embolism while working at a crime scene.<br />
• Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, 42, died on Sept. 27, 2019, after being shot to death while conducting a traffic stop.<br />
• Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski, 70, died on May 6, 2020, from COVID-19 complications.<br />
• Deputy Juan Menchaca, 70, died on June 13, 2020, from COVID-19 complications.<br />
• Honorary Deputy Cornelius Anderson, 28, died on July 12, 2020, from a medical emergency during<br />
Basic Peace Officer Course training.<br />
• Precinct 5 Constable Deputy Mark Brown, 53, died on July 25, 2020, from COVID-19 complications.<br />
• Deputy Johnny Tunches, 56, died on <strong>No</strong>v. 3, 2020, from COVID-19 complications.<br />
• Detention Officer Robert Perez, 54, died on Feb. 3, <strong>2021</strong>, from COVID-19 complications.<br />
• Deputy Alexander Gwosdz, 32, died on April 22, <strong>2021</strong>, from COVID-19 complications.<br />
50 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 51
Harris County Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong><br />
52 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 53
Houston Police Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong><br />
54 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 55
Houston Police Memorial Service <strong>2021</strong><br />
56 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 57
“White Cop Shoots Black Teenager in the Back.”<br />
They say that history always<br />
repeats itself. I find that true<br />
reading accounts of recent police<br />
shooting involving youth,<br />
especially young black children<br />
(sorry I don’t buy into this person<br />
of color BS). A little over ten<br />
years ago, I too was involved in<br />
the shooting of an armed black<br />
teenager. In short, he pointed<br />
a gun at me in a dark alley,<br />
fired two shots at me, I returned<br />
fire, hit him as he turned to get<br />
back in his car, he drove off,<br />
we chased him, he wrecked the<br />
car and died behind the wheel.<br />
The news reported “White cop<br />
shoots and kills black teenager<br />
in the back.”<br />
This is my story. It’s long. It’s<br />
sad. It’s heartbreaking. By the<br />
end you’ll probably figure out<br />
who I am, but I’m not identifying<br />
myself or the young man that<br />
lost his life. I’ve been through<br />
hell the past 10+ years and I<br />
don’t need the media rehashing<br />
my story. But I know I can tell<br />
my story here to other cops and<br />
not be judged. I hope that young<br />
rookies will learn valuable lessons<br />
and hopefully my story<br />
will keep them safe.<br />
The night of the shooting<br />
started just like every Friday<br />
night before it. I had been on<br />
nights my entire career – 13<br />
years with this department,<br />
5 years with a smaller PD up<br />
north. I was 24 when I started<br />
and at the time of the shooting,<br />
I was 42. I took the sergeants<br />
test three years ago and got<br />
promoted quick. I asked to<br />
stay on nights, and they moved<br />
me to the south side of town.<br />
Shitsville as my guys like to<br />
call it. I will say I have a great<br />
bunch of officers that work for<br />
me and we always have each<br />
other’s back. I also honestly<br />
believe, or at least I did at the<br />
time, that we were making a<br />
difference in Shitsville.<br />
So, this Friday night, the night<br />
my life changed for the worst,<br />
was extremely busy. It was one<br />
priority call after another. But<br />
there was a full moon, so I fully<br />
expected it to be busy as crap.<br />
We work 4 -12 hour shifts and<br />
then 3 days off and this was<br />
WORDS BY SGT. WHITE<br />
day 1 of my tour. By 3am, I was<br />
ready for the calls to start<br />
dropping and so I could catch<br />
up on some paperwork.<br />
It was around 3:35am that I<br />
heard one of my units responding<br />
to a shots fired disturbance<br />
and advised the dispatcher I<br />
was moving his way and to<br />
send additional units as well.<br />
A couple of minutes later, the<br />
first unit arrived and advised<br />
that the suspect was standing<br />
in the driveway of the reportee’s<br />
home and was armed. I<br />
advised to him to take cove<br />
and wait for additional units. I<br />
stepped it up and was pushing<br />
my Tahoe to its limits. I was<br />
about a mile away when the<br />
units advised the suspect had<br />
car jacked a neighbor and they<br />
were in pursuit of the suspect.<br />
As they wound through the<br />
streets of the small subdivision,<br />
I tried to cut them off but<br />
each time the suspect turned a<br />
different direction. I called for<br />
an airship and of course they<br />
were on the opposite side of<br />
the city, but headed our way.<br />
“Unit 4H44 we’re eastbound<br />
on Highway 39 reaching speeds<br />
of over 100. Suspect is driving<br />
a red Camaro with paper tags.<br />
It’s believed that the owner of<br />
the vehicle is still inside in the<br />
front seat and being held at<br />
gun point by the suspect. The<br />
suspect is a black male, 15-<br />
16 years of age, wearing blue<br />
jeans and a white t-shirt. He<br />
is armed with a handgun. All<br />
units be advised the suspect<br />
has fired at the police.”<br />
“4H44 turning <strong>No</strong>rth on<br />
State from 39 and suspect still<br />
shooting at police.”<br />
Roger 4H44, all units’ shots<br />
fired, shots fired at the police.<br />
“Unit 4H44 East on Ave L.”<br />
Roger 4H44 East on Ave L.<br />
“I lost the suspect in the 8000<br />
block of Ave L and Highway 39.”<br />
Clear, all units in the area<br />
of 4H44, the suspect was last<br />
seen driving a red Camaro with<br />
paper tags, suspect is a black<br />
male holding a white unknown<br />
female as hostage. Suspect is<br />
armed and dangerous and has<br />
fired multiple rounds at the<br />
police.<br />
“Unit 428, show me in the<br />
area looking for the suspect.”<br />
In the area of L and 39 are a<br />
number of warehouses and<br />
alley ways and I knew most<br />
likely the suspect would had to<br />
have pulled into one of these<br />
alleys to disappear so quickly.<br />
As I turned into one of the<br />
alleys behind an old machine<br />
shop, I slammed on the brakes<br />
and damn near ran over a lady<br />
laying in the driveway.<br />
“Unit 428 show me out with<br />
what I believe is the car jack<br />
victim in the 8100 block of L<br />
behind the old machine shop”<br />
Ma’am are you ok. “Unit 428 roll<br />
me an ambulance and have a<br />
unit check by.”<br />
Yes, I’m OK. He hit me with<br />
a gun and pushed me into the<br />
passenger seat and started<br />
shooting out the window. He’s<br />
crazy officer, just plain crazy.<br />
Yes, ma’am I have units all<br />
over looking for him. I’m glad<br />
you’re ok. How did you get<br />
out … “I jumped out officer. I<br />
opened the door and just rolled<br />
out. I figured if I was going to<br />
die it might as well be getting<br />
run over and not shot.”<br />
You’re going to be ok. I have<br />
an ambulance on the way. I<br />
looked up and I had dozens of<br />
units all around me. I had one<br />
of the guys take the lady to<br />
their car and wait on the ambulance<br />
and I advised the other<br />
units arriving to begin searching<br />
the surrounding alleys.<br />
“Unit 4H33, I’ve located the<br />
car about a block from Unit<br />
428’s location. The suspect is<br />
GOA, but a witness saw him<br />
running north in the alley.”<br />
Roger that, all units, suspect<br />
believed to be on foot and from<br />
the 8300 block of Ave L in the<br />
alley possibly northbound on<br />
foot.<br />
As I began to walk towards<br />
my car, the woman grabbed my<br />
arm and said “Officer…he’s just<br />
a kid…just a baby…why is he<br />
even out so late? I don’t understand.”<br />
I don’t know ma’am, I don’t<br />
know.<br />
I got back in my car and drove<br />
around to the opposite side of<br />
the building and began searching<br />
the area on foot.<br />
All units be advised, we’re<br />
receiving calls of another<br />
carjacking near your location,<br />
black teenage male in blue<br />
jeans just stole a black Honda<br />
Civic. Plates unknown.<br />
The dispatcher had no more<br />
finished talking when I heard<br />
the winning of a four banger<br />
just north of where I was. I<br />
jumped back in my car, turned<br />
around and started back up<br />
the alley and the suspect was<br />
headed straight for me. He<br />
slammed on the brakes and slid<br />
sideways. He opened the driver’s<br />
door and fired one round<br />
at my unit hitting the passenger<br />
side window of the Tahoe.<br />
I don’t know where the bullet<br />
ended up, but glass from the<br />
window spread all across the<br />
front seat and the right side of<br />
my face.<br />
“Unit 428, shots fired, shots<br />
fired, my vehicle has been hit.”<br />
Two more rounds struck the<br />
front of the Tahoe’s hood and<br />
once I got behind the left front<br />
fender for cover, I raised up<br />
and fired two rounds. The first<br />
round hit the left rear quarter<br />
panel of the Honda and the<br />
second round hit the suspect. I<br />
thought it hit him in the chest<br />
but once the first round hit the<br />
Honda, the suspect began turning<br />
to get back in the car and<br />
the second round hit him in the<br />
back. He slid behind the wheel<br />
and took off towards the front<br />
of the building.<br />
“Unit 428, shots fired at the<br />
suspect and he’s back in the vehicle<br />
headed towards the front<br />
of the building.” Seconds later<br />
the suspect crashed into the<br />
side of the machine shop build-<br />
58 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 59
ing. I told all units to stay back<br />
from the vehicle and take cover.<br />
As I approached the area of the<br />
building where he had crashed,<br />
I could see the door partially<br />
open, and the suspect slumped<br />
over the wheel.<br />
“Unit 428 roll another ambulance;<br />
the suspect is down<br />
on his vehicle. And start detectives,<br />
supervisors, crime<br />
scene and notify the DA’s office<br />
we have an officer’s involved<br />
shooting.”<br />
I had all my officers wait<br />
what seemed hours, to make<br />
sure the suspect was in fact<br />
incapacitated before we approached<br />
the vehicle. Once we<br />
got close, I knew by the amount<br />
of blood on the seat and floorboard,<br />
he was most likely<br />
deceased. I checked for a pulse<br />
and found none. I could see<br />
the handgun on the passenger<br />
side of the front seat. I advised<br />
everyone to step away from the<br />
vehicle and wait for medics.<br />
Once they arrived, they found<br />
no signs of life and we notified<br />
the ME and again let the DA<br />
shot team know the suspect<br />
was DOA.<br />
As I sat down and waited for<br />
everyone to arrive, it started<br />
to set in what had happened.<br />
A white cop has just shot and<br />
killed a young black teenager.<br />
I just shot and killed a young<br />
black teenager. He was only<br />
15. So many thoughts raced<br />
through my head. What could<br />
have possibly led to a 15-yearold<br />
kid, starting a disturbance<br />
armed with a gun, car jack an<br />
old lady and scare her to death,<br />
run from the police, shoot at<br />
the police, wreck the car, steal<br />
another car, shoot at the police<br />
again, get shot, try and flee<br />
again, only to wreck the second<br />
hijacked car and die in an alley?<br />
How is this even possible?<br />
Why?<br />
“Sgt. White? I’m Detective<br />
Williams for the District Attorney<br />
Office, can you please<br />
turn over your weapon to my<br />
partner and come with me?” As<br />
I sat in the back seat of his old<br />
Crown Vic, I thought to myself,<br />
in all my years as a cop, I’ve<br />
never ridden in the back of a<br />
Crown Vic.<br />
Williams leaned into the back<br />
seat and said “Sgt. White, I<br />
need to mirandize you please.<br />
You have the right to remain<br />
silent ………<br />
Story continued in AFTER-<br />
MATH on the following page.<br />
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60 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 61
“You have the right to remain<br />
silent and not make any statement.<br />
Any statement you do<br />
make could and will be used<br />
against you at trial. You have the<br />
right to have an attorney prior to<br />
or doing any questioning. If you<br />
cannot afford an attorney, one<br />
will be provided for you. Do you<br />
understand these rights as I’ve<br />
explained to you?”<br />
Over the years, I’ve read those<br />
rights to hundreds of suspects,<br />
but have never had them read to<br />
me. As we drove away from the<br />
scene, a million thoughts raced<br />
through my mind. Who was this<br />
kid I shot and why did he do<br />
what he did? Why did he shoot<br />
at me? Who is his family, and<br />
did they know their 15-year-old<br />
kid was out at 3am committing<br />
crimes? Where did he get a gun?<br />
Whose gun was it? Was the gun<br />
used in other crimes? Has he<br />
committed other crimes? How<br />
old was he when he started this<br />
life of crime? Is he a dropout or<br />
does he go to school? Are his<br />
parents good or bad? Are they<br />
crooks too? Who taught this kid<br />
how to shoot a gun? How many<br />
people has he shot before? Has<br />
he killed anyone? How are the<br />
two carjacked victims doing? Has<br />
the ME showed up on the scene<br />
WORDS BY SGT. WHITE<br />
and how are my guys doing back<br />
there? I wonder if they called my<br />
Captain. I wonder if the news is<br />
there. Oh shit, do you think they’ll<br />
mention my name? What if my<br />
wife sees the news? Oh shit,<br />
what if my mom and dad see<br />
the morning news? Surely, they<br />
won’t name me. I need to call<br />
my family as soon as we get to<br />
the station. Damn, what about<br />
my unit? Who’s going to drive it<br />
back to the station? Did I leave<br />
the keys with my guys? What<br />
if that kid’s mom sees this on<br />
the news and goes to the scene<br />
and sees her son laying on the<br />
bare concrete, in an alley under<br />
a sheet? I can’t even imagine if<br />
that was one of my kids. Wait!<br />
He was shot turning around. The<br />
round hit him in the middle of<br />
the back. You don’t think they’ll<br />
think I shot him on purpose in the<br />
back? That’s not what happened.<br />
Who’s going to write that down?<br />
Who’s going to make sure they<br />
know he was shooting at me?<br />
Did they collect all the bullets<br />
fired at me? I wonder if those<br />
rounds are in my car? Where<br />
was I when I shot back? Let’s<br />
see, I was standing just outside<br />
my car…. that means the rounds<br />
ejected to the right and …. should<br />
have landed inside the car…yeah,<br />
they’d be inside my car…someone<br />
needs to find those rounds.<br />
Wait how many times did I fire…<br />
twice …yeah twice…or was it<br />
three times…yeah maybe three<br />
times. I need to check my clip so<br />
I know who many rounds I fired<br />
and then look for those casings.<br />
Wait, they have my gun. Who<br />
took my gun? Yeah, this guy’s<br />
partner. You think he’s looked at<br />
my gun? I wonder when I’ll get<br />
it back. Wait? How am I going<br />
to drive home without a gun? I<br />
mean, surely they’ll want to test<br />
fire it…collect a sample of the<br />
round…compare it to the round<br />
that struck the kid? How long will<br />
that take? What am I supposed<br />
to do for a gun in the meantime?<br />
I guess I can borrow one. Wait,<br />
I’ll be on desk duty, I don’t need a<br />
gun….no stupid, you must carry a<br />
gun it’s policy. Unless they make<br />
me stay home? I wonder if they’ll<br />
make me stay home. I know I’ll<br />
be on restricted duty pending an<br />
investigation. I wonder how long<br />
that will take? I mean it was a<br />
good shoot, right? The kid was<br />
shooting at me. Wait, who was<br />
there with me? Who saw him<br />
shoot at me? Oh yeah, his bullets<br />
hit my car. They’ll see that right?<br />
So, he shoots at me, I return fire<br />
and strike him…. that’s a good<br />
shoot right there….so I’m good.<br />
But what if they ask about why<br />
he was hit in the back? How<br />
could he be shooting at me if he<br />
was facing the opposite direction?<br />
But he WAS facing me.<br />
He was shooting at me. Wait, a<br />
bullet broke glass on my car…<br />
that’s what all these cuts are.<br />
Someone saw all these cuts and<br />
blood, right? I need to show this<br />
to the detectives when we get<br />
to the station. I’m sure they will<br />
help me document all this so<br />
I’m cleared of any wrongdoing,<br />
right? But wait, these guys work<br />
for the Das office. Why would<br />
they help me? They work to<br />
prosecute people. But I’m a cop<br />
not a crook, I didn’t do anything<br />
wrong. Right? Oh shit, I shot the<br />
kid in the back. But they can’t just<br />
assume that’s the way it happened.<br />
They’ll have to investigate<br />
and recreate the shooting to see<br />
what really happened? Right?<br />
I mean they are cops, and they<br />
must investigate. Recreate the<br />
scene? I wonder if they are doing<br />
that right now? Who is leading<br />
that I wonder? The Captain, he<br />
must be out there looking into<br />
this by now. He likes me. We<br />
work great together. He’ll want to<br />
know what went down, he’ll get<br />
to the bottom of this, recreate the<br />
shooting and know I did the right<br />
thing. Yeah, that’s what’s going<br />
on back there. Isn’t it? Let me go<br />
through this one more time. “Sgt”<br />
I was headed down the alley…<br />
“Sgt” … looking for a black male<br />
with blue jeans driving a… “Sgt”<br />
… He fired a shot at me and broke<br />
out my window and I shot back…<br />
one, twice maybe three times<br />
…... and then “SGT WHITE! ….<br />
What? I looked up and the Detective<br />
was standing outside the<br />
door of waiting for me to get out.<br />
I’m sorry Detective I guess I was<br />
somewhere else.<br />
“<strong>No</strong> problem Sgt, let’s go inside<br />
and get started on all the paperwork.<br />
Do you want to call your<br />
union rep before we do?”<br />
Union rep? Uhhh yeah, yeah,<br />
Union rep? I guess so. Do I need<br />
one? Is he asking me or suggesting<br />
that I NEED ONE? Yes,<br />
let’s call my union rep and union<br />
attorney please.<br />
“Okay Sarge, will do. Follow me<br />
to my office. We’ll wait on them<br />
before we take your statement,<br />
unless you’re comfortable getting<br />
started without them?”<br />
I have nothing to hide, why<br />
would I wait? Oh shit, are they<br />
going to try and make a case<br />
about shooting him in the back?<br />
Uh, I guess I’d better wait.<br />
“Are you sure, it’s pretty routine?”<br />
Do I trust this guy? Wait, he<br />
read me my rights BEFORE we<br />
left the scene. <strong>No</strong>, I’ll wait, if<br />
that’s ok?<br />
“Sure, Sarge, whatever you<br />
want to do is fine.”<br />
We walked down the hall to<br />
the DAs interrogation rooms, he<br />
opened the door and escorted me<br />
inside. I’ve been in here before. A<br />
couple of times actually with a<br />
couple of big cases I worked with<br />
one of the DAs lead investigators.<br />
I pulled out a chair to sit down.<br />
“Hey Sarge, can you sit on the<br />
other side of the table please?<br />
Thanks.”<br />
In that very instant, I realized<br />
I wasn’t the COP in this room, I<br />
was the SUSPECT. I was the guy<br />
sitting in the hot seat. I was the<br />
bad guy facing the two-way<br />
mirror and the cameras. I was<br />
the one being questioned. The<br />
one about to be charged with a<br />
crime and if you come clean with<br />
us, we’ll go easy on you. Just tell<br />
us what happened so we can<br />
work with you. If you did nothing<br />
wrong, you have nothing to worry<br />
about. Would you like something<br />
to drink before we get started….<br />
holy crap…I’m so fucked….<br />
“Sarge…. Sarge …. Sarge?”<br />
Uh yeah what? I’m sorry.<br />
“Would you like something to<br />
drink while we wait for your<br />
attorney?<br />
OMG it’s really happening. <strong>No</strong>,<br />
I’m good. Wait! <strong>No</strong>, I’ll take a bottle<br />
of water please.<br />
An hour later, my union attorney<br />
showed up. The very first<br />
thing he said was, “Please tell me<br />
you haven’t talked or said anything<br />
to these pricks? They are<br />
not your friends, and they are not<br />
here to help you. They will fuck<br />
you every chance they get. So,<br />
from this point forward you only<br />
talk to me and no one else, got<br />
that?”<br />
Yes sir, I understand. I have like<br />
a million questions.<br />
“One thing at a time, but hold<br />
on”<br />
He stood up, walked to the door<br />
and yelled at the Detective standing<br />
outside the door.<br />
“I need a few minutes with my<br />
client. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANC-<br />
ES ARE YOU TO BE RECORDING US<br />
…GO MAKE SURE THAT FUCKING<br />
CAMERA AND MIC IS OFF, UNDER-<br />
STAND?”<br />
“It’s off sir, but we’ll make sure.<br />
Let us know when you’re ready<br />
and we’ll get started”<br />
“Ok, thanks” …. ”fucking pricks”<br />
For the next few hours, I recounted<br />
my story. Once for my<br />
attorney and about a dozen times<br />
for the detectives. I had to write<br />
everything down in a statement<br />
and my attorney had me change<br />
it like a dozen times, not the<br />
facts, but the way I described<br />
62 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 63
it. The room we were in had no<br />
windows and no clocks and I<br />
didn’t have my cell phone. Remember,<br />
this was in the 90’s and<br />
cell phones weren’t really much<br />
of a thing then. So, I had no idea<br />
that it was almost noon when<br />
we finished. My attorney agreed<br />
to drive me home and that was<br />
my first chance to actually “talk”<br />
to him about everything that was<br />
swirling around in my head. He<br />
answered most of my questions<br />
and while I was still nervous, I<br />
felt better knowing someone had<br />
my back.<br />
When I finally did call my wife,<br />
she said the Captain had called<br />
and told her I was ok. He told<br />
her I was the one involved in the<br />
shooting but that I wasn’t injured<br />
and would be home later in the<br />
day. She told me it was all over<br />
the news …. “A 15-year-old black<br />
teenager had been shot by police,<br />
apparently in the back. <strong>No</strong> other<br />
details are available at this time<br />
and the police are refusing to release<br />
any further details pending<br />
an investigation.”<br />
Unlike, every cop involved<br />
shooting that happens today,<br />
mine was 100% different in that<br />
we had no body cameras. <strong>No</strong><br />
cell phone cameras. <strong>No</strong> witnesses<br />
with live cell phone, Tik-Tok<br />
videos, no social media feeds.<br />
It was my side of the story and<br />
that’s it. But it turns out there was<br />
a witness that was working late<br />
at the machine shop and was<br />
taking out trash. He heard the gun<br />
shots and witnessed the suspect<br />
shooting at my car. He saw me<br />
returning fire at the suspect and<br />
the suspect try and drive away.<br />
He saw the car hit the building<br />
and saw the suspect slumped<br />
over the steering wheel. And said<br />
when I fired at the suspect, he<br />
was looking right at me and was<br />
still shooting his gun. Confirmed<br />
exactly what I thought had happened<br />
in several seconds.<br />
But the news media didn’t<br />
bother to report what the witness<br />
saw. They just reported a black<br />
kid had been shot in the back by<br />
a white cop. Every cable news<br />
outlet in the country picked up on<br />
the story. <strong>No</strong>w this was way before<br />
the Eric Garner and Michael<br />
Brown cases. And there were no<br />
riots, but there were plenty of<br />
protests. New interviews with<br />
the boy’s momma crying on TV<br />
saying her baby boy had been<br />
murdered by the PO-LICE. Gunned<br />
down like a dog in the streets in<br />
front of his home…steps away<br />
from his bed. “Didn’t have a<br />
chance, they killed my baby in<br />
cold blood.”<br />
Uh BULLSHIT! Wasn’t in front<br />
of your house, it was in an alley<br />
miles away, at four in the morning.<br />
What was your precious<br />
baby boy doing out at four in the<br />
morning? Ask the two people he<br />
carjacked and beat up how precious<br />
he was? Where in the hell<br />
did a 15-year-old get a gun, or<br />
buy the bullets for the gun? You<br />
didn’t mention that your precious<br />
baby boy had been arrested 10,<br />
yes TEN times before and he was<br />
15. He was locked up in Juvenile<br />
Detention but somehow escaped<br />
and began a 3-day reign of terror<br />
in YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. <strong>No</strong>, the<br />
news didn’t report any of that.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t a damn thing.<br />
For days, I thought I was the<br />
one going to prison. That a grand<br />
jury was going to indict me, there<br />
would be a trial and I’d end up<br />
in jail. I was scared shitless for<br />
weeks. My life, my family’s life,<br />
all scarred for life. Our garage<br />
door had been tagged countless<br />
times. My kids harassed at<br />
school by black kids who yelled<br />
their dad was a baby killer.<br />
Eventually we had to sell our<br />
house and move to get our kids<br />
to a different school. We legally<br />
changed their last name, so no<br />
one would know who their dad<br />
was. Can you imagine changing<br />
your kids last name, so no<br />
one knows you’re their dad? My<br />
kids are all in college now. <strong>No</strong><br />
one knows about their dad or<br />
what happened when they were<br />
kids. My wife? Well, she left me<br />
a long time ago. Couldn’t deal<br />
with all the pain I had brought to<br />
our family. Both my parents have<br />
passed, so it’s just me and my<br />
dog at home alone.<br />
Would I do it all over again?<br />
Become a cop and put myself and<br />
my family through all this again?<br />
I honestly don’t know.<br />
But what I do know is this. Don’t<br />
believe anything the news media<br />
says. They will lie and twist<br />
a story to fit their agenda. They<br />
have no interest in telling the<br />
truth. Just what sells newspapers,<br />
gets viewers, and incites<br />
people so they have more to cover<br />
for the next day’s news. They<br />
don’t care if your life is ruined,<br />
just so they get it on film. This<br />
is the world we live in now. But<br />
someone has to be the good guys<br />
to stop all the bad in this world.<br />
Someone has to sacrifice their<br />
wellbeing for the good of everyone<br />
else. So, I guess that’s why I<br />
became a cop and why despite<br />
everything that’s happened, I’m<br />
still a cop.<br />
Have a unique story you’d like to<br />
share with the BLUES readers?<br />
Send it to:<br />
bluespdmag@gmail.com.<br />
64 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 65<br />
64 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 65
THE OPEN ROAD<br />
by Michael Barron<br />
Welcome to a new addition to<br />
the magazine called “The Open<br />
Road.” As you might guess, Open<br />
Road meaning something to do<br />
with cars and driving. Cars, fast<br />
cars, hotrods, muscle cars, racing<br />
cars, racing go karts, flying.<br />
Hell, anything with a motor that<br />
goes fast or leaves the ground is<br />
a passion of mine.<br />
Some would say I have an uncontrollable<br />
urge to buy and sell<br />
cars. I have no idea why anyone<br />
would say that unless of course<br />
they know I have purchased over<br />
70 cars in my lifetime and just<br />
recently sold a 4-month-old,<br />
1200-mile, 2020 Dodge Charger<br />
only to order a <strong>2021</strong> Dodge Charger<br />
Wide Body Scat Pack, but I’m<br />
getting ahead of myself.<br />
Many of our readers are in<br />
fact retired LEOs. And as everyone<br />
knows, when you retire<br />
you buy a big ass motorhome<br />
that you have no friggin idea<br />
how to drive, load the wife, two<br />
dogs and a cat and hit the open<br />
road, towing a SUV of some sort<br />
behind you. Right? Too stereotyped?<br />
OK!<br />
Well, you get the idea. Each<br />
month we’ll talk about cars, motorcycles,<br />
RVs, long trips, shorts,<br />
beach trips, off-roading, collecting<br />
cars, selling cars, modifying<br />
cars, racing cars…again you get<br />
the idea. Being a cop or a retired<br />
cop, deserves its rewards and<br />
fun activities and we’ll provide<br />
you with dozens of ideas to do<br />
that every month. So, let’s get<br />
started.<br />
First off, unless you’ve been<br />
living off the grid for the past<br />
90-120 days, you must know<br />
that buying and selling houses<br />
and autos right now is crazy. It’s<br />
a seller’s market for both and<br />
there’s also a shortage of both.<br />
Let’s talk about new cars first. As<br />
you no doubt have heard, there<br />
is a giant shortage of computer<br />
chips needed to operate various<br />
parts of your car. Mostly<br />
due to COVID. The bottom line<br />
here is there are a lot of cars<br />
and trucks sitting on lots around<br />
the US, Canada and Mexico that<br />
are waiting on these chips. New<br />
inventory on dealer’s lots has<br />
fallen to lows not seen in over 20<br />
years. As a result, forget about<br />
any deals on new cars. Dealers<br />
are marking cars up as much as<br />
10% over MSRP (unless of course<br />
you visit our friends Alan & Blake<br />
Helfman at one of their dealerships).<br />
Since there are so few<br />
new cars, used cars are going for<br />
premium prices. Wanna sell your<br />
car to a dealer? They are paying<br />
insane rates to get your car for<br />
their depleted used car inventory.<br />
Let me give you an example<br />
of my most recent “exchange of<br />
muscle cars.” I purchased a new<br />
2020 Dodge Charger R/T last<br />
<strong>No</strong>vember for 35,000. The MSRP<br />
was $40,350 but with rebates and<br />
dealer incentives the final price<br />
was $35K. I just sold that same<br />
car, six months and 1200 miles<br />
later for $39,000. The dealer now<br />
has that vehicle on his lot listed<br />
for $43,999. That’s $4,000 MORE<br />
than the MSRP and it’s a 2020<br />
model that has to be listed as<br />
used not new. That is just insane,<br />
and my understanding is it will be<br />
gone before we go to press. <strong>No</strong>w,<br />
I’m sure you’re asking, “Well Mike<br />
Barron if you’re so damn savvy<br />
why didn’t YOU just list and sell<br />
the car for $44k and make the<br />
extra money?” Believe me I tried,<br />
Sold my 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack...<br />
but selling online vs someone<br />
walking a lot with very few cars<br />
and seeing my beautiful detailed<br />
one-of-a-kind Dodge Charger<br />
just isn’t the same.<br />
Which brings me to why I sold<br />
and what I’m buying now. If you<br />
happen to be a MOPAR fan and if<br />
you don’t know what a MOPAR is,<br />
please stop reading this immediately<br />
and proceed to the next<br />
page of this fine magazine. Anyway,<br />
if you know anything about<br />
Dodge Chargers, 392 HEMIs and<br />
Scat Packs, you know there is<br />
way more power than grip. You<br />
can spin the rear tires at 60 mph<br />
and turn the car sideways. It’s<br />
just insane. So, Dodge’s answer<br />
is more grip and to do that they<br />
needed wider tires, which meant<br />
create a “wide-body” Charger<br />
and Challenger. At first, I<br />
didn’t care much for the look….<br />
that was until I saw one in the<br />
flesh. Believe me, once you see<br />
a wide-body Charger or Challenger<br />
in person, you’ll see what<br />
I mean. In fact, after seeing and<br />
DRIVING the wide body, my car<br />
seemed out of place, too skinny<br />
and still uncontrollable when<br />
accelerating.<br />
Given the unavailability of<br />
Chargers especially wide bodies<br />
at any Helfman’s lots, Blake and I<br />
sat down and spec’d out the perfect<br />
version – in Frostbite Blue,<br />
with a leather PLUS package,<br />
Devil rims and of course huge<br />
Pirelli tires. It’s a 6-10 week<br />
process, but to get what I want<br />
and at a great price it’s worth the<br />
wait. Over the course of the next<br />
couple of months and issues, I’ll<br />
keep you updated on the build<br />
and arrival date.<br />
I’ll say one more thing about<br />
MOPARS, Hellcats and go-fast<br />
Dodge products: if you intend to<br />
buy one or in fact already own<br />
a 700+ horsepower tire melting<br />
demon, you owe it to yourself<br />
to attend the high-performance<br />
track school at Bondurant Racing<br />
School outside Phoenix. I attended<br />
a weeklong school a couple<br />
of years ago and after spending<br />
a week driving a Hellcat and<br />
pretty much burning up two<br />
(2) sets of tires, I was forever<br />
hooked on HEMIs and MOPARs.<br />
The school will teach you the<br />
66 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 67
...to purchase to this bad boy, a <strong>2021</strong> Dodge Charger WIDEBODY Scat Pack<br />
Ordered by our good friends at:<br />
68 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 69
asics as well as how to “safely”<br />
drive a car or SUV with 700+<br />
horsepower and insane amounts<br />
of torque. Did you know that<br />
you can plant your foot on the<br />
brakes, totally engage the ABS<br />
and still maneuver at 80mph out<br />
of a lane of traffic to avoid an<br />
object or car ahead of you and<br />
then back into the same lane –<br />
without talking your foot off the<br />
brakes? It’s totally insane the first<br />
time you try it and seems undoable.<br />
But the advancement of<br />
ABS in these cars has improved<br />
so much over the years that the<br />
undoable a few years ago is now<br />
possible.<br />
The class also includes spintime<br />
on a skid pad. The car has<br />
a set of dollies affixed to the<br />
drivetrain to simulate skidding<br />
on ice and hydroplaning on water.<br />
It’s a lot of fun if you know<br />
how to drift, and damn right<br />
disgusting if you end up spinning<br />
the entire time. Oh, and you get<br />
to sit in the back seat while your<br />
classmates get their turn. Uh<br />
yeah…. not a good time to have<br />
eaten Mexican food for lunch<br />
that day.<br />
On the final day of the course,<br />
you get time on the racetrack to<br />
practice what you’ve learned. There<br />
is NOTHING like the sound of your<br />
Hellcat accelerating through 100+<br />
mph and then the sound of downshifting<br />
and hearing the engine<br />
backfiring, spitting, and burping (if<br />
you know it, you get it). And the<br />
whine of the supercharger, ahhh,<br />
the sound of power. It was an absolute<br />
awesome experience and I<br />
highly recommend it before you hit<br />
the open road in your new Hellcat.<br />
That’s all for this month. See you<br />
next month and until then, hit the<br />
Open Road and enjoy the sound of<br />
freedom.<br />
70 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 71
ARE YOU PREPARED TO STAY ALIVE?<br />
Cops absorb lots of information during the months they spend in the academy. Then, when they finally<br />
do hit the streets, they’re required<br />
OFFICER SURVIVAL<br />
to ride with a field training officer for a few<br />
GUIDE<br />
months, a time<br />
when the FTO crams even more important stuff into their brains, all while responding to crimes and<br />
complaints in real time.<br />
Over and over again, academy trainers and FTOs drill information and practical skills into the minds<br />
of recruits. Over and over and over again. And then again. And, among all the laws, facts, figures,<br />
running, push-ups, sit-ups, shooting drills, defensive tactics, and on-the-job training, a common<br />
theme emerges—officer survival.<br />
11 Officer Defense Tips & Tactics<br />
OFFICER SURVIVAL GUIDE<br />
11 Officer Defense Tips & Tactics<br />
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO HELP KEEP YOU SAFE, AS WELL AS A SURVIVAL GUIDE<br />
1. Remember these three words. You will survive! Never give up no matter how many times you’ve been<br />
shot, stabbed, or battered.<br />
2. Carry a good weapon. You can’t win a gun fight if your weapon won’t fire.<br />
3. Carry plenty of ammunition. There’s no such thing as having too many bullets.<br />
4. Treat every situation as a potential ambush. This includes during meals, at movies, ball games,<br />
and church, etc. You never know when or where it could happen. This is why cops don’t like to sit with<br />
their backs to a door. Please don’t ask them to do so.<br />
5. Practice your shooting skills in every possible situation—at night, lying down, with your weak<br />
hand, etc.<br />
6, Wear your seat belt.<br />
7. Wear your body armor.<br />
8. Always expect the unexpected.<br />
9. Suspect everyone until you’re absolutely sure they’re okay and pose no threat to you.<br />
10. Trust no one until trust is earned. Even then, be cautious.<br />
11. Everyone is a potential threat until it’s proven they’re not. Remember, bad people can have attractive<br />
faces and warm smiles and say nice things. But all that can change in the blink of an eye.<br />
12. Know when to retreat.<br />
13. Stay in shape! Eat healthy. Exercise.<br />
14. Train, train, and train.<br />
15. Take advantage of specialized training classes and workshops outside of the department police<br />
academy. For example, the black belt trainers at your local gym just might be police academy<br />
or military instructors who could address your concerns and weaknesses, and/or enhance your<br />
strengths. For example, some of the specialized training I’ve taught include standing, prone, and<br />
ground combat, knife and stick fighting, defending against the sudden attack, and personal and executive<br />
bodyguard training.<br />
16. Use common sense and remember your training, because your family needs you safely at home at<br />
the end of your shift.<br />
17. Family first. Job second.<br />
18. Make no judgements based on a person’s lifestyle, personality, politics, race, or religion. Treat<br />
From<br />
everyone<br />
the<br />
fairly<br />
Editors<br />
and equally,<br />
of<br />
from the homeless drug addict to the crooked Wall Street embezzler.<br />
From the Editors of<br />
However, remain on alert and cautious at all times.<br />
19. Talk to people. Get to know them. Let them get to know you. After all, it’s often a bit tougher to<br />
hurt an officer they know and trust.<br />
20. Find a release for your stress. Bike/exercise. Vacation. Talk to someone. Read. Write. Spiritual<br />
guidance. Hobbies. Seek help the moment you notice a change/decrease in your work performance,<br />
increase in anxiety, excess use of alcohol and/or you consider drug use, change in sleep habits, you<br />
experience suicidal thoughts, or other drastic changes in your normal behavior.<br />
Reprinted from POLICE:<br />
72 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 73 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 73
FIVE THINGS THAT CAN<br />
GET YOU KILLED OR SUED<br />
Thinking things through<br />
and taking just a little<br />
care can save you a<br />
world of hurt.<br />
I MIKE “ZIGGY” SIEGFRIED<br />
With the tax base shrinking in many of our jurisdictions and that depleting our<br />
budgets, all of us have been told to do more with less.<br />
Consequently, many cops are overworked, sometimes being asked to take on<br />
the responsibilities once shared by two or three people. There is also a strong incentive<br />
to cut corners. We have all done it. The trick is to know what corners to cut and what<br />
corners might cut you back. With this in mind, here’s a look at five things you absolutely<br />
positively don’t want to do on the job.<br />
1. REACTING TOO SLOWLY<br />
With lawsuits abounding, many officers spend more time worrying about how a use of<br />
force will be perceived by their agencies and communities rather than what they need to<br />
do to survive it. This can cause officers to hesitate.<br />
The hesitation problem is exacerbated when the individual officers do not have a clear<br />
understanding of when they are legally allowed to use force.<br />
There is a famous maxim that says, “He who hesitates is lost.” The decision to use force<br />
should never be taken lightly, but once the decision is made, appropriate force should<br />
be used without fear of what could or might happen after.<br />
The United States Supreme Court gave us clear direction in the landmark case Graham<br />
v Connor in 1989. The court expects the force used by police to be “objectively reasonable.”<br />
If you use “objectively reasonable force,” you will have the full weight of federal<br />
law behind you.<br />
Using tactical communication is great. “Be nice,” like Patrick Swayze said in the movie<br />
“Roadhouse.” Don’t let your mouth write a check other more delicate parts of your body<br />
might have to cash. Showing respect to arrestees, their families, and friends doesn’t cost<br />
anything, but it can pay off with increased officer safety and cooperation. Good cops<br />
turn arrestees into informants.<br />
A key element in Dr. George Thompson’s “Verbal Judo” is “When words fail, act.”<br />
When it comes time to act, act! Use force. Too many cops are killed with their weapons<br />
still in their holsters because they were talking when they should have been shooting.<br />
2. DRIVING TOO FAST<br />
Any good traffic cop knows the primary cause of traffic fatalities is usually speeding.<br />
We are going too fast and it is killing us.<br />
For those of us in cars, many times we do not have our seat belt fastened and we<br />
crash. I never understood why so many cops don’t fasten their seat belts. The excuse<br />
I hear most of the time is, “I don’t want to have my seat belt on in case I get into a<br />
shooting or have to exit the vehicle in a hurry.” OK, when was the last time you heard<br />
Wearing a seat belt and driving at<br />
reasonable speeds greatly reduces of a cop getting out of a vehicle traveling 40 to 100 miles per hour? How about shooting<br />
at another vehicle or a person while driving at those speeds? Most cops do not get<br />
officer deaths from traffic collisions.<br />
100% on their qualification when they are shooting at a stationary target just a few<br />
yards away.<br />
I, like most cops, take off my seat belt as I am approaching a vehicle, house, or a person.<br />
But at that point, I am going at a very low speed, usually 10 miles per hour or less. If<br />
POLICE I 3 I get into a collision at that speed, I have an excellent chance of being OK. If I get into a<br />
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FIVE THINGS<br />
FIVE THINGS<br />
collision at 100 miles per hour without a seat belt, I probably won’t be going home at the<br />
end of shift. In 2011, we lost 45 officers to collision-related deaths.<br />
3. BEING TOO PROUD<br />
Pride goes before a fall. Call for backup. It is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of tactical<br />
awareness. Ask yourself how much sense would it make for the SWAT team to respond<br />
to a call and say, “Oh there is only one suspect in the house. Well we will just send in one<br />
officer. There is no way the suspect in the house is better trained or equipped than our<br />
guy.” Ridiculous. Right?<br />
I have heard this mantra from more than one SWAT team: “Surprise, speed, and overwhelming<br />
force overcome a myriad of tactical problems.” When SWAT teams engage, the whole entry<br />
team goes in. So remember, you do not have to go it alone.<br />
4. WRITING TOO LITTLE<br />
Be humble enough to learn from your peers, especially the experienced ones. Most cops<br />
have a specialty or two. Something they love to do. Learn from the experts next to you. If you<br />
are constantly going to court and getting grilled on the stand, find out why proactive officers<br />
rarely have to go to court. Most of the time, you will find it’s because they write good reports.<br />
Ask these officers if you can have a copy of their best reports. I have never heard a cop<br />
refuse this request. In fact, they are usually flattered. Learn from these reports and use<br />
them as a template for when you have similar investigations.<br />
Many cops skimp on writing a good report. When calls for service are piling up, they<br />
feel pressure to get going fast. So they write short reports with minimal information. The<br />
problem with this philosophy shows up later. If their agencies have good report writing<br />
oversight, the officers will be asked to rewrite their reports. The report rewrite often<br />
involves re-interviewing victims, witnesses, and suspects. This usually takes a lot longer<br />
than doing a good report on the front end.<br />
There are also legal consequences to writing shoddy reports. They often end up giving<br />
Mike “Ziggy” Siegfried is a detective, instructor, and use-of-force expert with the San Bernardino<br />
us bad case law. Bad case law makes it harder for every cop to do his or her job.<br />
County (Calif.) Sheriff ’s Department.<br />
Bad reports also create potential liability for the officer and department. The focus<br />
Write a thorough report the first time<br />
and you won’t have to rewrite it later. should be on writing a report covering the elements of the crime and potential criminal<br />
defenses. By doing this, you will have a better reputation with victims, your department,<br />
and the district attorney.<br />
Use-of-force incidents are one of the most important aspects of policing that require<br />
you to write a detailed and comprehensive report. I have seen many force reports that<br />
lacked the details necessary to defend the officer and the department from civil liability,<br />
let alone get a criminal conviction on the suspect.<br />
Force reports should cover three areas:<br />
• What was the officer’s “legal standing,” or put more simply why did the officer have<br />
a right to contact the suspect? If an officer pulls over a car without probable cause or<br />
reasonable suspicion, the officer has no “legal standing.” Therefore, if the officer uses<br />
force that force will not be legal.<br />
• What did the suspect do to actively resist you in your lawful duties? Being specific is<br />
very important. There is a big difference between writing, “The suspect took a combative<br />
stance,” and “The suspect took a bladed stance and raised his fists to his chin. He moved<br />
his weight to the balls of his feet and tucked his chin to his chest. He moved his head side<br />
to side like a boxer. I recognized these movement from defensive tactics training. At that<br />
moment, I was concerned the suspect had a martial arts skill set that could be a danger<br />
POLICE I 4 to me and others in the area.”<br />
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• Describe in detail how the suspect’s “active resistance” created a danger for you or<br />
someone else. For example, “I believed my partner was in imminent jeopardy because<br />
the suspect with the boxer stance said, ‘I’m going to beat you down.’ He started moving<br />
quickly toward my partner. At that point, I believed it was objectively reasonable to<br />
deploy my TASER.”<br />
5. PURSUING EVERYTHING THAT RUNS<br />
Just because someone runs, does not mean you have to chase him or her. Sometimes<br />
patience is the better part of valor. If you know who they are, do you really need to chase<br />
them into an apartment filled with gang members when you are by yourself? We have<br />
lost too many officers to ambushes on foot pursuits.<br />
Do you need to initiate a vehicle pursuit with a known suspect that may result in the<br />
traffic collision deaths of uninvolved citizens? <strong>No</strong>. Too many innocent people have been<br />
killed by officers who engaged in vehicle pursuits when they shouldn’t have.<br />
Remember, if you started the pursuit you can call if off. You must constantly analyze what is<br />
happening. You might have to call off the 100-mph pursuit that started in a rural area when it<br />
enters a crowded urban area. Calling off a bad pursuit is not a sign of weakness. It is a tactical<br />
necessity.<br />
My goal is to remind all of us to take a little time to analyze what we are doing and<br />
how we are doing it. Most of the mistakes I have listed can be attributed to some form of<br />
going too fast.<br />
Take a minute and think about what you are doing, saying, and writing. Law enforcement is<br />
by and large a reactive profession. A suspect completes a crime usually entailing an “overt act”<br />
and we “react.” By the nature of our work, we must adapt. This adaptation involves being technically,<br />
socially, and mentally nimble. We analyze current trends and share our experiences<br />
with others. I hope some of these suggestions will help you.
SAFE SEARCHING:<br />
THE STANDING BASIC SEARCH<br />
Conducting effective<br />
patdowns is an essential<br />
skill that deserves more<br />
attention in training.<br />
I JAMES HARBISON<br />
Searching people in a standing position is something deputies and officers do every<br />
day across the nation. We search people in a variety of field situations and legal<br />
circumstances. But for the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on what is<br />
commonly referred to as a pat search or Terry search for weapons. As far as officer safety<br />
skills are concerned, I believe pat search techniques to be one of the most critical skills<br />
given too little emphasis in training, and therefore worthy of analysis.<br />
THE ANALYSIS<br />
Searching people in the field for readily accessible weapons is a tactical necessity to keep<br />
us safe. It is also a high frequency activity. When analyzing the risk, it’s important to pay<br />
attention to what happens to law enforcement officers when we are attacked. According<br />
to FBI statistics, 81.4 percent of the 590,507 officers assaulted in 2009 were attacked by an<br />
assailant using personal weapons (e.g. hands, fists, or feet), resulting in the highest percentage<br />
of injuries to the officers. This statistic is consistent with the FBI statistics from the<br />
previous 10 years, and therefore a fairly reliable indicator of future trends.<br />
How does this fit within the context of a pat search? If you think about it, in order to<br />
attack an officer with personal weapons, the assailant must be close enough to strike or<br />
grapple, the same distance you are at when you search a person. So how can you protect<br />
yourself when you do your search? Use a method or technique that meets three key objectives:<br />
safe, effective, and expedient.<br />
By safe, I mean that which exposes you to the minimal amount of risk. By effective, I<br />
mean that which affords the best opportunity to find what you are looking for. By expedient,<br />
I mean simple and quick, though not at the expense of safety or effectiveness. Your<br />
chosen method should facilitate not only a safe and effective search, but also other force<br />
options such as control holds, take-down techniques, and handcuffing.<br />
Although I normally refrain from offering a “best” or “safest” technique, pat searching<br />
will be my exception. I will explain the three critical components of the search technique,<br />
and why these are so important to your safety.<br />
THE SEARCH<br />
The technique I am presenting is referred to simply as the Standing Basic Search. Control<br />
is the primary issue in conducting a safe search. The Standing Basic Search represents<br />
the minimal level of control you are willing to establish over a person while searching<br />
him or her. Focusing on the Standing Basic Search, there are three keys to control:<br />
Position the body<br />
Limit the mobility<br />
Control the hands<br />
SAFE SEARCHING<br />
Stance is also a factor in positioning. Since you search with your hands, you must be<br />
close enough to touch the areas you intend to search. In the Standing Basic Search, you<br />
will stand with your gun leg back in a balanced and bladed stance. This stance gives you<br />
the ability to create some space between your gun and the person you are searching. It<br />
also provides a platform for mobility and appropriate defensive reactions.<br />
LIMIT THE MOBILITY<br />
Once you are behind the person, you want to limit his mobility. To do that, you have<br />
him widen his stance. The amount varies, because this part of the technique is also used<br />
to offset a disparity in height between a taller person and a shorter officer. Even if there<br />
is minimal height disparity, you want to have the suspect widen his stance because this<br />
adversely affects or limits his mobility.<br />
To initiate movement from a widened stance (such as lunging forward or turning<br />
around preparatory to attack) the human body will instinctively move one or both legs<br />
toward its centerline. This movement creates more time for you to perceive resistance<br />
and react appropriately. In combative situations, fractions of a second can mean the difference<br />
between an advantage and a disadvantage.<br />
CONTROL THE HANDS<br />
Of the personal weapons aggressors can use to hurt you, their hands should be your<br />
greatest concern. A suspect’s hands can be used to strike, grab, choke, and manipulate<br />
weapons. Are you better off controlling one or both hands? Controlling only one hand<br />
leaves the other hand free to assault you or manipulate a weapon. Therefore, you should<br />
control both hands.<br />
One way some officers attempt to do this is to have the person place her hands on a<br />
stationary object, such as a wall or the hood of a car. However, this does not control the<br />
hands, it merely isolates them. Worse, this gives her two more points of stability and balance<br />
from which to initiate an attack.<br />
Another common method is to have the person place his hands in the small of his<br />
back. A variety of methods can be used to grab and hold both of the suspect’s hands from<br />
this position. Although better than the first example, this method is not the optimal way<br />
to control the hands, for three very important reasons.<br />
DON’T ALLOW WAISTBAND ACCESS<br />
First, knowing what you know about where people are most likely to conceal weapons<br />
(I’ll call them “hot zones”), I’m sure you’ll agree the waistband (front and rear) is at or<br />
near the top of the list. This makes instructing someone to put his hands at the small of<br />
her back a risky proposition.<br />
Considering human perception and reaction times, you are placing yourself at a tactical<br />
disadvantage by giving the person an opportunity to “comply” with your request<br />
by moving her hands toward her waistband, a primary “hot zone.” If you told her to do<br />
it, you must allow that movement. How quickly can you distinguish between a person<br />
who is compliant, and one who is moving toward a “hot zone,” intending to arm herself?<br />
How quickly can you react to the threat? Use a training gun or training knife, and work<br />
through some scenarios; you’ll see what I mean.<br />
Next, if you agree the rear waistband is one of the high-risk “hot zones,” you should<br />
avoid obscuring that area with the person’s hands. Although proponents of controlling<br />
the hands in this location claim they adequately search the rear waistband area, when I<br />
POSITION THE BODY<br />
Because we are innately geared toward forward movement, most aggressors, whether<br />
formally trained or not, will attack in a forward direction. Therefore, you are safer positioning<br />
yourself behind the person, rather than in front. Positioning yourself behind does not<br />
preclude a rearward attack (e.g. a rear kick, or rear elbow), but combined with the remaining<br />
two keys to control, greatly reduces a suspect’s ability to attack you effectively.<br />
POLICE I 7 make observations in the field, I see just the opposite.<br />
POLICE I 6<br />
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Thirdly, once you have a hold of the person’s hands, you can use<br />
this connection to your advantage should you need to overcome<br />
resistant or combative behavior. How much control can you effect<br />
over the person with his hands behind his back at waist level?<br />
Some, but not as much as you might think. Advocates of this hand<br />
control position suggest disengaging from the person by shoving<br />
her forward.<br />
As I mentioned before, you are innately wired for forward movement.<br />
Throughout our lives, we crawl, walk, run, and stumble forward.<br />
Our central nervous systems develop an orientation bias toward forward<br />
movement. We become adept at recovering our balance moving<br />
forward, but not backward. An aggressor’s ability to recover her balance<br />
2<br />
directly corresponds to her ability to re-initiate an attack. You can use<br />
this to your advantage, controlling an aggressor’s balance by breaking her vertical plane in a<br />
backward direction, rather than forward. To do this most effectively, the subject’s hands should<br />
not be at waist level.<br />
“HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!”<br />
The optimal way to safely and effectively address all three concerns—positioning the<br />
body, limiting the mobility, controlling the hands—is to have the person place his hands<br />
behind his head. Why? When was the last time you encountered a person who had a<br />
gun, knife, hammer, or other dangerous weapon attached to his or her head? As a practical<br />
matter, the odds of a person effectively concealing a dangerous weapon there are<br />
quite small. Therefore, you can direct a subject’s hands toward his head with minimal<br />
concern about distinguishing between compliance and arming.<br />
If you agree with that, then you can also agree that with this method you need not be<br />
concerned about obscuring a high-risk area to be searched. If you direct the person’s hands<br />
to the back of his head, and instead he reaches for his waistband, you now have noncompliance,<br />
which is more easily identified. There’s your “red flag,” calling you to action.<br />
Lastly, when you have to overcome resistant or combative behavior, you can much<br />
more effectively control the person’s body by breaking his vertical plane backward, rather<br />
than forward. This is most easily accomplished when the hands are linked to the head<br />
rather than the waist. There are three simple and effective takedown techniques from<br />
the Standing Basic Search position, which is a topic for another day.<br />
6<br />
does not change. Depending on the size of the person you are searching, you may have to<br />
shuffle step in the direction of the second half prior to searching, but your gun leg stays<br />
back. When you complete your search, place your free hand on the upper back of the person<br />
and shuffle step back before further directing the subject’s movement (photo 7).<br />
Depending on the size of the officer versus the size of the person being searched, the downward<br />
limit of this search technique is about at the area on the person’s legs where “cargo”<br />
pockets would be. Under most circumstances, the lower legs are not considered readily accessible<br />
areas. However, if you are concerned about those areas and you are legally justified, they<br />
should be searched using a technique that meets the same three criteria discussed here.<br />
SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE<br />
The Standing Basic Search offers a simple yet effective way to efficiently and safely conduct<br />
a pat-down search. By using the Standing Basic Search, you establish hand and<br />
body control of the person you are searching, with a minimal amount of labor. Should<br />
you feel the need to gain more control over the person you are searching, you can escalate<br />
to a Standing Modified Search or a High-Risk Kneeling Search, both of which are<br />
topic for another discussion at another time.<br />
Whether you adopt the Standing Basic Search technique or not, consider all the risk<br />
factors involved in searching people, and process those in ways that make sense to you<br />
so that your searches will be safe and effective.<br />
Sgt. James Harbison is the Basic Academy Coordinator at the Contra Costa County (Calif.)<br />
Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Training Center, where he teaches defensive tactics<br />
and physical fitness.<br />
PROPER TECHNIQUE<br />
<strong>No</strong>w let’s look at how to properly execute the Standing Basic Search. The first step is to<br />
6<br />
4<br />
have the person place his hands behind his head, with fingers interlocked (photo 1).<br />
Next, have him turn away from you or maneuver behind him. From a bladed stance,<br />
safely close the distance and use your lead (non-dominant) hand to grip his hands<br />
(photo 2). The grip is important: start from the top (pinky fingers) and establish a firm<br />
grip, using your thumb to “lace up” his fingers (photo 3). Make sure you anchor the<br />
hands to the base of the skull by exerting downward force. Maintaining your gun leg<br />
back, use your free hand to thoroughly and systematically search the readily accessible<br />
areas on the matching side of the subject’s body (right hand searches person’s right body<br />
6<br />
5<br />
half) (photo 4). If this is a search where it is legally permissible to reach into the pockets<br />
(e.g. a parole search), you can easily do so from this position.<br />
Once you’ve completed one half of the subject’s body, switch the gripping hands (photo<br />
POLICE I 8 5) and search the other half, again using the matching hand (photo 6). <strong>No</strong>tice your stance<br />
POLICE I 9<br />
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7
HOW TO WATCH THE HANDS<br />
WATCH HANDS<br />
Being able to recognize<br />
when a suspect is pulling<br />
a weapon is an officer<br />
safety necessity.<br />
I MIKE “ZIGGY” SIEGFRIED<br />
Have a subject turn sideways so you can see what he is retrieving from his pocket. Then tell him<br />
to use only his thumb and forefinger to slowly remove his wallet.<br />
A person might seem to be innocently reaching for ID when in fact he’s reaching for a gun. Look for the way the hand is positioned in relation<br />
to the body for signs that a subject is going for a weapon.<br />
When approaching a subject, focus on movements of the thumb, index finger, and elbow. A subject holding up open hands, even in an<br />
aggressive manner, is less of a threat because he can’t easily reach a weapon.<br />
Every year the FBI publishes a report titled “Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted.”<br />
According to this report, 41 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of<br />
duty in 2008. Year after year, the report outlines the fact that most officers are killed by<br />
firearms. But even when the suspect does not use a firearm, he or she may use other weapons<br />
to kill officers. The attacker may grip an edged weapon, use a blunt object, or steer a car into an<br />
officer. In all of these instances, suspects use their hands to kill.<br />
From basic training to field training, officers are told, “Watch the suspect’s hands.” But<br />
you are not taught how to do it. Why haven’t law enforcement trainers developed an easily<br />
understandable method to teach you the specifics of suspect hand movement awareness?<br />
One answer is that trainers and veteran officers who are skilled at hand watching<br />
often have a hard time articulating how they do it. So they use simple phrases like, “Just<br />
keep an eye on the hands,” or “It’s important to always watch the hands.”<br />
But this isn’t enough. It is imperative that you be able to recognize when suspects are<br />
using their hands to access and deploy weapons so you know how to respond. Never<br />
bring a control hold to a gun fight.<br />
safety. I shared this technique with academy trainees and advanced officers. I now have<br />
a very simple way to explain dangerous suspect hand movements, and I use this knowledge<br />
when I testify as an expert witness defending officers in use-of-force cases.<br />
Harris began the training with a question: “How do people access weapons systems?”<br />
I naively replied, “With their hands.” He said, “OK, but how?” I didn’t have an answer.<br />
Harris explained that under most circumstances when a person brings a weapon into<br />
play, she has to make at least two movements with her hand. First, the thumb and index<br />
finger move toward the center of their body. Next, the elbow moves out away from the<br />
body. By focusing on these telltale movements, officers can perceive when a weapon<br />
might be coming into play and respond accordingly.<br />
Although they might be a precursor to an assault on the officer, movements of the<br />
hands away from the center of the body where the thumb and index finger are not extended<br />
are less of a threat than movements where the thumb and index fingers are moving<br />
to the center of the body.<br />
HOW TO WATCH THE HANDS<br />
It wasn’t until I did some training a few years ago with Roy Harris, a world class martial<br />
FORECAST HAND MOVEMENTS<br />
artist and martial arts hall of fame member, that I learned how to watch the hands of<br />
One underutilized technique is forecasting the hand movements of a contact. For example,<br />
if you want to determine the identity of a contact, you will typically ask for a<br />
POLICE I 10 a suspect. I could not believe how much this awareness training increased my officer<br />
POLICE I 11<br />
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WATCH HANDS<br />
driver’s license or another form of identification. Instead of saying, “I need to see your<br />
license,” say, “Where do you keep your identification?” You need to know where the suspect’s<br />
hands will be going in order to perform the requested action. You also should ask,<br />
“What form of ID do you have?” There is a big difference between someone saying, “I<br />
keep my driver’s license in my wallet,” and “I keep my release from prison paperwork<br />
and my parole card in my wallet.” In either case, you need to know where the suspect’s<br />
hands are going.<br />
The reason this is so important is a person makes the same hand motions to get a<br />
wallet from his rear pocket as he would to access a weapon from the same area. First,<br />
the thumb and index finger move toward the center of the body. Next, the elbow moves<br />
out away from the body. You don’t want to overreact to a movement that you told the<br />
suspect to make.<br />
A better option is to forecast the movement, and to have the subject turn sideways so<br />
you can see what he is retrieving from his pocket. Tell the subject to use only his thumb<br />
and forefinger to slowly remove his wallet. Once the wallet is out, tell him to remove his<br />
identification. Many agencies do not take wallets from contacts prior to arrest. This is a<br />
good practice because it limits the subject’s ability to allege that an officer took something,<br />
like money, from the wallet during the initial contact.<br />
A MORE COURT-DEFENSIBLE TECHNIQUE<br />
In court, your actions are judged by citizens who have little or no law enforcement experience.<br />
You may be interested in securing a conviction, or you may be defending the actions<br />
of another officer. Either way, having a definable system of how officers are trained<br />
to watch the hands makes it easier to explain to a jury or a judge why you thought an<br />
offender was accessing a weapon.<br />
It’s not enough to say, “I couldn’t see his hands.” You need to be able to explain to a jury<br />
what not seeing the subject’s hands meant. What were his hands doing? How did you interpret<br />
these movements and why? What actions were appropriate for that moment? If you can<br />
explain that the subject’s thumb and index finger moved toward the center of his body and his<br />
elbow moved away from the body, and that these movements are often indicative of weapon<br />
retrieval, the judge and jury can better understand your reasoning and actions.<br />
There have been numerous times when I have made statements to suspects because I<br />
was recording the contact and I wanted the person hearing that recording at a later date<br />
to understand what I was seeing. Make statements like, “I see that you are making a fist.<br />
Let’s not go there. You and I don’t need that kind of trouble.” Make these statements for<br />
the person, usually a supervisor, who will be conducting the use-of-force investigation if<br />
the situation deteriorates.<br />
Imagine two officer-involved shootings, both captured on audio tape, where the actions<br />
of the suspect are identical. In the first shooting, you hear the officer struggle with<br />
the suspect and then the gunshots. In the second shooting, you hear the struggle, but<br />
this time the officer says, “Keep your hands away from your waist,” followed by, “Partner,<br />
he’s getting something!” and then gunshots. Which of these incidents is easier to defend<br />
in court, the media, and public perception?<br />
WATCHING THE HANDS<br />
CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE<br />
Dr. Bill Lewinski of the highly respected Force Science Research Center co-authored a<br />
study with Dr. Joan Vickers titled “Gaze Control and Shooting Performance of Elite and<br />
Rookie Police Officers During a Force-on-Force Encounter.” Veteran officers who were<br />
studied directed their attention to the suspect’s gun hand or arm. In other words, they<br />
were better at watching the suspect’s hands, especially the gun hand. This skill allowed<br />
them to perform at a higher level and to react to deadly encounters more efficiently and<br />
effectively than rookie officers. Effective hand watching can increase the likelihood of an<br />
officer surviving a lethal force encounter.<br />
There is no foolproof method for knowing when a suspect is obtaining a weapon. You<br />
must use common sense and choose reasonable solutions to difficult problems. I have<br />
provided several techniques for how to tackle this important issue. By implementing<br />
these techniques, rookie and veteran officers can avoid becoming FBI statistics.<br />
Mike “Ziggy” Siegfried is a detective, academy instructor, and use-of-force subject matter<br />
expert with the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sheriff ’s Department.<br />
TRAINING METHODS<br />
One way to integrate this concept into training is to create scenarios that expose the<br />
trainee to subjects who make motions that are indicative of accessing a weapon. This<br />
approach allows the instructor to see how the trainee responds.<br />
After the scenario, the instructor asks the trainee to articulate what movements the<br />
suspect made that caused her to believe the suspect was accessing a weapon. After the<br />
trainer determines the student can recognize weapon retrieval movements, the trainer<br />
evaluates the tactics and techniques the student used to neutralize the threat. An important<br />
element of this training is to encourage the student to verbalize her instructions to<br />
the subject. The student should also consider verbalizing the fact that she is concerned<br />
about the subject’s hand movements.<br />
USE AN AUDIO RECORDER<br />
I am a big advocate of officers using audio recorders. In almost all circumstances, they<br />
help in civil and criminal investigations. It is important to remember that recorders do not<br />
record what you do not say. I have never attended a defensive tactics training course that<br />
POLICE I 12 included activation of the recorder as part of the “real time” tactics training. Why not?<br />
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SURVIVING FOOT PATROL<br />
Walking a beat requires<br />
a different mindset<br />
and different tactics<br />
than driving one.<br />
I TOM WETZEL<br />
When on foot patrol, keep your head<br />
up. A lot of people are in the habit of<br />
walking with their heads down.<br />
EMERGENCIES ON THE BEAT<br />
Due to limitations on the mobility<br />
of foot patrol officers and lack of<br />
cruiser availability during emergencies,<br />
departments need plans in place for<br />
evacuation or protection of foot patrol<br />
officers in case of a riot or other largescale<br />
problem in the area of their beats.<br />
The emergency evacuation plan<br />
can take the form of an informal policy<br />
or a written directive.<br />
Either way officers who walk the<br />
beats and the responding officers need<br />
to train together to ensure smooth cooperation<br />
and coordination during the<br />
emergency.<br />
Prior to the development of the automobile and subsequently police cruisers, if cops<br />
weren’t on horses, they were walking a beat.<br />
The benefits of foot beats are many and this type of patrol should be a fundamental<br />
aspect in any community policing model. But after being directed to an assigned area<br />
or neighborhood to walk, an officer and his or her department should have sound strategies<br />
in place for how best to accomplish this mission in a safe and productive manner.<br />
CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR<br />
Having a good pair of shoes is naturally an important component of any foot patrol<br />
function. If this assignment is full-time, you should be permitted to purchase athletic<br />
shoes or specific shoes made for long walking.<br />
Tactical boots are not the preferred shoe of choice for this assignment. Even though<br />
manufacturers have made a lot of advances in the design of police boots and made<br />
them much lighter, boots just aren’t made for the high mileage that a foot patrol assignment<br />
involves.<br />
An agency must recognize that when assigning an officer to a foot beat that officer<br />
will likely go through more shoes than if he or she was patrolling in a cruiser. If your<br />
department provides a clothing allowance, it should include extra funds for purchasing<br />
athletic shoes, which can get pretty expensive.<br />
Clothing for foot patrol officers needs to be lightweight and designed for comfort and<br />
coolness in the summer months. Shorts and polo-type shirts can provide this type of<br />
benefit and still allow for a professional presentation.<br />
FORCE OPTIONS<br />
Having lots of use-of-force options is especially important for an officer on foot patrol.<br />
You won’t have a cruiser to use as cover or provide for a quick tactical retreat.<br />
Your duty belt needs to be equipped with pepper spray, electronic control devices,<br />
a control baton, and your duty weapon. You should also work regularly on defensive<br />
tactics techniques.<br />
As communications with your agency dispatch center or patrol units are vital, as a foot<br />
patrol officer you need to have good portable radios and at least one backup battery. You<br />
also need a cell phone.<br />
FOOT PATR0L<br />
Occassionally stop walking and listen to<br />
what is happening around you. You will<br />
be surprised by what you hear.<br />
alter specific courses that you planned. This is to be expected and should be considered<br />
an aspect of the directionless direction model.<br />
FOOT PATROL PRECAUTIONS<br />
When walking a beat, look for objects and locations that can provide you with needed<br />
cover. By doing this enough times, you will help engrain these opportunities in your<br />
mind so that under stress, you may use them instinctively.<br />
Get used to walking wide on corners when you walk a beat. This allows you to casually<br />
“slice the pie” as a manner of routine and look natural doing so.<br />
When teaching self-defense programs, I tell participants to get in the habit of having<br />
their heads in a horizontal plane instead of looking down when walking to their cars.<br />
Too often, people get deep in thought and look downward at the ground as they walk.<br />
On foot patrol you could fall into the same habit. Looking at a more level position allows<br />
you to scan farther and recognize dangerous situations more quickly.<br />
Periodically stopping and listening is also important. Your ears may become attuned<br />
to the rhythmic sounds of your steps and equipment jostling while walking for long periods<br />
of time. By not moving for a few moments, your mind and ears may pick up on<br />
distant sounds that could be signs of trouble.<br />
GATHERING INTEL<br />
Scanning the interiors of restaurants or businesses when walking by them or prior to<br />
entering them can allow you to note anything unusual. A benefit of regular foot patrol<br />
can be recognizing what and who looks out of place, which leads into an important benefit<br />
of foot patrol. Recognizing unusual behavior at specific spots as well as getting to<br />
know the people on your patrol beat gives you an excellent opportunity to gather intelligence<br />
on possible criminal behavior within that area.<br />
Citizens and police officers through time and trust can develop a “we” relationship<br />
when working to keep a neighborhood safe. This symbiotic relationship, which is vital<br />
to any community policing effort, can chip away at the “us vs. them” attitude that can<br />
manifest in different neighborhoods based on a history of mistrust between police and<br />
those they serve.<br />
By getting out and talking with people and business owners, you can establish relationships<br />
where citizens feel comfortable telling you about what and who concerns<br />
them. In time you will have your finger on the pulse of a neighborhood and be able to<br />
serve it better.<br />
But be cautious chatting up the locals. You do not want to endanger the residents who<br />
provide you with information. These citizens have to live and/or work in the neighborhood<br />
and talking to a cop could cause a problem for them. The intelligence you gather<br />
from them should be used judiciously and generally used to support other more formal<br />
information you’ve learned<br />
DIRECTIONLESS DIRECTION<br />
Once you begin a foot patrol assignment, it is important to develop a strategy that provides<br />
a consistent officer presence without an obvious routine that can be recognized.<br />
By following a different daily path as a course of action, you can patrol using a “directionless<br />
direction” model. This model involves beginning at a different spot at the start<br />
of each shift and then following a different pattern of movement with concentration on<br />
areas of concern within a neighborhood or district. This could be done on a random<br />
TAKE THE HIGH GROUND<br />
basis or involve charting a course of movement for the week.<br />
Walking a beat should not be limited to ground level action. If your areas of patrol include<br />
multiple story buildings or higher natural elevations, you should periodically ob-<br />
When walking a course, periodically stopping, turning around and going back in the<br />
same direction can present an opportunity for surprise. If a suspect sees you walking<br />
serve your beat from high ground.<br />
down a street, he or she is likely to assume that you will continue in that direction. Even<br />
Getting above street level allows you to see the area you patrol from a different perspective.<br />
This perspective may allow you to plan your routes better, observe criminal or<br />
if he thinks you may loop back around a block, there may be a perception of a window of<br />
time to commit a crime. Sudden rerouting may thwart these opportunities.<br />
suspicious activity, and note possible hiding spots for suspects.<br />
POLICE I 14 The demands of the shift such as call volume and the people you encounter will likely<br />
POLICE I 15<br />
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FOOT PATROL<br />
CONDITIONING IS CRUCIAL<br />
Depending on the type of assignment, full time or as part of a periodic assignment, if<br />
you’ve been assigned to foot patrol you need to pace yourself. A casual and steady walking<br />
pace will allow you to absorb more information and listen better. Walking too fast<br />
may wear you out more quickly and limit your energy if you suddenly get involved in a<br />
running foot chase.<br />
For pacing purposes, it is important to take time to stop or sit for awhile. This gives<br />
your legs a chance to rest and relieves some stress on your knees.<br />
One of the health benefits of foot patrol is the exercise. For tracking purposes, purchase<br />
a pedometer to see how many miles you log while on shift. You are essentially<br />
working and working out while on duty and this can be a real win-win for you and your<br />
department.<br />
The benefits of foot patrol are many. Officers walking beats can contribute to an added sense<br />
of security within a neighborhood and enhance the harmony between police officers and<br />
those they serve. Having strategies to implement this patrol function can benefit the officers,<br />
their agencies, and the communities they serve. Police officers on foot patrol should not just be<br />
sent out to walk a beat but should instead be sent out “walking with a plan.”<br />
Tom Wetzel is a northeast Ohio suburban police lieutenant, SWAT officer, trainer, and<br />
certified law enforcement executive.<br />
STOPPING GUN GRABS<br />
Good weapon retention<br />
begins at first contact<br />
and requires you to<br />
use solid tactics.<br />
I MIKE “ZIGGY” SIEGFRIED<br />
When you make contact with any suspect, there is always a firearm involved. It’s on<br />
you. And it can be turned against you.<br />
Every year the FBI publishes a report titled “Law Enforcement Officers Killed<br />
and Assaulted.” This detailed document gives the law enforcement community valuable<br />
information about the circumstances and trends in assaults on officers. In 2008, 10 percent<br />
of officers killed with a firearm were killed with their own handgun. In the past few<br />
months, Officer Ryan Bonaminio of the Riverside (Calif.) Police Department and Dep.<br />
Sam Brownlee of the Weld County (Colo.) Sheriff’s Department were both killed when<br />
they lost control of their duty firearms.<br />
CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES<br />
When asked to demonstrate weapon retention, most officers place both hands on<br />
their holstered handgun and move their hips violently from side to side. This technique<br />
is good. But before you are able to react in this manner, the suspect can bridge the open<br />
space between you, lower his shoulders, and extend his hands to touch your holstered<br />
firearm. So why don’t officers use a technique that provides a faster reaction? The short<br />
answer is they were trained not to.<br />
In many academies, weapon retention is taught by an instructor who says, “The key to<br />
weapon retention is to keep your handgun in the holster. <strong>No</strong>w, let your training partner<br />
get close and put his or her hands on your gun, then react.” This type of training engrains<br />
into your muscle memory the concept that you have to wait until the suspect gets a hand<br />
on your weapon before you can perform a weapon retention technique. This type of<br />
training ignores the concept that you should not let a suspect get anywhere near your<br />
duty belt in the first place.<br />
There should be a balance between teaching techniques and concepts. The basic concept<br />
is to not let anyone near your gun. If someone does get near your gun, push the<br />
person away and prepare to use one of your weapons. If you cannot push him or her<br />
away, keep your weapons on your belt and out of the suspect’s hands. Teaching concepts<br />
provide the why, distance provides the when, and techniques provide the how.<br />
THREE SECONDS<br />
In training, officers often say, “If they go for my gun, I will just shoot them.” But what if<br />
you do not have time? Drawing and accurately firing a handgun takes time, which you<br />
might not have. A common reference point for reaction time is 1.5 seconds: the time it<br />
takes most human beings to realize there is a serious problem. It takes the average officer<br />
another 1.5 seconds to draw a firearm and fire the first shot.<br />
How much damage could a suspect inflict in the 3.0 seconds it takes for an officer to<br />
recognize, react, and fire the first shot? I have seen many mixed martial artists knocked<br />
out in less time. Even an extremely slow runner could get to an officer before the officer<br />
Standing in the suspect’s blind spot<br />
allows you to have a better view and can get their first shot off.<br />
quicker reaction.<br />
A five-year FBI study, “Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation’s<br />
Law Enforcement Officers,” confirms that victim officers hit the suspect only 40<br />
percent of the time in deadly encounters. Additionally, if the suspect gets to the officer<br />
before the officer gets his firearm out of the holster, the officer will have at least one hand<br />
down. Having one hand down when fighting can have devastating consequences.<br />
Law enforcement trainers need to take a good look at how we teach and train for<br />
POLICE I 16<br />
POLICE I 17 weapon retention. A layered training approach first addresses concepts, then focuses on<br />
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GUN GRABS<br />
GUN GRABS<br />
time that you would not have if you were standing in front of the suspect. With so many<br />
people training in mixed martial arts, wresting, and jiu-jitsu, you may be surprised by<br />
the speed with which you can be taken to the ground and controlled, especially if you<br />
are in front of the suspect.<br />
Your legs are longer and stronger than your arms. You can use them to push the suspect away from your firearm and give you time to react.<br />
DEFENDING WITH LEGS<br />
Legs are longer and stronger than arms and are also closer to the suspect. By using<br />
your front foot, you can keep your gun side back and away from an aggressor.<br />
One effective technique for using the leg is the front foot push. Target the suspect’s pelvic<br />
region, including the lower stomach, hips, groin, quadriceps, and knees.<br />
Raise your front foot as high as it comfortably goes, then push down as if you are stepping<br />
on the gas pedal of a car. By using less of a kicking motion and more of a downward<br />
push, you can deliver great force while remaining balanced.<br />
Pushing with both arms can disrupt a suspect’s balance and prevent a gun grab. It can also buy an officer enough time to react with an<br />
appropriate weapon from his or her belt.<br />
four areas: defending with space and angles, defending with the legs, defending with the<br />
arms, and keeping the firearm secured in the holster. This concept of firearm retention<br />
has been referred to as “defense in depth.”<br />
DEFENDING WITH ARMS<br />
By simply pushing the suspect away, you can keep the suspect away from your weapon.<br />
Place your hands under the suspect’s chin and force the aggressor’s head back, directing<br />
the suspect’s eyes away from you. An added benefit to this technique is that the<br />
suspect will be forced onto his heels and will be less mobile. This pushing motion can<br />
be combined with moving off line in a circle step motion to force the suspect to turn to<br />
engage you.<br />
THE CLASSIC APPROACH<br />
Sometimes the oldies are the goodies. In the case of weapon retention, the classic twohanded<br />
weapon retention technique still saves lives.<br />
This simple move starts by placing the palm of your dominant hand on the top of the<br />
holster trapping the firearm inside the holster and keeping the suspect from removing<br />
the firearm. Almost simultaneously, bend your knees and drop your weight. Next, place<br />
your off hand palm quickly on top of the dominant hand so that both hands work in unison<br />
to keep the firearm in the holster. Move your hips violently away from the suspect<br />
using leverage to strip the suspect’s hands off of the holster.<br />
A common error many officers make when doing this technique is to not protect their<br />
entire duty belt. They lift up their non-dominant elbow giving the suspect access to other<br />
weapons on the duty belt such as a TASER, baton, or chemical agents.<br />
When doing this technique, keep both of your elbows close to your body. This will<br />
make it difficult for the suspect to take any weapons from your belt.<br />
<strong>No</strong>ne of these techniques are complicated; all are based on gross motors skills that<br />
can be performed under critical stress incidents.<br />
Far more important is to remember the concept of creating tactical distance using the<br />
gross motor skills of pushing.<br />
Put more simply, push the crook away from you as soon and as fast as you can using<br />
any part of your body you can do it with. Once you have done that, use the appropriate<br />
force option to win the confrontation. Don’t let them get their hands on your weapons.<br />
It is all about going home at the end of your watch alive.<br />
OPEN SPACE AND ANGLES<br />
Use both hands to keep your gun<br />
From a modern firebase in Afghanistan to an ancient castle, the first layer of defense is<br />
in your holster until you can get the<br />
a large open area from which the defender can see the enemy coming and engage them<br />
suspect’s hands off it.<br />
from a distance. This open space concept can also work for individual officers.<br />
You will have a better field of view and more time to react to any threat posed by a<br />
dangerous suspect, if you keep the suspect at a distance. Although every situation is different,<br />
a good rule of thumb for a minimum distance is five feet. Greater distance is better;<br />
however, at five feet you can deploy most of the common weapons on your duty<br />
belt, including your TASER, baton, chemical agents, and firearms. Space equals time.<br />
Time equals better decision making. Better decision making increases your chance for<br />
victory.<br />
One under taught aspect of weapon retention is angles. When talking with a suspect,<br />
it is a good idea to angle to his blind spot.<br />
Mike “Ziggy” Siegfried is a detective, academy instructor, and use-of-force subject matter<br />
Tell the suspect to look forward and stand in his blind spot in a field interrogation<br />
expert with the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sheriff ’s Department.<br />
position (balanced stance with your firearm back). The suspect will be forced to move to<br />
POLICE I 18 engage you, if he is intent on an assault. This movement will give you valuable reaction<br />
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DYNAMIC TAKEDOWN TECHNIQUES<br />
TAKEDOWN TECHNIQUES<br />
If a suspect attacks you<br />
during a search, use<br />
these moves to take<br />
him to the ground.<br />
I JAMES HARBISON<br />
1 2<br />
(1) Start from the Standing Basic Search position. <strong>No</strong>te the<br />
downward pressure on the suspect’s hands to anchor them in<br />
place and slow down escapes. (2) To initiate the Rear Pull-down,<br />
step out of the hole and pull the suspect’s hands backward and<br />
downward, breaking their vertical plane.<br />
Year after year, statistics compiled by the FBI consistently reaffirm the dangers of our<br />
profession. Law enforcement officers all have one thing in common: ultimately,<br />
we or those we train and supervise must deal with the bad guys. When we do, we<br />
are putting ourselves at risk. To offset those risks, we use many resources including<br />
technology and training.<br />
When it comes to training, most of us don’t get enough. So the training we do get must<br />
be practical, effective, and efficient. This article will provide you with two techniques<br />
you can use to keep yourself safe when dealing with suspects who become resistive or<br />
combative during a pat search.<br />
In my previous article, “Safe Searching: the Standing Basic<br />
Search” (March 2011), I covered the concepts and mechanics<br />
of performing a safe pat down or Terry search for weapons. As I<br />
stated, searching persons for weapons is a high frequency activity<br />
for law enforcement personnel. One of the risks I addressed in<br />
my previous article was the risk of attack from the person you are<br />
searching, while you are searching him or her. Using the standing<br />
basic search gives you the ability to minimize your risk, and<br />
maximize your options when the person you are searching initiates<br />
an attack.<br />
REVIEW<br />
Before we discuss our options, let’s quickly review the primary<br />
components of the standing basic search. Remember, you want<br />
your search to be safe, effective, and expedient. To ensure this, focus<br />
on controlling the suspect through proper body position, limiting<br />
the person’s mobility, and controlling the hands. When properly<br />
executed, the standing basic search position can minimize the<br />
suspect’s ability to escape or attack.<br />
One point to consider is the way you control the suspect’s<br />
hands. Remember, it is critical to both “lace up” the fingers of the<br />
interlocked hands, and anchor them to the base of the skull, maintaining<br />
downward pressure throughout the search. This reduces<br />
the suspect’s ability to quickly escape by turning toward you and<br />
ducking under your hands.<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
(1) Starting from the Standing Basic Search Position, (2) initiate the takedown the same as you do in the Rear Pull-down. (3) Use your free<br />
arm to wrap and compress the suspect’s arm. (4) Quickly drive your hips and shoulders toward the hole, taking the suspect with you.<br />
For the remainder of this discussion, I’ll focus on one of your options: taking the suspect<br />
to the ground. The takedowns we will examine are designed to disorient and temporarily<br />
incapacitate the suspect to help you quickly and safely establish a greater level<br />
of control. Taking a suspect to the ground can potentially cause her injury, and therefore<br />
should always be objectively reasonable under the circumstances.<br />
THE TAKEDOWNS<br />
We are all innately wired for forward movement. Your balance and equilibrium are more<br />
adversely affected when your vertical plane is broken in a backward direction. Therefore,<br />
from the standing basic search position, you can employ these two simple and dynamic<br />
takedown techniques to effectively overcome the suspect’s resistive or combative actions.<br />
Both operate under the same principles of body mechanics, differing only in the amount<br />
and type of control you will establish once the suspect is on the ground.<br />
The first and simplest of the two techniques is the Rear Pull-down. The key to this<br />
technique is quickly and forcefully breaking the suspect’s vertical plane simultaneously<br />
backward and downward; gravity will do the rest. This technique results in a disengagement<br />
from the suspect, affording the opportunity to transition to other force options or<br />
methods of control.<br />
The second technique is the Rear Pull-down with Arm Compression. This technique is<br />
initiated in the same way as the Rear Pull-down, but enhanced with a controlling movement<br />
to assist with the take down and to further control the suspect once she is on the<br />
ground. Let’s look at each technique in detail.<br />
OPTIONS<br />
Once you have initiated your standing basic search, what can<br />
3 4 you do if the suspect tries to escape or initiate an attack? The universal<br />
answer is and should always be: it depends.<br />
(3) Continue pulling as you rotate your hips and shoulders, driving<br />
the suspect into the hole. (4) Recover to a preparatory position. What does it depend on? Many things, which can be broadly categorized<br />
REAR PULL-DOWN<br />
to include the suspect’s actions, your actions, and your<br />
The Rear Pull-down can be initiated from the standing basic search position regard-<br />
environment. But under most circumstances, you should be looking at several options,<br />
less of which hand you are using to control the suspect’s hands. The key is to use that<br />
ranging from verbal commands to transitioning to control holds or takedowns, and/or<br />
hand to break the suspect’s vertical plane both backward and downward simultaneously,<br />
disengaging and transitioning to other force options (e.g. personal body weapons, impact<br />
while you use your footwork to “open a hole” for the suspect to fall into.<br />
weapons, chemical agents, electronic control devices, or firearms.) The level and<br />
In this case, where the head goes, the body will follow. Because you are controlling the<br />
type of force you choose will always be situationally determined, and must be reasonable<br />
suspect’s hands, which are connected to his head, you are able to quickly and efficiently<br />
and justified under your agency’s policy and the law.<br />
POLICE I 21 move his head and spine backward and downward, breaking his vertical plane.<br />
POLICE I 20<br />
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TAKEDOWN TECHNIQUES<br />
CHOKE ESCAPES<br />
5<br />
(5) Keep the suspect’s arm compressed and immobilized.<br />
(6) Transition to a Prone Control by placing your compressing<br />
hand on his elbow, while your locking hand controls the wrist.<br />
(7) Drive the suspect’s elbow toward<br />
his head, while pulling his wrist across his body.<br />
You’ll want to know how<br />
to get out of a choke<br />
hold if you find yourself<br />
up against an MMA<br />
aficionado.<br />
I JAMES HARBISON<br />
I PHOTOS: JIMMY LEE<br />
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a dynamic and entertaining combat sport whose<br />
popularity has grown significantly over the last decade, and this multi-milliondollar<br />
business appears here to stay. This brings both opportunity and challenge<br />
to law enforcement officers. We have the opportunity to learn MMA techniques and<br />
training methods that are useful to us. Our challenge is to recognize that we are facing<br />
aggressors who have been trained formally in MMA or, at the very least, informally by<br />
the entertainment industry that promotes this martial art to use techniques such as<br />
choke holds. So how do we meet that challenge? The answer is simple: training.<br />
TRAINING PERSPECTIVE<br />
6 7<br />
MMA practitioners commonly use choking techniques to defeat their opponents. In a<br />
match if you are being choked by your opponent you can “tap out” or submit to end the<br />
As the suspect begins to fall, you let go of his hands, adjust your stance appropriately,<br />
attack before you go unconscious or suffer a severe injury. Law enforcement officers do<br />
and prepare to initiate your next action. If you need to generate a little more force<br />
not enjoy this luxury.<br />
to initiate the takedown, bring your free (searching) hand to the suspect’s elbow and<br />
The consequences of your being “choked out” or rendered unconscious are severe.<br />
push downward as you pull his hands.<br />
Your aggressor can have his way with you and the weapons on your belt. The danger<br />
to you, your fellow officers, and the public is obvious. A choke attack should therefore<br />
REAR PULL-DOWN WITH ARM COMPRESSION<br />
be considered a critical attack and you should train yourself accordingly. We are going<br />
The Rear Pull-down with Arm Compression can also be initiated from the standing basic<br />
to take a look at two popular choke techniques used effectively by grapplers and MMA<br />
search position regardless of which hand you are using to control the suspect’s hands. Use your<br />
practitioners: the rear naked choke and the guillotine choke.<br />
controlling hand to initiate backward and downward movement of the suspect’s hands and<br />
Before we do that, keep in mind two things. First, nothing will replace well trained<br />
head. As this occurs, use your free (searching) arm to wrap around the suspect’s arm, midway<br />
fundamental skills. We are often looking for the “ultimate method or technique” or the<br />
between the suspect’s wrist and elbow. Quickly move your controlling hand to a supporting<br />
“surefire solution” to our problems. The reality is that where officer safety is concerned,<br />
8<br />
position on your wrapping wrist, locking down and compressing the suspect’s arm.<br />
what rules the day are basic fundamental skills developed through consistent, highquality<br />
training. Regardless of what method of defensive tactics or arrest control you use,<br />
Depending on which arm you are compressing, relative to your stance, you may have to<br />
(8) Once the suspect is prone, reach adjust your feet to facilitate the arm compression and/or open the hole for the takedown.<br />
there are several fundamental skill areas you must develop and maintain at the highest<br />
under with your driving hand and take<br />
control of the suspect’s wrist. Pull the Once the arm is compressed, drive your hips toward the hole, bringing the suspect to<br />
levels throughout your career. Awareness, balance, control, timing, and distance are but<br />
arm up and toward the suspect’s head the ground forcefully. Once on the ground, maintain control of the suspect in the arm<br />
a few of these fundamental skills. <strong>No</strong> technique or weapons system can replace these,<br />
until his shoulder locks.<br />
compression position long enough to disengage or, preferably, transition into a shoulder-lock<br />
including the choke escape techniques we are about to look at.<br />
prone control.<br />
Secondly, it is frequently pointed out that many if not the majority of the alterca-<br />
tions officers are involved in end up on the ground. Assuming this is true, does that<br />
SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE<br />
make you a “ground fighter?” Be careful if you answer “yes.” True ground fighters prefer<br />
Whenever you deal with people who have a potential to harm you, your safety is paramount<br />
to be on the ground and are comfortable on their backs. They can turn an infe-<br />
and control is the key. Once you have established control over a person using the<br />
rior position (on their backs) into a superior position with well-practiced techniques.<br />
standing basic search, if the person’s resistive or combative behavior necessitates that<br />
These can surely be useful skills to have. However, we don’t fight in padded rings; we<br />
you establish greater control, one of your options is to take him to the ground. The two<br />
don’t have referees. And while we have rules, our aggressors do not. When we do fight,<br />
takedown techniques presented here are simple in concept and execution, and effective<br />
we are usually wearing weapons which, if taken from us, can be used against us with<br />
in application. If you don’t use them already, give them some consideration. Above all,<br />
lethal consequences. Perhaps most importantly, even the best ground fighter who ties<br />
stay safe and in control.<br />
up with an aggressor on the ground will have a difficult time dealing with a second or<br />
third person joining the fight. Multiple aggressors are a reality law enforcement officers<br />
Lt. James Harbison is the Basic Academy Director at the Contra Costa County (Calif.) Office<br />
consistently face.<br />
of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Training Center. He has been teaching law enforcement<br />
Many of the young men and women I teach in the Basic Academy program at the<br />
defensive tactics at the academy and advanced officer levels for more than 21 years.<br />
Contra Costa County (Calif.) Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Training Center al-<br />
ready have very impressive martial arts/combat sports backgrounds. Some are even a<br />
tough match for my instructors, one on one. The game changer comes when I introduce<br />
a second and third aggressor into a combative training exercise. I do this to prove my<br />
POLICE I 22<br />
POLICE I 23 point that once you tie up with an aggressor on the ground, you become vulnerable to<br />
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CHOKE ESCAPES<br />
CHOKE ESCAPES<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
multiple aggressors. Your weapons can be taken from you more easily, and you are susceptible<br />
to brutal and vicious strikes such as kicks and stomps. The more quickly you can<br />
escape or transition to a dominant position that gives you both stability and mobility,<br />
the safer you will be.<br />
I say all this to underscore the notion that even with excellent grappling or “ground fighting<br />
skills,” your training and your mindset should be geared toward controlling aggressors in ways<br />
that minimize risk to you. You will notice that in both choke escape techniques presented here,<br />
the emphasis is on escape, both from the immediate threat and from a compromising, prolonged<br />
engagement on the ground.<br />
REAR NAKED CHOKE ESCAPE<br />
As practiced by law enforcement, the rear naked choke technique is commonly referred<br />
to as the carotid restraint or lateral vascular neck restraint. Done correctly, it is not<br />
a true choke, in that it does not impede breathing by compressing the airway. Rather, it<br />
restricts the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, which is arguably worse for you because<br />
unconsciousness comes relatively quickly.<br />
Remember, if someone uses this technique on you and renders you unconscious, you<br />
cannot defend yourself or others, and as such, your aggressor can cause you serious bodily<br />
injury, or worse, kill you. To avoid this, you’ll need to employ four key principles:<br />
• PROTECT the neck<br />
• SET UP the escape<br />
• MOVE to the non-choke side<br />
• ESCAPE to a position of advantage<br />
There are several positions your aggressor can establish to use this technique. Perhaps<br />
one of the most difficult to escape from is when your aggressor is behind you with a full<br />
wrap on your neck, and both legs wrapped around your waist. Here’s what you do:<br />
1. PROTECT the neck. Use both of your hands to pull downward on his wrist<br />
and/or forearm. At the same time, tuck your chin to your chest. Pull hard to relieve as<br />
much pressure as you can. Remember, time is of the essence, so establish wrist or forearm<br />
control as quickly as you can.<br />
2. SET UP your escape. To do this, plant your feet and push yourself backward. Use your<br />
body weight and leverage to get your head even with or beyond your aggressor’s head.<br />
3. MOVE to the non-choke side. Bring your shoulder on the choke side to the ground<br />
on the non-choke side. Resist the temptation to roll onto your stomach. An experienced<br />
grappler will roll with you and onto your back, continuing to apply pressure to your neck.<br />
4. ESCAPE to a position of advantage. Use a hip escape, bringing your legs outside the<br />
aggressor’s legs.<br />
5. Maneuver to a superior position. You can now transition to your feet or another<br />
force option.<br />
6. PROTECT the neck (throat). Bring your hand on the choke side to the aggressor’s<br />
wrist and/or forearm and pull downward. Turn your head toward the aggressor’s body<br />
and reach over the aggressor’s shoulder with your free arm.<br />
7. Walk your feet toward the aggressor, keeping them close together. Get your hips up high<br />
so that your weight is coming downward on your shoulder, which is pressing forcefully<br />
into the aggressor’s neck and face. This helps relieve the pressure on your neck and throat.<br />
8. SET UP your escape. Use your hand and forearm to drive down the aggressor’s inner<br />
thigh on the choke side. You are trying to “break” the lock the aggressor has around your<br />
waist by driving his legs below your hips.<br />
9. MOVE to the non-choke side. Scramble or simply fall to the non-choke side, clearing<br />
the aggressor’s legs.<br />
10. Continue moving your feet away from the aggressor, into a side control position.<br />
Drive the aggressor’s chin to his choke side shoulder to loosen his choke hold.<br />
11. ESCAPE to a position of advantage. Sprawl and rotate around the aggressor’s head<br />
to begin breaking his choke hold.<br />
12. Continue moving to the choke side to break the choke hold and assume a superior<br />
position. You can now transition to your feet or another force option.<br />
CONSIDER THIS<br />
My training team and I recently taught these choke escape techniques to 600 law enforcement<br />
officers, almost all of whom were not MMA practitioners. Mastery of the techniques<br />
was not the goal. Creating an understanding of how critical a choke attack is and<br />
demonstrating the key principles of how to defend against it were the objectives. To that<br />
extent, we succeeded.<br />
During the training, some officers raised interesting questions such as, “If it’s a critical<br />
attack, why don’t we just draw our gun and shoot the person trying to choke us?”<br />
That is clearly a decision that has to be made by the individual officer, and the wisdom<br />
and effectiveness of such a decision depends in large part on what stage of the choke<br />
attack you find yourself in. We presented these escape techniques in close to “worst<br />
case scenarios,” where the aggressor had already maneuvered the officer into an inferior<br />
position with the choke set and imminent. In these positions, I believe the time it<br />
takes to draw and shoot a gun that is already partially blocked by the aggressor’s legs is<br />
potentially greater than the time it would take to render you unconscious. That being<br />
said, we trained officers to mitigate and escape the immediate threat of the choke before<br />
attempting to introduce an unholstered gun into the fight.<br />
WATCH MMA FIGHTS<br />
Developing and maintaining your awareness of the threats you face on the job is the first<br />
step to ensuring your safety. Proper training to address those threats is the next step. If<br />
you are not currently paying attention to the MMA scene, please do so; it’s amazing<br />
what you can learn just watching a few fights. Then, consider the points I have presented,<br />
and look for ways you and your co-workers can enhance your personal and<br />
departmental training to address the opportunities and challenges MMA brings to law<br />
enforcement.<br />
GUILLOTINE CHOKE ESCAPE<br />
5<br />
The guillotine choke is a true choke because the aggressor is applying pressure to your<br />
windpipe. This is a dangerous technique to be on the receiving end of and, like the rear<br />
naked choke, should be considered a critical attack. There are a variety of positions and<br />
variations of this choke, but let’s look at one of the more difficult ones to escape from.<br />
The aggressor has you on the ground with a full wrap around your neck and his legs<br />
12<br />
Sgt. James Harbison is the Basic Academy Coordinator at the Contra Costa County (Calif.)<br />
around your waist. Again, employ the same four key principles: PROTECT the neck<br />
Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Training Center, where he teaches defensive tactics<br />
(throat), SET UP your escape, MOVE to the non-choke side, and ESCAPE to a position of<br />
and physical fitness.<br />
POLICE I 24 advantage. Here’s what you do:<br />
POLICE I 25<br />
96 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 97<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
11
LAST-DITCH IMPACT<br />
WEAPON TRAINING<br />
Most of the tools on<br />
your duty belt were not<br />
designed to be impact<br />
weapons, but they can<br />
be very effective if you<br />
know when and how<br />
to use them.<br />
I TOM WETZEL<br />
One of the concerns with basic law enforcement training in this country is that it<br />
doesn’t always teach officers what to do when things go wrong.<br />
Murphy’s Law states that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. And soldiers<br />
will tell you that “Murphy never sleeps” in combat. Things are always going wrong, and<br />
those things get people killed. The same is true for police officers on the streets of Anytown,<br />
USA.<br />
You can’t expect your equipment to always function exactly like you want it to. You<br />
have to be ready to react when things go wrong. So training for weapon malfunctions<br />
of handguns, electronic control devices (ECD), and OC canisters should be a common<br />
practice within police agencies.<br />
Handgun malfunctions and how to clear them probably were included in your law enforcement<br />
training. You should be prepared to do these actions without much thought<br />
because, depending on the situation, you may not have much time to clear a jam and get<br />
back into the fight.<br />
But what happens if that time is reduced even further and a suspect has closed in on you to a<br />
point where you do not have time to clear a jam, replace an ECD cartridge, or re-holster a canister<br />
of OC spray? Training to use your force option tools as impact weapons may help prepare<br />
you for such an encounter and could help stop or slow an assault against you.<br />
IMPACT WEAPON TRAINING<br />
the head, which could disorient or knock out a suspect. As discussed before, head strikes<br />
can cause severe injury and even death, but remember you are already in a deadly force<br />
situation.<br />
And the head is not the only effective target for a handgun strike. You can stun or stop an attacker<br />
with a strike to the solar plexus, groin, or throat. The appropriate target is dependent on<br />
your position relative to the attacker.<br />
Emphasis should be placed on controlling the handgun with a solid grip and preventing<br />
the barrel from facing you when striking with a handgun. If that malfunction clears<br />
itself during the struggle, you don’t want the muzzle covering you.<br />
Strikes can be practiced in an open form and also against a heavy bag or training mannequins<br />
using replica guns such as Blue Guns. The drills should be conducted at a slow<br />
pace at first and then pick up speed as you get better with the technique’s form. Some<br />
techniques to consider are the following:<br />
Punching with the Barrel—In a standing position practice straight punches with the<br />
barrel facing the subject. This strike can include a turning of the fist as this follows a<br />
typical punch configuration. After the standing position, move to the ground and<br />
practice upward and side strikes with the same technique.<br />
Punching with the Bottom of the Handle—Depending on the proximity of the assailant,<br />
a strike with the butt of the weapon may be effective. Practice directing the end of the<br />
handle forward as a strike. When doing so, the barrel will turn to the side or upward.<br />
Forward Snapping Strike—While holding the handle, direct a snapping forward strike<br />
using the barrel like a baton. This type of movement may allow for quick repetitive<br />
strikes. Upward or reverse snapping strikes can also be practiced.<br />
PHOTOS: TOM WETZEL<br />
If an OC canister fails, you can use it as<br />
an impact weapon by striking with the<br />
side of your fist.<br />
ECD STRIKES<br />
ECDs, such as stun guns and TASERs, are primarily used in non-deadly force incidents<br />
in which you need to control a subject and take him or her into custody. Consequently,<br />
they are rarely used to strike subjects.<br />
But use-of-force encounters can change instantly and go from control situations to<br />
deadly force situations. So it is imperative that you know how to use an ECD as an impact<br />
weapon when things go wrong. ECDs can fail when you need them most. And when that<br />
happens you may not have time to draw another weapon and stop an assault. So you<br />
may have to use an ECD as an impact weapon.<br />
Strikes with an ECD are performed in a similar manner to those using a handgun.<br />
However, it must be emphasized that if deadly force is not warranted you should not<br />
strike someone in the head with an ECD. As with a handgun, a head strike with an ECD<br />
can cause serious injury and even death. So before you strike someone in the head with<br />
an ECD, make sure that such a use of force is warranted.<br />
HANDGUN STRIKES<br />
Your handgun is obviously not a primary impact weapon. You are not going to use it to<br />
subdue a suspect in substitute of a baton strike. That would be reckless. But if you are intending<br />
to use deadly force and your weapon malfunctions, you can end up in a position<br />
where your only option may be to strike an attacker with your gun.<br />
Striking someone with a handgun is not an action to be taken<br />
lightly. It should only be done when you have no better alternative<br />
because doing so puts you at risk of losing your pistol to an<br />
assailant. It can also cause serious injury to the subject, especially<br />
if you strike him or her in the head. And it could discharge, if the<br />
jam clears with the impact.<br />
A handgun strike is a desperate, last-ditch defensive measure,<br />
but nonetheless, it’s one you should practice. If you haven’t<br />
trained to perform this action, you won’t be able to do it successfully<br />
when you need it.<br />
You have to commit to this move. Awkwardness and tentativeness<br />
can result in disaster. You also have to be aware of weapon retention concerns before<br />
you make this strike. Dropping your gun or having it taken away are very real possibilities,<br />
and your trainer should discuss them with you.<br />
The purpose of striking an assailant with your handgun is to stun or stop him or her.<br />
It’s a delaying action intended to give you enough space between you and your attacker<br />
to clear your weapon malfunction or perform a reload and get back into the fight.<br />
When teaching techniques and directing training drills using handguns (NOTE: For<br />
safety, use colored gun replicas such as a Blue Gun), your trainers should have you prac-<br />
OC CANISTER STRIKES<br />
If deadly force is warranted and your<br />
gun malfunctions, you may have to<br />
Like ECDs, OC spray is supposed to be used in situations that do not warrant deadly<br />
strike the subject with it.<br />
force. But there are situations where it becomes compromised. Some subjects can fight<br />
their way through its effects; you sometimes find yourself with an empty canister when<br />
you need to deploy more OC; and sometimes the canister fails to work.<br />
So it’s possible that at some time in your law enforcement career, you may find yourself<br />
facing an assaultive subject with an ineffective OC canister in your hand. If you can’t<br />
transition to another weapon, your best option may be to punch the subject with the<br />
canister held in your fist.<br />
POLICE I 26 tice strikes from standing and ground positions. The best target area for these strikes is<br />
POLICE I 27 This is essentially the old roll-of-quarters trick that hoodlums have used for decades.<br />
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IMPACT WEAPON TRAINING<br />
Flashlight strikes have been outlawed<br />
by many agencies. However, when<br />
you have no other choice, they’re<br />
very effective.<br />
You can either punch normally with this combination or position the canister in your<br />
hand in such a way that it is sticking slightly out of your fist where the canister makes direct<br />
contact with the target area. These techniques are easy to execute, but you still want to<br />
practice them on a training mannequin or a heavy bag. (NOTE: Use training canisters for<br />
this training so that you do not run the risk of spraying OC in your training area.)<br />
FLASHLIGHT STRIKES<br />
There was a time when officers routinely struck subjects with heavy D-cell battery patrol<br />
flashlights. Use of flashlights as impact weapons is now generally discouraged. A heavy<br />
flashlight can cause severe injury, especially if it is used to make a head strike. That’s<br />
why many agencies have policies that prohibit the use of flashlights as impact weapons.<br />
Still, there are times when you may have no other option but to hit a subject with a<br />
light. For example, it’s not unusual for subjects to attack officers while they are holding<br />
flashlights at nighttime traffic stops.<br />
That’s why I believe agencies should not prohibit all flashlight strikes. Instead they<br />
should train their officers how to perform them properly and effectively with minimal<br />
chance of severe injury to the subject, i.e. pressure point control measures, unless severe<br />
force is justified.<br />
You will probably not have to apply your use-of-force tools in uncharacteristic fashions.<br />
Usually they will work as intended. But being prepared to use your weapons as<br />
impact tools when they don’t work and you have no other options can save your life.<br />
INTO THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS<br />
Attics, basements,<br />
closets, and crawlspaces<br />
all present great hazards<br />
to officers searching for<br />
concealed suspects.<br />
I DEAN SCOVILLE<br />
I PHOTOS: ALEX LANDEEN<br />
For some of us fear of the dark is culturally indoctrinated. For others, it’s an instinctual<br />
echo; the dark was threatening to our ancestors in ways that humans who live their<br />
nights under electric lights can barely understand. Today, horror movie directors<br />
use our instinctual fear of the dark, toying with audiences before drawing back that<br />
curtain of night and revealing the monster so that the fans of such fare can go home<br />
having survived a vicarious thrill.<br />
But when cops must face the unknown hazards concealed by the dark, we don’t have<br />
the luxury of waiting for the credits to roll and the theater lights to come on. What we<br />
face in the dark is real and vicious. And the average citizen would be hard-pressed to<br />
imagine the fear we experience while poking our heads through a dark attic access or<br />
down a gloomy basement stairwell in hopes of divining a suspect’s whereabouts.<br />
For an officer, fear of the dark is both reasonable and prudent. Only God knows how<br />
many cops have peered into that darkness to find it split by an amber flash.<br />
THE HIGH GROUND<br />
Cops accept the prospect of working in oftentimes dangerous environs, and we train<br />
to minimize the risks associated with them. We familiarize ourselves with a variety of<br />
weaponry and tactics, practice both live fire and simulation round training, and are exposed<br />
to a variety of role playing scenarios. But if there is one area of tactical concern<br />
where most cops have perhaps been shortchanged, it is dealing with those dark places<br />
Tom Wetzel is a northeast Ohio suburban police lieutenant, SWAT officer, trainer, and<br />
where suspects often hide.<br />
certified law enforcement executive.<br />
Attics are particularly problematic. <strong>No</strong>t only do they give suspects the high ground<br />
and allow them to be anywhere within a 360-degree radius of a portal, but they often<br />
find searching officers backlit and precariously situated atop ladders.<br />
Some officers don’t get that far.<br />
When officers of the Milwaukee Police Department’s Tactical Enforcement Unit descended<br />
upon the house of a cop-hating recluse, they anticipated the possibility of being<br />
fired upon by the suspect. In a bid to get a bearing on the suspect, they inserted a mirror<br />
into the loft and saw that the man was in the process of lighting candles. Despite their<br />
attempt to back away, the man was able to douse the officers with a burning fluid. Three<br />
officers suffered first- and second-degree burns—two of them to their faces.<br />
Those officers that succeed in gaining entry into attics run the risk of engaging suspects<br />
in close, confined quarters. For some, such confrontations have led to bodies<br />
crashing through ceilings and resulted in injuries to both the officers and the suspects.<br />
San Bernardino (Calif.) Deputy Sheriff Luke Gayton’s first attic entry was a memorable<br />
one. Gayton was one of several deputies who narrowed down a search for a domestic<br />
violence suspect to the man’s attic. A neighbor had advised deputies that he thought<br />
the man may be armed, but wasn’t sure as he’d never actually seen a firearm: Valuable<br />
information to have, but not enough to rise to the level of a SWAT call-out. Requests to<br />
a local agency for a K-9 failed to secure one, and in the belief that he’d be able to obtain<br />
The close confines of a cluttered attic the quickest overview of the attic, the 6-foot, four-inch Gayton was selected to enter the<br />
can be a great hiding place for a suspect attic first.<br />
and a real challenge for officers.<br />
Gayton borrowed a tactical light from another officer, attached it to his gun, and entered<br />
the attic. The plan was that he’d search the east side of the attic while his partner<br />
would follow immediately thereafter and search the west side.<br />
Gayton noticed footprints in the insulation and followed them. Twelve feet from the<br />
POLICE I 28<br />
POLICE I 29 attic access, he found a pair of feet protruding from where the suspect had buried him-<br />
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INTO THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS<br />
INTO THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS<br />
self in the insulation. The suspect’s refusal to obey Gayton’s demands to show his hands<br />
resulted in Gayton deploying his TASER. But the TASER failed to establish contact, which<br />
gave the suspect the chance to sit up and point a gun at Gayton.<br />
Yelling, “Gun!” Gayton fired twice at the suspect with his own sidearm. But while stepping<br />
backward, the deputy fell and struck his head on a roof joist.<br />
When he saw Gayton fall, his partner thought that the suspect had shot Gayton and<br />
returned fire toward the suspect, who again pointed the gun at Gayton. Gayton then shot<br />
five more rounds, mortally wounding the suspect.<br />
Gayton’s experience illustrates many of the hazards of confronting a suspect in an attic.<br />
He dealt with confined spaces, architectural obstacles, ungainly footing, confusing<br />
acoustics, and a concealed suspect during his first attic search.<br />
Gayton says the lessons learned that day were taken to<br />
heart by his agency. These days, San Bernardino County<br />
deputies routinely deploy mirrors into attics before entering<br />
them, and Gayton has since safely performed more<br />
than two dozen attic searches.<br />
Agencies are also using tactical units more on attic<br />
searches. And a recent incident in Jonesboro, Ark., illustrates<br />
why that’s a good idea.<br />
Jonesboro officers were after an armed rape suspect<br />
and they thought he was in a specific residence. They obtained<br />
a search warrant for the location and made entry.<br />
The search led them to believe he was hiding in the attic.<br />
A patrol officer went up through the attic opening where<br />
When opening closet or basement doors, remember to stay out of the he was immediately fired upon by the suspect. The round<br />
fatal funnel.<br />
was stopped by the officer’s ballistic resistant vest and he<br />
was able to return fire, incapacitating the suspect.<br />
Many experts believe a tactical team should have been called in on this operation.<br />
After all, most tactical teams have the weaponry, shields, and sophisticated surveillance<br />
tools such as pole cameras to mitigate the hazards of such a search.<br />
A K-9 or even just the illusion of a K-9<br />
can be your best tool for flushing a<br />
concealed suspect.<br />
particularly in a residence, as being a really dangerous situation.”<br />
Alwes cites the recent death of a Kentucky police officer who followed a domestic violence<br />
suspect down a basement stairwell. Seeing the officer from such a vantage point,<br />
the suspect was able to ambush the officer with an SKS rifle, killing him.<br />
“The deputy got in over his head before he realized he’d been caught in that funnel,<br />
and he didn’t survive it,” Alwes says.<br />
RECON AND TACTICS<br />
When it comes to searching for suspects in dark and shadowy hiding places, mitigating<br />
an officer’s chances of getting shot starts with getting the lay of the land. Officers want to<br />
determine if there is more than one means of entering or exiting the enclosure and what<br />
portals may give suspects an eye-line on officers. In dealing with apartments and condos,<br />
they need to know if attics or crawlspaces share common accesses. Many times, this<br />
knowledge is acquired only incident to a search of the target location. However, nearby<br />
buildings with similar floorplans may be used for recon as well.<br />
Visually canvassing the location and recognizing red flags is imperative. Have cobwebs<br />
been disturbed around attic portals, or dust pooled on the floor directly below<br />
them? Has the trap door been haphazardly replaced or weighed down? Are doors, covers,<br />
and other barriers cracked open or bored in such a manner as to allow a suspect to<br />
see out, but to preclude an officer’s ability to see in? Has the wire mesh covering a crawlspace<br />
access been removed or the ground near it been disturbed?<br />
Answers in the affirmative may dictate a request for a tactical unit to handle the<br />
situation, particularly if the suspect is known or believed to be armed; more so if the<br />
suspect’s flight was so effectively contained as to leave little doubt that he is in your<br />
containment.<br />
An officer who fails to recognize the significance of attics, basements, and crawl spaces<br />
may be setting himself up for an ambush. Some will discount the confines as too constricting<br />
to accommodate a suspect. More often, they simply fail to look up and notice<br />
them.<br />
During training exercises, former Fort Shawnee, Ohio, police chief Rick Rohrbaugh<br />
made a habit of dropping empty casings behind those officers who’d strolled beneath<br />
ceiling accesses and air conditioning units without looking up.<br />
“Dropping an empty casing behind the students actually scared them worse than<br />
shooting a blank,” recalls Rohrbaugh. “But by the time patrol tactics classes concluded,<br />
we had graduated bobble heads who’d learned to look up, down, and all around.”<br />
Looking up and recognizing a potential problem is a good start, notes NTOA’s Alwes.<br />
Still, he cautions that officers should exploit high-tech alternatives before committing<br />
themselves to needless courses of action.<br />
“You have thermal devices that can locate sources of body heat; others that can pick up<br />
minute sounds. Throw robots and pole cameras have also determined whether or not a suspect<br />
was in a room,” Alwes says. “They’re even developing mechanical sniffing devices that<br />
will eclipse their canine counterparts in determining whether or not there’s human life in an<br />
enclosed area.”<br />
Alwes adds that even in the absence of such high-tech hardware, cops should try<br />
verbal commands before making like Punxsutawney Phil, the famous Pennsylvania<br />
groundhog, and sticking their heads up through a hole.<br />
“Sometimes simply yelling, ‘Come on out, we know you’re in there,’ will get them<br />
out—particularly if you’re threatening to put a dog in there with them,” Alwes advises.<br />
GOING DOWNSTAIRS<br />
Basements may provide insight to the men who exploit them. Such environments often<br />
appeal to those who wish to make their last stand because they have no means of escape.<br />
The Beslan terrorists exploited the school basement during their assault on that institution.<br />
A basement was where cop killer Edward Nathaniel Bell barricaded himself after<br />
killing Westchester, Va., police Sgt. Ricky Timbrook. It was also a basement that afforded<br />
St. Louis County, Mo., Sgt. Richard Eric Weinhold’s killer the vantage point by which to<br />
ambush the sergeant. In California, Joe Teitgen took refuge in a basement before suddenly<br />
darting out its door and shooting Vallejo, Calif., Officer Jeff Azuar in the head,<br />
killing him.<br />
Don Alwes of the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) says that basements<br />
pose unique threats to police officers searching for concealed suspects.<br />
“Probably one of the more dangerous situations is going down a stairway into a basement<br />
where the back side of the steps are not closed,” Alwes explains. “If the bad guy is<br />
behind the stairs looking through and watching you coming down the steps, he’s got a<br />
huge lead on you. The only safe way to do that is either crawling down on your belly—<br />
which isn’t very practical—or to use a mirror to try to see behind the steps, or put eyes<br />
POLICE I 30 in that basement some other way. We don’t always think about going down the stairs,<br />
POLICE I 31 And as more than one cop has discovered, that dog need not necessarily be present.<br />
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INTO THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS<br />
INTO THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS<br />
Officers need to be especially concerned<br />
about suspects under or behind<br />
basement stairs.<br />
“My partner and I responded to a Burglary in progress at 4 o’clock in the morning,”<br />
recalls retired NYPD officer Jim McDevitt. “We were faced with a pitch-black basement<br />
where we were pretty sure the suspect was hiding. At the time, only the bomb squad had a<br />
K-9 unit, but we suspected that our suspect wouldn’t know that. So, my partner began calling<br />
down into the basement, ‘Come on out or I’m sending the K-9 unit in,’ while I started<br />
doing my best dog barking imitation. We got the suspect to come out with his hands up.”<br />
In those instances where “olly-olly oxen free” fails to garner the desired results, many<br />
law enforcement agencies deem non-compliance with verbal commands as the threshold<br />
for pepper spray deployment. Marinating a ceiling with PepperBall rounds or saturating<br />
an enclosure with OC spray can make things awfully uncomfortable for the people<br />
inside them.<br />
Ed Santos, owner and founder of Center Target Sports and an expert in low-light tactics,<br />
suggests that police agencies consider exploiting the acoustics of such closed environs.<br />
“The loud music and noise exploited by psy-ops units in the military can also work for<br />
us, as well. It can be exploited on multiple levels—working on the suspect psychologically<br />
and tearing at his eardrums, while simultaneously masking our breaching attempts<br />
and other efforts, as well.”<br />
One can only wonder how long some good ol’ boy could hole up in a closet with<br />
Ghostface Killah’s latest rap opus blaring at 170 decibels, courtesy of six 15-inch woofers<br />
and a couple of amplifiers propped up against the door.<br />
LIFE AND DEATH DECISION<br />
In those instances where a suspect’s exact location is in question and patrol officers<br />
elect to search dark environs, illumination may prove to be the greatest equalizer.<br />
Santos has long been an avid proponent of tactical illumination, but he offers a caveat<br />
to officers as to their choice of lights, citing unanticipated dangers he and his training<br />
crew encountered in dealing with A-frame pitched roof attics. “They can create shadows—shadows<br />
which can conceal the bad guy’s locations,” Santos says. “And the shadow<br />
problem can be amplified when you’re using strobe lights.”<br />
Santos recommends deploying very high-density directed light that will offer as diverse<br />
and spread out a pattern as possible and supplementing this illumination with<br />
other shielding tools such as portable ballistic shields and smoke.<br />
“I’ve also seen some creative uses of chem lights,” says Santos. “Face it: The more tools<br />
that you have at your disposal—tools like infrared, heat sensors, remote cameras—the<br />
more you can start shifting the odds to your favor. Because make no mistake about it. If<br />
there’s someone up there, the odds are stacked up pretty high against you.”<br />
Because of what he has witnessed in training sessions, Santos figures that, at best, an<br />
officer has a 50-50 chance of guessing where the suspect might be in an attic. And given<br />
that every one of his students’ attic entries resulted in officers taking hits—irrespective<br />
of whether or not the officers guessed correctly—Santos wonders who’d want to try and<br />
guess when it’s real bullets instead of simulated rounds.<br />
Basement stairwells are best handled by teams of officers who have been<br />
trained to make such an entry.<br />
straight up and exposed themselves to gunfire after a mouse has run over their hand,<br />
you have to wonder how less tactically trained personnel might react.”<br />
Unfortunately, it is usually a less tactically trained officer doing the leg work on such<br />
searches.<br />
A vast majority of the time, these searches are conducted<br />
without incident. Either the suspect isn’t there, or he<br />
is discovered and placed under arrest. But often searches<br />
find officers confronting armed suspects hidden in attics,<br />
basements, and even closets.<br />
Last year in the aftermath of killing two Oakland officers<br />
incident to a traffic stop, the shooter was able to ambush<br />
and kill still two more officers from a closet where he’d barricaded<br />
himself. Earlier this year, a Rockdale County, Ga.,<br />
deputy became the first officer with his agency to die in<br />
the line of duty while searching for a suspect. Officers had<br />
cleared the bedroom and were just opening a closet door<br />
when the suspect opened fire from the darkness. Struck<br />
below his ballistic resistant vest, Dep. Brian Mahaffey was<br />
mortally wounded. The suspect was shot and killed.<br />
“One of the things that we see is that when people go<br />
to open the closet, they stand right in front of it,” observes<br />
Alwes. “They don’t treat it with the same type of respect that they normally might for the<br />
front door. They’re backlighting themselves and placing themselves smack in the center<br />
of the fatal funnel.”<br />
If officers are going to open closet doors, Alwes recommends that one stand to the<br />
side and open the door while another officer gets a view from a deeper part of the room.<br />
Should officers elect to make an entry on an enclosure, they may opt for diversions, exploiting<br />
secondary entry portals to distract the suspect with flash-bangs or other devices.<br />
If there is more than one ceiling access, one may be exploited as a diversionary device,<br />
committing an unseen suspect’s attention toward it while entry is actually achieved via<br />
another entrance.<br />
“It comes back to the three Ts: time, tactics, and troops,” Alwes asserts. “Sometimes<br />
in our haste to catch the bad guy, we fail to honor that old axiom. If you really have<br />
him contained up there, what really is the motivation to having an officer stick his head<br />
through that opening? There’s no hostage situation. He’s not in a position to create more<br />
havoc. What’s the motivation to go through there?”<br />
Santos emphasizes that those agencies that don’t have access to tactical teams really<br />
need to look hard at that question. Those that do have teams face an even tougher question:<br />
Why don’t they allow the team to use their training and techniques during such incidents.<br />
“There’s always the option of bringing the ceiling down from under him. It just depends<br />
on the level you’re willing to go to get him. You can bring the ceiling down rafter<br />
by rafter. It’s very easy to take the drywall down. We’ve done it twice in houses that were<br />
ready to be destroyed. Tac teams have all the equipment. All of a sudden it gets really<br />
uncomfortable up there when you start pulling insulation out,” Santos says.<br />
FATAL FUNNELS<br />
The decision to enter a location is a complicated one. Having the wrong person make<br />
the entry can make it more so.<br />
“Many people have phobias of crawlspaces and attics, and police officers are no exception,”<br />
notes Santos. “We’ve encountered it in our training. You add the additional<br />
Alwes says there are two questions he has always asked himself before committing him-<br />
IS IT WORTH IT?<br />
stress taken on by that officer as a result of a phobia, and you’ve really upped the ante<br />
self or his personnel to searches of enclosed venues: First, can I win? Second, is it worth<br />
POLICE I 32 for making an entry into an attic space. When even SWAT guys have involuntarily stood<br />
POLICE I 33 it?<br />
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INTO THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS<br />
James Stalnaker, a retired captain from the San Bernardino (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office and<br />
author of the excellent book “Building Search: Tactics for the Patrol Officer,” hopes that<br />
cops consider Alwes’ two-pronged question before taking action. For to Stalnaker’s mind,<br />
if there is a greater danger than a lack of training, it is a lack of discipline in patrol officers.<br />
“I’m talking about cops who are unable to control their adrenaline and their emotion,”<br />
Stalnaker explains. “There’s always a human factor that gets an officer hurt or killed.”<br />
The cop Stalnaker fears most for is the one who may have had a suspect under control<br />
that got away from him. In trying to make some compensatory overture, the embarrassed<br />
officer may find himself getting in over his head. “The officer feels that he’s been<br />
made to look bad in the eyes of his fellow officers,” Stalnaker says, “and pride goes before<br />
the fall, as they say.”<br />
Despite mankind’s historical fear of the darkness, there have always been those suspects<br />
who have exploited it to their advantage. But by anticipating their threats before they<br />
initiate them, we can help to ensure that their darkest hour doesn’t become ours.<br />
THE POWER OF THE PEN<br />
Thorough and accurate<br />
report writing can save<br />
your career and bolster<br />
your reputation as an<br />
honest officer.<br />
Winning a civil rights lawsuit against a municipality or county is like winning the<br />
lottery, at least for the plaintiffs and their attorneys. The vast majority of these<br />
suits do not go to trial; the city or county will settle out of court without admitting<br />
to wrongdoing.<br />
In the back of your mind, you know what these administrators are thinking: Our officers<br />
did nothing wrong, but we are going to pay you this huge sum of money anyway<br />
so you will go away. Never mind the damage it does to our officers’ morale, the public’s<br />
trust in our officers and the agency; what is important is that we don’t lose more money<br />
because we don’t know how to defend against these frivolous lawsuits.<br />
Where does that leave you, the individual officer? Hopefully covered by the settlement, but<br />
in reality, what do the people you serve think when they learn about the settlement?<br />
I know you feel disgusted when your agency rolls over like this and pays<br />
some nuisance claim. What should disgust you more is that it’s likely that<br />
one of the reasons your departments and municipalities do not vigorously<br />
fight these suits are the reports that were filed by officers detailing what<br />
happened during the incidents.<br />
When it doesn’t matter, we seem to write reports that people praise<br />
and use as examples in law schools and police academies. But in those<br />
cases where force is used—and we are most likely to be sued—we seem<br />
to be ashamed to tell the truth and admit that we hit, punched, kicked, bit,<br />
scratched, and otherwise got nasty with some miscreant. Disregarding that<br />
he pulled out a gun or a knife, or wanted to fight anyone in a uniform, there<br />
still is a mindset among many administrators and risk manager types that<br />
writing out exactly what you did and, more importantly, why you did it, is<br />
You may have been legally justified in TASERing this wrong or not necessary. This is a huge mistake.<br />
subject, but if you can’t articulate why you were justified<br />
It is no longer accepted, if it ever was, in a use-of-force incident report<br />
in doing so, you could face a legal nightmare.<br />
to use phrases like, “I physically subdued the subject.” What does this tell<br />
the uninformed reader? Your sergeant may know what happened, but what<br />
about the prosecuting attorney or defense counsel? Will they know what<br />
happened and why?<br />
It may be shorter and even accurate to say you “used physical force,” but<br />
it does not tell all the facts. Consider the following statement as a way to<br />
write a report on a use-of-force incident:<br />
The suspect swung his fists at me. I told him to stop resisting and that<br />
he would be sprayed with OC if he did not. He again tried to hit me, and I<br />
sprayed him twice with my department-issued OC spray. This caused him<br />
to back away, but he still tried to hit me. I again ordered him to, “Stop resisting,”<br />
but he continued to swing his fists at me, yelling, “Screw off, copper.”<br />
He again raised his fists and swung at me. I then struck him twice on<br />
the left knee with my baton. He fell to the ground, saying, “I give up, I give<br />
up.” I handcuffed the now compliant suspect and drove him to the General Hospital<br />
Emergency Room for evaluation and treatment by Dr. A. Smith. After he was medically<br />
cleared, he was booked into county jail without further incident.<br />
This example is much clearer for you and the reader, and it is more detailed. So why<br />
don’t we take the time and write all of our reports with this much detail? Probably because<br />
cops hate paperwork more than anything else, except certain vile criminals, administrative<br />
types, and the ACLU.<br />
POLICE I 34<br />
POLICE I 35<br />
106 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 107<br />
I MARK TARTE
THE POWER OF THE PEN<br />
THE POWER OF THE PEN<br />
A good, clear report explains the action<br />
you took, why you took action, and the<br />
results.<br />
OWN WORST ENEMIES<br />
Many times, we are our own worst enemies. One thing we do have in our favor is that we<br />
can learn from the mistakes of others, with little or no cost to ourselves. Who hasn’t heard<br />
of some mistake by a department or officer that has become the force of law through an<br />
adverse case decision or winced at a judgment brought against a police officer?<br />
More likely than not, if it was a civil trial, the judgment was due to a perception of<br />
wrongdoing, rather than actual wrongdoing. If you do not record the details of the<br />
event and what precipitated the use of force in your report, it looks like you have something<br />
to hide. You did nothing wrong, but now you are facing a jury, months or maybe<br />
years after the fact and trying to explain why you did what you did when you did it.<br />
How does it look to the jury that you are bringing up facts about the case that were<br />
never in your report? Any competent defense lawyer is going to use the lack of detail<br />
in your report against you.<br />
Something to remember is that a jury is a group of 12 licensed drivers, all equally fuzzy<br />
on the concept of the law, with no experience in the rigors and subtleties of policing. Jurors<br />
are generally well meaning citizens, but their information comes from the local news or<br />
the latest “police reality” show, not from being students of the criminal justice system or<br />
practitioners of law enforcement.<br />
It is incumbent upon you to paint a word picture for the jury and others that will read<br />
your reports. You can be the best shot, the fastest runner, an expert at interviewing, and<br />
look like a Marine recruiting poster in uniform, but without the ability to write a proper<br />
and factual report, it will all be for naught.<br />
EVIDENCE COLLECTION<br />
The same can be said for evidence preservation. The evidence backs up your report<br />
and without it, you can be in deep trouble. But for years our evidence collection has<br />
been geared toward prosecution and not the defense of a civil suit.<br />
When was the last time an officer who was assaulted had to replace his uniform and<br />
equipment? What happened to the torn uniform and broken equipment? Were they discarded<br />
or were they kept as evidence? We may have taken some quick photos of the<br />
damage, but that’s about it. In many departments, only in those dreaded times where an<br />
officer has been murdered, are the uniform and equipment worn preserved as evidence.<br />
In the interest of the best evidence available and, frankly, to protect ourselves we<br />
need to keep as evidence the torn shirt, ripped pants, scraped leather gear, or broken<br />
eyeglasses or sunglasses. But because of tight uniform and equipment budgets, departments<br />
try to recycle damaged gear that should be considered evidence.<br />
Think about the money that could be saved in a properly defended lawsuit due to the<br />
foresight in booking such evidence. Juries love visual aids. And what better visual aid is<br />
there to justify your use of force than your ripped uniform? Such evidence can make a<br />
greedy suspect and his lawyer slink away licking their judicial wounds.<br />
supposed excessive force video over and over, the public receives a tainted view of law<br />
enforcement use-of-force incidents, poisoning jury pools and sometimes making necessary<br />
an out-of-court settlement.<br />
Many times, your report doesn’t seem to jibe with the video. What better tool, if it is<br />
available, to use to help you write your report? You have your perception of what occurred,<br />
and it is a valid perception, but viewing that impartial video can help your recollection<br />
and aid you in writing an even more complete and accurate report.<br />
FIGHTING BACK<br />
A properly written and factual report, along with supporting documentation, witness<br />
statements, and evidence, are your best defense against a lawsuit. Audio and video are<br />
even better. Having all of this documentation and evidence probably won’t reduce the<br />
number of lawsuits that are initially filed against you or your department, but it may give<br />
plaintiff lawyers pause about taking you on if they know how well you document and<br />
support your actions in the field.<br />
With the advent of video recorders, both in patrol cars and in everyday life, it is imperative<br />
that the reporting officers be as accurate and factual as humanly possible in their reports. That<br />
doesn’t mean writing longer reports; it means writing smarter reports.<br />
If your reputation is such that prosecuting attorneys and judges have a high regard for<br />
your integrity and honesty, your report writing ability, and your courtroom demeanor, then<br />
plaintiffs’ attorneys won’t want to mess with you. If, on the other hand, your reputation is<br />
suspect in any way, word will get around and you can bet next month’s pay that some lawyer,<br />
somewhere, will take on that lawsuit that might be frivolous but still profitable.<br />
Your reputation can shield you, and it can bury you. A decision by the Supreme Court<br />
in 1963’s Brady v. Maryland requires any adverse disciplinary information about officers’<br />
integrity or honesty to be turned over to the defense by the agency. This decision<br />
has caused many California district attorneys to tell chiefs and sheriffs they will not use<br />
an officer’s reports or testimony if he or she has been disciplined for not being truthful.<br />
Do you want to have something like that hanging over your head?<br />
I know of one young former officer who was involved in a use-of-force incident and<br />
wrote a report on it. His report was lacking, not due to deception, but rather haste. Another<br />
officer had witnessed the use of force and reported it to his sergeant who in turn<br />
initiated an investigation after the written report was filed.<br />
The report did not mesh with what was reported by the witness officer and other witnesses.<br />
The officer who was involved in the use of force lost his job because the agency believed<br />
he had falsified his report. He has applied for other police positions at many different<br />
agencies, but not one has given him a second look. This is a good officer who sunk his<br />
career through haste and lack of detail in a report. This tragedy could have been avoided if<br />
he had reviewed the facts and made sure all known information was included. The information<br />
was there; he just failed to gather it and use it, torpedoing his career.<br />
It is a fact of life in law enforcement that force, including deadly force, will have to be<br />
used. It is how you apply that force and, just as importantly, how you document it that<br />
will reduce the filing of frivolous lawsuits as well as preserve our careers. As with any<br />
other officer safety training, surviving a legal challenge to legal and proper actions is<br />
worth the time it takes to record and document the events and evidence. Your survival<br />
in a civil or criminal trial is only as good as your report.<br />
Make your report writing better and you’ll survive any courtroom challenge. Read reports<br />
written by fellow officers who have a reputation for being thorough and accurate.<br />
BE IN THE RIGHT<br />
Of course, no amount of report writing or evidence collection is going to help any officer<br />
who maliciously or criminally assaults a suspect, regardless of how justified he or<br />
she feels in doing so. <strong>No</strong> matter how much you may want to slam some punk’s head into<br />
the hood of your patrol car, you have to be a calm professional when no one else can.<br />
Unjustified use-of-force cases are thankfully rare, but the perception of the public is that<br />
it happens much more often than it really does.<br />
POLICE I 36 Thanks to cell phone videos, the Internet, and the 24-hour news cycle that plays a<br />
POLICE I <strong>37</strong> Talk with other officers about their experiences. Talk with the prosecuting attorney. Talk<br />
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THE POWER OF THE PEN<br />
with defense attorneys about bad reports they’ve seen. Take an English refresher course<br />
if necessary. If your department doesn’t have a good report writing manual, find a department<br />
that does and use theirs as a model for your department.<br />
You use that pen, paper, and computer a lot more than you use your OC, baton, or<br />
sidearm, and they are just as important to your survival. If you don’t practice with the<br />
weapons you are issued, when the time comes to use them it could be dangerous to you.<br />
The same goes for report writing. Practice, learn, and protect yourself.<br />
Mark Tarte is a retired Livermore, Calif., police sergeant with 25 years of law enforcement<br />
experience. He currently runs the criminal justice program at Las Positas College.<br />
OFF-DUTY TACTICS<br />
FOR STREET AND HOME<br />
There are simple steps<br />
you can take to<br />
enhance the safety of you<br />
and your family.<br />
I MICHAEL T. RAYBURN<br />
As law enforcement officers we find it hard to think of ourselves as “victims.” We<br />
tend to think that robberies, burglaries, and home invasions happen to other<br />
people, not to us. After all, we’re the cops. Who would be stupid enough to try to<br />
rob us? Unfortunately, the world is full of stupid criminals. And crime can affect anyone,<br />
even us.<br />
Look at the statistics compiled by the FBI. The number one reason why law enforcement officers<br />
are killed off duty is being the victim of, or intervening in, a robbery or robbery attempt.<br />
Gang members have intentionally targeted an officer’s house for a burglary “because that’s<br />
where the guns are.” In recent years we’ve also seen a rise in revenge-style killings against law<br />
enforcement.<br />
Consider the recent case of Philadelphia police officer Moses Walker Jr. At the end<br />
of his shift, he was walking down the street to catch a bus roughly four blocks from his<br />
stationhouse in north Philly when two suspects approached him on the street. They attempted<br />
to rob him. In response Walker tried to draw his firearm but was shot several<br />
times and died from his injuries.<br />
Think about this incident for a second. <strong>No</strong>w suppose you’re not the intended target.<br />
What would happen? How would you react? <strong>No</strong>w how would you react to the possibility<br />
of two parolees following your wife and daughters home from the store to make them<br />
victims?<br />
HARDENING THE TARGET<br />
Violence can happen to any of us. There are evil people out there willing to do evil<br />
things, and some don’t care if you’re a cop or not. We may not be able to stop some<br />
criminal’s violent intent, but we can make ourselves a harder target to hit so they’ll<br />
pass us by for someone else. It may sound cold, but we all know that criminals are<br />
lazy. If it’s between burglarizing the house with the fence, dog, and alarm system, or<br />
the house where the occupants don’t lock the doors, we all know the bad guy is going<br />
to take the easy road. Make yourself and your loved ones that harder target.<br />
Making you and your family a harder target to hit starts at home. There are a few simple<br />
things you can do to make everyone in your household safer. The first and easiest<br />
thing you can do is to always lock your doors. It doesn’t matter if you live in the country<br />
or in the city, lock your doors. There have been many cases of criminals entering homes<br />
through unlocked doors. Granted, a locked door isn’t going to stop a determined intruder,<br />
but it may slow him or her down long enough for you to grab your gun.<br />
Which brings me to the following point. Always carry off duty and always have a firearm<br />
available in the home.<br />
OFF-DUTY CARRY<br />
It shocks me to hear of officers who don’t carry off duty or who don’t even own an off-duty<br />
firearm. One of the best benefits of this job is being able to carry off duty in your jurisdiction,<br />
and now through the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act we can carry concealed off duty anywhere<br />
in the country, even after we retire.<br />
You should also practice with your off-duty firearms. Other than “qualifying” with the<br />
POLICE I 38<br />
POLICE I 39 off-duty firearm, very few departments do any off-duty training. Rather than seeing how<br />
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OFF-DUTY TACTICS<br />
OFF-DUTY TACTICS<br />
many holes you can punch in a paper target, do some legitimate training. Practice robbery<br />
drills where your hands are up and your back is to the target, forcing you to draw<br />
and pivot to the target. Practice drawing and holstering from the holster, and the location,<br />
that you carry your off duty gun in. This may get a little hairy if everyone shows up<br />
with a shoulder rig, but there are ways to safely get around it.<br />
If allowed, take your portable radio home with you. There’s no quicker way to get a<br />
hold of dispatch and get the cops coming to your door than via your police radio. If you<br />
live outside of the jurisdiction in which you work, have that jurisdiction’s frequency added<br />
to the radio, after getting permission from your agency of course.<br />
If you don’t have a take-home portable radio, then have the PD’s phone number on<br />
speed dial on your home phone and your cell phone. Dialing 911 is good, but sometimes<br />
911 goes to a central dispatch for the whole county that also dispatches fire and ambulance.<br />
I’d rather call the cops direct—that’s if you live in an area where real people still<br />
answer the phone and not a recording.<br />
These are just a few tips for making you and your loved ones a little safer and a harder<br />
target to hit. This isn’t about being paranoid; it’s about being alert to your surroundings<br />
and who is in those surroundings. It’s all about being prepared and having a plan of action<br />
because sometimes the bad guys try to make us the victim. Don’t be a victim; have a<br />
plan, fight back, and make the bad guy sorry he ever crossed your path.<br />
HOME DEFENSE<br />
While we’re on the topic of guns, how many of you have cleared your house with a replica<br />
firearm like a Blue Gun? You may know every inch of your home, but have you tried<br />
clearing it in the dark, with a firearm? Learn what boards squeak in the living-room floor<br />
and how to cut those corners in the hallway before you need to do it for real. Close your<br />
blinds before doing this so your neighbors don’t think you’ve gone postal, but practice<br />
and be prepared.<br />
Some other simple things to do in your home are to always keep your shades/blinds<br />
closed, especially after dark. Don’t give the bad guys an opportunity to see the layout of<br />
your house, covet all the things you own, and know exactly where you are while you’re<br />
Michael T. Rayburn has more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement. He is the<br />
home. During daylight hours you may be able to spot someone surveying your home,<br />
author of five books and is the owner of Rayburn Law Enforcement Training. He can be<br />
but once it gets dark someone can stand outside just a few feet from a lighted room, and<br />
reached via editor@policemag.com.<br />
you’d never see them from the inside.<br />
Most cops don’t make a lot of money and can’t afford an alarm system to be installed,<br />
so do the next best thing and get a dog. It doesn’t have to be a very big dog, just one that<br />
barks. My dog is up and growling if a strange car pulls into my neighbor’s driveway, and<br />
goes absolutely ballistic when one pulls into mine. Go to the pound and save a stray.<br />
You’ll be doing a good deed for man’s best friend, and the kids will love you for it.<br />
Have police periodicals and magazines like this one sent to a post office box or to<br />
the station. Have you done a background check on your mail carrier, and everyone who<br />
works in the post office? Of course not. So why tell everyone that a cop lives at your address?<br />
The same goes for wearing your uniform, or any part of your uniform, to and from<br />
your home. An ex-con can pick out a pair of police pants from a mile away. The same<br />
goes for wearing those PBA T-shirts while out in the yard raking the leaves.<br />
Don’t always take the same route home from the police station. Vary your route and<br />
check your rearview mirror for a possible tail. If you suspect you’re being followed, take<br />
a couple of extra turns to see if the vehicle stays with you. Drive past your house and<br />
circle the block. Look for strange cars in the neighborhood or people sitting in a parked<br />
vehicle.<br />
We’ve been told on numerous occasions not to “bring the job home” with us, but in<br />
reality “the job” does come home with us. If you’re from an agency that allows takehome<br />
cars, don’t park the marked unit or unmarked unit with all the antennas that<br />
scream “cop,” out in front of your house. Put it in the garage or park it on the street in<br />
different locations.<br />
When asked by your neighbors about the patrol car parked on the street, tell them<br />
you’re trying to slow traffic down. Don’t tell them you’re trying to throw off the bad guys<br />
by parking your police car in front of their house.<br />
If you’re on foot, maybe walking to catch a bus home from work, have a 360-degree<br />
area of perceptual awareness around you. This area of perceptual awareness should extend<br />
out to a minimum of 21 feet. Depending on the area, time of day, etc., you may want<br />
to extend that area out even further. Be cognizant of who is in that area, and what they’re<br />
POLICE I 40 doing. Anyone who looks suspicious should warrant your special attention. POLICE I 41<br />
112 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 113
Were the Riots & Protests Really<br />
Necessary?<br />
<strong>No</strong>w that the verdicts are in, the<br />
question remains. Were the riots,<br />
property damage, injuries, and<br />
deaths in the Summer of Unrest<br />
really necessary? Would the state<br />
of Minnesota have prosecuted the<br />
Chauvin case without the intimidation<br />
of BLM? Of course it would<br />
have! Another question arises; did<br />
the verdict prove BLM’s thesis that<br />
there is a system wide conspiracy<br />
to provide for the “demise<br />
of black people?” <strong>No</strong>. As absurd<br />
as that notion is, politicians have<br />
bought into that thesis and have<br />
thrown all logic aside in their<br />
quest to appease progressive and<br />
minority voters.<br />
When the Floyd incident occurred,<br />
I knew of no one who<br />
condoned the actions of Derek<br />
Chauvin. The State of Minnesota<br />
proved its case that the former<br />
police officer unintentionally<br />
caused the death of George Floyd.<br />
Chauvin was inexcusably negligent<br />
in his handling of the matter.<br />
There are some who justifiably<br />
claim that it was George Floyd<br />
who initiated the contact and<br />
violently resisted arrest thereby<br />
endangering himself and those<br />
around him. They further justifiably<br />
claim that Floyd’s illicit drug<br />
use was a contributing factor to<br />
his death. These claims cannot<br />
be denied, but they do not justify<br />
Chauvin’s negligent actions on<br />
that scene.<br />
The State of Minnesota, like<br />
any other state would have done,<br />
prosecuted Chauvin to the fullest<br />
extent under the law. It needed<br />
no “help” from BLM and other<br />
activists. This investigation and<br />
prosecution actually negates any<br />
position of BLM that state governments<br />
of the United States are<br />
engaged in a vast conspiracy to<br />
deprive black people of their civil<br />
rights.<br />
The prosecution wisely made no<br />
outlandish claims that Chauvin’s<br />
actions were the work of systemic<br />
racism. Indeed, one can be<br />
culpably negligent without being<br />
a racist. One can make unwise<br />
decisions that result in the death<br />
of another person without race<br />
being a factor at all. More white<br />
people are killed at the hands of<br />
police than black people are. Additionally,<br />
people like myself can<br />
understand how Chauvin could<br />
have acted as he did with no<br />
malevolent intent at all. Although<br />
the case video speaks for itself<br />
and documents the inexcusable<br />
actions of the former officer, it<br />
does not tell the whole story.<br />
Much of the hand wringing<br />
and head scratching that goes<br />
with the Chauvin case and others<br />
rest on a fundamental misunderstanding<br />
that the public has<br />
regarding policing in a free society.<br />
Our justice system and rule<br />
of law are founded on a sociological<br />
theory called “voluntary<br />
compliance.” This acknowledges<br />
the fact that the overwhelming<br />
number of citizens in our country<br />
comply with our laws because they<br />
see the rule of law as a beneficial<br />
element of society. Therefore, punitive<br />
action towards law breakers is<br />
reserved for a very small percentage<br />
of our population. So, what is the<br />
fundamental misunderstanding on the<br />
public’s part that contributes to our<br />
national situation?<br />
The public quite simply has no<br />
earthly idea how difficult it is to arrest<br />
someone who resists. They have been<br />
misled for decades by popular movies<br />
and television programs that show<br />
police officers to have superior power<br />
that allows for people who resist arrest<br />
to be taken into custody without<br />
anyone being harmed. This is not real<br />
life. In real life, when a person refuses<br />
to be taken into custody, they initiate<br />
a chain of events that usually ends up<br />
with someone getting injured. Some<br />
of the time the injury is relatively minor,<br />
but at other times the resistance<br />
results in the death of the suspect, the<br />
police officer, or both — and this is if<br />
the suspect is “unarmed.”<br />
The suspect who is in possession<br />
of a deadly weapon presents<br />
a case that is very unlikely<br />
to end well. The speed at which<br />
a suspect can use deadly force<br />
on an officer, or another innocent<br />
person is inconceivable on<br />
the part of an average citizen.<br />
Again, Hollywood has corrupted<br />
the public with visions of John<br />
Wayne or Clint Eastwood acting<br />
in a superhuman manner with<br />
trick photography and stunt doubles<br />
to showcase their prowess<br />
against armed outlaws. Real life<br />
is somewhat different.<br />
Our nation’s leaders, especially<br />
black leaders, have missed incredible<br />
teaching moments by<br />
blaming an imaginary conspiracy<br />
for the injuries sustained by<br />
suspects who resist arrest. Rather<br />
than encouraging people to<br />
submit to lawful arrest, they have<br />
emboldened people to question<br />
the power of arrest that all law<br />
enforcement officers possess.<br />
This makes further incidents like<br />
the Floyd case not only possible,<br />
but inevitable. When one resists<br />
arrest, it places that person’s<br />
safety in the hands of another<br />
person who is acting under great<br />
stress. Mistakes, even culpably<br />
negligent mistakes, can be made<br />
that result in the loss of life.<br />
In the end, BLM did nothing to<br />
aid in the prosecution of Derek<br />
Chauvin. In fact, their intimidating<br />
and implied threats in multiple<br />
cities have given defense attorneys<br />
grounds to appeal the case.<br />
In the Democrats’ zeal to appease<br />
BLM, people like Joe Biden and<br />
Maxine Waters poisoned the jury<br />
before a verdict was published.<br />
This was unnecessary and hurt<br />
the very case that they were<br />
trying to influence. They have<br />
doubled down on their illogical<br />
assertion that they actually aided<br />
and provided support for an<br />
unwilling prosecution by saying<br />
that this was just the first step in<br />
their campaign to “seek justice.”<br />
They do not give any credit to<br />
state judicial systems like the one<br />
in Minnesota to function lawfully.<br />
With their appeasing thumbs on<br />
the scales of justice, they sow the<br />
seeds of civil discord. They risk<br />
losing the very bedrock of the<br />
rule of law — voluntary compliance.<br />
The body cam video in the case<br />
of a 16-year-old black girl in<br />
Columbus, Ohio reveals the speed<br />
that deadly situations arise. Every<br />
American citizen should educate<br />
themselves by watching this video,<br />
as tragic as it is. They should<br />
question “social influencers” like<br />
LeBron James who considers<br />
himself an expert in every field<br />
of endeavor, it seems, when they<br />
hold up the case in Columbus as<br />
an example of the vast conspiracy<br />
to kill black people. That video is<br />
another tragic teaching moment.<br />
It should be shown in every high<br />
school, college, corporate board<br />
room, and news venue. I watched<br />
it via the CBS News website.<br />
Every parent, regardless of race,<br />
needs to view the video with their<br />
teenagers. It is time to place the<br />
responsibility for these situations<br />
on the aggressor. It is time to be<br />
honest regardless of racial undertones.<br />
White people are killed by police<br />
at an approximate two to one<br />
ratio when compared to blacks.<br />
Some people cite the national<br />
population percentages to question<br />
that ratio, but the ratio is not<br />
out of line when looking at police<br />
citizen contact figures nationally.<br />
Police Officers are not evenly<br />
distributed across our cities. They<br />
are distributed proportionately<br />
according to the crime rates in<br />
the city. A high crime area has<br />
more officers assigned to it than<br />
does a lower crime area. Therefore,<br />
the police citizen contacts<br />
are not evenly distributed across<br />
all socioeconomic levels.<br />
Riots, property destruction,<br />
injuries, trespassing, intimidation,<br />
and deaths due to the George<br />
Floyd case were all unnecessary.<br />
Rather than inciting violence and<br />
emboldening criminals with gratuitous<br />
political grandstanding,<br />
taking a step back is wise. Teaching<br />
all of our citizens that everyone<br />
has a responsibility to follow<br />
the lawful orders of a police officer<br />
is what should be stressed.<br />
Our citizens have been advised<br />
for over forty years that there<br />
are multiple avenues of redress<br />
if one feels that they have been<br />
mistreated. Complaints are taken<br />
very seriously and there is now a<br />
good chance of there being video<br />
and audio evidence in any police<br />
citizen contact.<br />
Life is precious. Your life is<br />
precious. Don’t endanger it by<br />
putting it in the hands of a Derek<br />
Chauvin. Follow lawful orders<br />
and instructions whether they be<br />
from a police officer, a firefighter,<br />
or your teacher at school. The<br />
age-old admonition of Paul the<br />
Apostle in the thirteenth chapter<br />
of Romans still holds true today<br />
as much as it did 2000 years ago.<br />
Following the instructions of<br />
those in charge over you contributes<br />
to a much safer and pleasing<br />
society. The heart of voluntary<br />
compliance is found in realizing<br />
that an orderly society is a gift of<br />
God and we each play a part that<br />
respects our fellow citizens as<br />
well as those who have authority<br />
over us.<br />
114 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 115
Filling In the Gaps: A Tactical Approach<br />
to Self - Awareness & Self Care<br />
I describe my year-long therapy<br />
protocol for post-traumatic<br />
stress during A Badge of Honor’s<br />
workshops for law enforcement<br />
and first responders. I get a lot of<br />
eyebrow raising and sighs, as if<br />
saying, “A year! That’s too long.”<br />
It is not until I introduce what I<br />
have termed my “off the couch”<br />
tactical protocols to combat<br />
stress that I see people relax.<br />
Studies show “conditions such<br />
as post-traumatic stress disorder<br />
and depression have been estimated<br />
to affect police officers at<br />
rates that vary between 7% and<br />
35%.” police1.com/health-fitness/<br />
articles/survey-what-is-thestate-of-officer-mental-healthin-2020-oXldKxzNnuebFluY/<br />
Therapy protocols are not one<br />
size fits all. Some of us will seek<br />
medical treatment and/or traditional<br />
professional counseling,<br />
and some of us will look for<br />
alternatives to assist us. Only a<br />
licensed professional can diagnose<br />
you with post-traumatic<br />
stress. Whatever those alternatives<br />
are, they should absolutely<br />
address the stress you are experiencing.<br />
And the only way you<br />
will know is if you actively do<br />
what you learn and practice.<br />
Post-traumatic stress related<br />
treatment programs for law<br />
enforcement have expanded<br />
over the years to include<br />
non-traditional approaches.<br />
My year-long treatment<br />
included EMDR (eye movement<br />
desensitization and reprocessing),<br />
yet I noticed that the things<br />
I did to “fill the gaps” were just<br />
as important and sometimes<br />
effective on their own for managing<br />
the triggers that come<br />
with post-traumatic stress. In my<br />
book, The Silent Fall: A Secret<br />
Service Agent’s Story of Tragedy<br />
and Triumph After 9/11, I discuss<br />
the many approaches I used and<br />
introduced them in our workshops.<br />
What I realize is it is not<br />
about putting the information<br />
out there, it is about creating a<br />
tactical and strategic approach,<br />
meaning doing them so you understand<br />
how they can work.<br />
Imagine if in our law enforcement<br />
academies our instructors<br />
merely stood at the front of the<br />
room and talked about what a<br />
felony vehicle stop is and the<br />
steps to effectively carry one<br />
out. There you sit, ferociously<br />
taking notes, but you never<br />
get out into the field to practice<br />
one. That simply does not make<br />
sense, right? It is in the practice,<br />
the doing and re-doing repeatedly<br />
where we commit the steps,<br />
positions, etc. to muscle memory.<br />
Then, when it is time to do<br />
a felony vehicle stop, we simply<br />
do it without thinking about the<br />
steps. In fact, some of us have<br />
gotten so proficient at it, it may<br />
be difficult to break it down and<br />
explain it in detail. We may find<br />
ourselves saying, “It’s easier for<br />
me to show you.” That is the<br />
tactical approach to “filling in<br />
the gaps” we should be examining<br />
when it comes to supporting<br />
ourselves when the stress of our<br />
job rears its ugly head.<br />
Since 2019, A Badge of Honor<br />
(AbadgeofHonor.com) has<br />
conducted workshops for law<br />
enforcement and first responders.<br />
A big part of what we do<br />
is introduce stress mitigation<br />
techniques and then we DO them<br />
as a group. We get tactical with<br />
them. “<strong>No</strong>t everyone will need<br />
traditional counseling to work<br />
through their trauma. Utilizing a<br />
strategic response(s) when the<br />
stress is activated is sometimes<br />
the best thing for us,” says John<br />
Edmonson, MS, LPC-S, Director<br />
of Wellness at Healing Springs<br />
Ranch, CEO of LifeWorks Foundation,<br />
and member of A Badge<br />
of Honor.<br />
What are some of those strategic<br />
responses and non-traditional<br />
programs?<br />
Strategic Responses:<br />
• Tactical breath work. Slowly<br />
in through your nose and out<br />
through your mouth to slow your<br />
heart rate or conversely, rapidly<br />
in through your nose and exhale<br />
through your mouth to boost<br />
energy.<br />
• Grounding. Connecting your<br />
feet, seat and breath which can<br />
be done anytime. Start of your<br />
day or shift and in between calls.<br />
• Centering. Place your hand on<br />
your heart and become aware of<br />
your breath. Ideally it should be<br />
slow and controlled, in and out<br />
through your nose. When we are<br />
stressed, we tend to breathe in<br />
and out through our mouth.<br />
• Movement for at least 10-20<br />
mins. Brisk walking or jogging<br />
releases endorphins, our own<br />
stress reducing hormone.<br />
<strong>No</strong>n-Traditional Approaches:<br />
• Equine Therapy<br />
• Service Dog / Emotional Support<br />
Animal<br />
• Tactical Stretching (yoga)<br />
• Acupuncture<br />
• Sound Therapy<br />
• Neuro-linguistic Programming<br />
(NLP)<br />
For more please visit https://<br />
www.lifeworksfoundation.org/<br />
john-edmonson.html<br />
While traditional treatment<br />
protocols provided by licensed<br />
medical professionals include<br />
EMDR, Cognitive Processing<br />
Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure<br />
(PE), etc. the abovementioned<br />
strategic responses are a<br />
great way to manage the triggers<br />
in between appointments. If<br />
you do not have post-traumatic<br />
stress, the strategic responses<br />
can assist you being more aware<br />
of your stress and can act as an<br />
all-out tactical response to the<br />
stresses we have throughout<br />
our day.<br />
It takes a willingness on<br />
your part to be open to giving<br />
yourself the self-care that you<br />
deserve. After all, you cannot<br />
give, to your family, friends,<br />
co-workers, or your community,<br />
from an empty cup. Let’s<br />
turn the tide on the stress we<br />
are expected to shoulder as<br />
law enforcement officers. If you<br />
care for yourself, you can effectively<br />
serve others.<br />
Samantha Horwitz is a regular<br />
contributor to The <strong>Blues</strong> Police<br />
Magazine before. She is a 9/11 first<br />
responder, former United States<br />
Secret Service Agent, speaker,<br />
and author. She and her business<br />
partner, ret. NYPD detective<br />
John Salerno created A Badge of<br />
Honor, a post-traumatic stress<br />
and suicide prevention program<br />
for first responders. John and<br />
Sam host MAD (Making a Difference)<br />
Radio each Wednesday 7pm<br />
central live on FB @Makingadifferencetx.<br />
For more about Sam<br />
and the wellness and resiliency<br />
workshops for first responders,<br />
visit SamanthaHorwitz.com or<br />
ABadgeofHonor.com.<br />
116 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 117
Remember back in the day, when the BLUES published<br />
it’s “Rookie Review” each month?<br />
Well due to popular request it’s back. And this time you<br />
can send photos as well.<br />
Just email us your ‘rookie’s’ status to: bluespdmag@<br />
gmail.com or you can click on this link and it will create a<br />
rookie notice and send it directly to dispatch.<br />
And congrats to all our new FTOs ... we know you aren’t<br />
getting any sleep.<br />
EDITOR: Surely someone out there had a baby in the<br />
last couple of months. We’re waiting to hear all about it.<br />
full page realty ad<br />
Congratulations to<br />
Alan Helfman<br />
on your<br />
Lifetime<br />
Achievement Award<br />
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118 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 119
WINNER(S): DC COPS Who Think They’re Racers. .<br />
“... the #12 car was leading until the #24 car spun him out.”<br />
So, this month’s LB Award goes<br />
to four dumb ass cops in DC<br />
who decided to “drag race” their<br />
Ford Interceptors and ended up<br />
totaling both cars.<br />
Let’s start by saying WTF were<br />
they thinking? Second, a damn<br />
Ford Taurus turned Interceptor<br />
is not a dragster. After the story<br />
went viral, officers from the Sandy<br />
Springs PD, who by the way<br />
drive Hellcats, said if you want<br />
to drag race, come by some day<br />
and we’ll show you boys how it’s<br />
done – at our DRAG STRIP. LOL<br />
According to the mainstream<br />
“we make it up as we go along”<br />
media (MSM), four D.C. cops are<br />
now under investigation after<br />
they totaled two patrol cars<br />
while drag racing last month<br />
through a DC neighborhood.<br />
Their boss said in a memo released<br />
to local TV Station WTTG:<br />
“Yesterday two 6D scout cars<br />
were totaled because officers<br />
decided instead of fighting crime,<br />
patrolling their beats, or engaging<br />
the community — they decided<br />
to drag race each other on<br />
Anacostia Avenue at 5 pm in the<br />
evening.”<br />
“What does this say to all the<br />
members of MPD who are passionate<br />
about their job and work<br />
hard every day to make a difference.<br />
This is not fair to any of<br />
us,” the memo continued. “What<br />
good are officers to their fellow<br />
officers if they don’t arrive safely<br />
or they total<br />
vehicles that<br />
we need to<br />
do our job?”<br />
According<br />
to WTTG,<br />
the cruisers<br />
were<br />
at times<br />
traveling at<br />
least 60 mph<br />
before the<br />
crash. Yeah<br />
60 mph is<br />
about top<br />
speed for<br />
those Fords<br />
so I’m not<br />
sure “drag<br />
race” was<br />
the correct<br />
terminology<br />
for<br />
describing<br />
this unfortunate<br />
event. More<br />
like playing<br />
a game of<br />
“tag, you’re fired.”<br />
Oh, and the officers suffered<br />
non-life-threatening injuries as<br />
a result of the crash. The MSM<br />
didn’t mention the ass beating<br />
one of the cops received from his<br />
momma when she showed up<br />
at the scene with a giant purse.<br />
She then commenced to beating<br />
the officer (her son) repeatedly<br />
over the head with the purse<br />
and threw a few good punches<br />
as well. The officer’s partner<br />
tried to intervene, and the woman<br />
began beating him as well.<br />
Both officers were transported<br />
to a local hospital, treated and<br />
released. It was unknown what<br />
happened to the officer’s mom.<br />
All four officers, or should we<br />
say soon to be former officers,<br />
were placed on leave pending<br />
an investigation. A neighbor who<br />
witnessed the race/<br />
accident, appeared on<br />
several news casts and<br />
provided valuable insite<br />
for the investigators<br />
working the case.<br />
“From what I saw,<br />
the #12 car seemed to<br />
be pulling away from<br />
the #24 car, when the<br />
#24 car started bump<br />
drafting the #12 car and<br />
that’s when they both<br />
started spinning and<br />
ended up taking out Ms.<br />
Johnson’s fence. I personally<br />
think they are<br />
both rookie drivers. I’ve<br />
got a riding lawn mower<br />
that would put both<br />
those boys to shame.<br />
Best y’all stick to POleasen<br />
and leave the<br />
racing to professionals.<br />
That’s what I think.”<br />
Yep, Light Bulb award<br />
for all four, and a special<br />
mention for Momma<br />
and her purse.<br />
120 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 121
Active Shootings &<br />
Officer Mental Health:<br />
The ALERRT Program<br />
An analysis of many active<br />
shooter and mass-murder<br />
events has provided evidence<br />
that the killers had serious<br />
mental health problems and<br />
that this likely precipitated their<br />
assaults. Part of American society’s<br />
failure to properly address<br />
the issues of and care for<br />
people with mental illness is<br />
ineffective treatment laws that<br />
require someone to be a danger<br />
to themselves or others before<br />
they can be treated over their<br />
objection. This has served to<br />
create a national environment<br />
ripe for an increase in active<br />
shootings, and as a consequence,<br />
additional and more<br />
severe mental health stressors<br />
for law enforcement officers<br />
who must intervene.<br />
“The more severe the violence,<br />
the more innocent the<br />
victim and the more the officers<br />
feel that they were helpless<br />
to respond — and maybe just<br />
sheer body count as a fourth<br />
ingredient — that’s going to<br />
produce a perfect storm of<br />
demoralization, anger and<br />
despair,” according to Dr. Laurence<br />
Miller, a clinical forensic<br />
and police psychologist. The<br />
traumatic effects for these<br />
officers are often long lasting<br />
for many years and can also<br />
include second-guessing about<br />
a department’s response and<br />
other factors which can cause<br />
turmoil within law enforcement<br />
agencies. Fortunately,<br />
more programs and resources<br />
now exist for officers as it<br />
relates to their needs following<br />
active shootings. I had the pleasure<br />
to interview Dr. Pete Blair<br />
and John Curnutt who manage<br />
the Advanced Law Enforcement<br />
Rapid Response Training Center<br />
at Texas State University in San<br />
Marcos, Texas.<br />
What is the mission and<br />
focus of ALERRT? Our core<br />
mission is to provide the best<br />
research-based active attack<br />
response training in the nation.<br />
The focus is not only on teaching<br />
an array of tactical options,<br />
but also emphasizing strategic/<br />
critical thinking to achieve the<br />
desired operational outcomes<br />
as quickly as possible, given<br />
the situational demands at the<br />
time.<br />
How does ALERRT advance<br />
DR. TINA JAECKLE<br />
the importance of law enforcement<br />
mental health and<br />
resilience? Any specific projects<br />
geared towards this goal? Our<br />
current training plays a role<br />
in helping officers to bounce<br />
forward after an active attack.<br />
Our classes feature reality-based<br />
training that is designed<br />
to help stress inoculate<br />
first responders to the things<br />
they are likely to encounter<br />
when responding. We also<br />
discuss the importance of both<br />
physical and mental health.<br />
At our annual conference, we<br />
bring in a variety of speakers<br />
who address various aspects of<br />
mental health.<br />
Please tell me more about<br />
the August summit and national<br />
conference. The August<br />
summit is aimed at bringing<br />
different perspectives together<br />
to discuss resiliency in our<br />
profession. Whether it is cumulative<br />
or acute, the impact of<br />
the job on a person should not<br />
be underappreciated. As we<br />
learn how people have successfully<br />
developed resiliency<br />
or have recovered from trauma,<br />
we hope to formalize these<br />
lessons into our curriculum<br />
and develop new curriculum<br />
that speaks exclusively to that<br />
need. Our national conference<br />
is an opportunity for an array<br />
of professions and experience<br />
to converge and paint the full<br />
picture of community response.<br />
What additional information<br />
is beneficial in highlighting the<br />
work of your organization?<br />
The cost of quality training can<br />
be quite high. We operate off<br />
DOJ grants through the COPS<br />
office as well as appropriations<br />
through the state of Texas.<br />
This funding allows us to<br />
bring the best training available<br />
to agencies who aren’t able to<br />
send their folks out to attend<br />
or aren’t able to host expensive<br />
training. This is vital in ensuring<br />
that agencies are prepared<br />
to protect their communities.<br />
For additional information,<br />
please visit https://alerrt.org.<br />
J. Pete Blair is the Executive<br />
Director of the Advanced Law<br />
Enforcement Rapid Response<br />
Training (ALERRT) Center and<br />
a Professor of Criminal Justice<br />
at Texas State University. He<br />
received his Ph.D. in Criminal<br />
Justice from Michigan State<br />
University. He is one of the<br />
world’s leading experts in active<br />
attacks and has presented<br />
his research to numerous policing<br />
groups around the world including<br />
the International Chiefs<br />
of Police, Canadian Association<br />
of Chiefs of Police, and the FBI.<br />
In addition to active attacks, Dr.<br />
Blair also conducts<br />
research<br />
on police use of<br />
force.<br />
John Curnutt is<br />
one of the founding<br />
members of<br />
the Advanced<br />
Law Enforcement<br />
Rapid Response<br />
Training (ALER-<br />
RT) Program and<br />
works for Texas<br />
State University<br />
as the Assistant<br />
Director for<br />
ALERRT. John<br />
served 21 years<br />
as a municipal<br />
police officer in<br />
Texas, retiring in<br />
2016. John served<br />
nearly eighteen<br />
of those years on<br />
a multi-agency<br />
SWAT Team as a<br />
point-man, assistant<br />
team leader,<br />
team leader and<br />
then sniper. John<br />
has been awarded<br />
the Law Enforcement<br />
Medal of<br />
Honor, Medal of<br />
Valor, 2 Life-Saving<br />
Medals, Police<br />
Commendation<br />
Medal, Distinguished<br />
Service<br />
Medal, Chief’s Recognition<br />
Award,<br />
and the Texas Tactical Police<br />
Officers Association’s “Excellence<br />
Award.” John studied<br />
Criminal Justice at Southwest<br />
Texas State University and is a<br />
US Army (Arctic Light Infantry)<br />
veteran.<br />
122 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 123<br />
To
Let’s Discuss Professionalism, Which<br />
<strong>No</strong>w Begins with the Old Adage:<br />
Watch Your Language<br />
I’m sure that it is easy for those<br />
in command to look at body<br />
camera videos and determine<br />
what you should be doing and<br />
saying in the streets, but we all<br />
know the realities of a highstress<br />
scene.<br />
Over the last few years, I<br />
have sat on the Administrative<br />
Discipline Committee<br />
fighting<br />
for officers over<br />
discipline recommendations.<br />
With<br />
the introduction<br />
of the Body Worn<br />
Camera systems<br />
there was a quick<br />
downturn on<br />
discipline cases<br />
as the cameras<br />
were somewhat<br />
of a shock to our<br />
system.<br />
The department<br />
found that officers<br />
were much more<br />
professional when on camera.<br />
Over the years I have noticed that<br />
officers curse quite a bit on video,<br />
which has not been a problem<br />
when dealing with violent<br />
suspects.<br />
As we all know, over the last<br />
year there has been a lot more<br />
scrutiny over officers’ actions,<br />
especially on video. We are<br />
starting to see an issue with<br />
officers and their language on<br />
camera.<br />
We all understand that dealing<br />
with a violent suspect can<br />
sometimes require colorful<br />
language. I am the last person<br />
to comment when it comes to<br />
flowery language on a scene. But<br />
once that scene is under control,<br />
we must start watching what we<br />
say.<br />
The banter back and forth<br />
with a suspect must stop. With<br />
the current events it is more<br />
important than ever that we<br />
show our professionalism while<br />
dealing with the public. I believe<br />
that Chief Finner understands<br />
DOUGLAS GRIFFITH<br />
that language can be<br />
rough in the heat of<br />
battle, but he is also<br />
under a lot of pressure<br />
to change the<br />
culture and improve<br />
the way we deal with<br />
the public.<br />
Going forward it<br />
will be important<br />
that we do our best<br />
to curb out language<br />
while on a scene,<br />
especially after the<br />
cuffs are on a suspect.<br />
I am confident that the<br />
department will be<br />
disciplining people in the future<br />
for unnecessary cursing or foul<br />
language toward a suspect or<br />
citizen.<br />
I believe that we have the most<br />
professional organization in the<br />
nation and know that we will<br />
rise to the occasion and adjust<br />
to what the citizens of Houston<br />
expect from us.<br />
124 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 125
unning 4 heroes<br />
Zechariah<br />
Cartledge:<br />
a True American Hero<br />
Zechariah’s <strong>2021</strong> Run Tracker and Sponsors:<br />
Total Miles Run in <strong>2021</strong>: (as of 5/4/21): 120<br />
Total Miles Run in 2020: 401<br />
Total Miles Run in 2019: <strong>37</strong>6<br />
Overall Miles Run: 897<br />
<strong>2021</strong> Run Stats:<br />
Total Miles Run for <strong>2021</strong> fallen LEO’s (<strong>No</strong>n COVID-19): 57<br />
Total Miles Run for <strong>2021</strong> fallen Firefighters (<strong>No</strong>n COVID-19): 21<br />
Total Miles Run for <strong>2021</strong> fallen COVID-19 Heroes: 9<br />
Total Miles Run for <strong>2021</strong> <strong>No</strong>n Line of Duty Deaths: 0<br />
Total Miles Run for 2020 Fallen LEO’s: 23<br />
Total Miles Run for 2020 Fallen Firefighters: 6<br />
Total Miles Run for 2020/<strong>2021</strong> Fallen K9’s: 0<br />
Total Tribute Runs by State for <strong>2021</strong>: 4<br />
- - - - - - - - - -<br />
States Zechariah has run in: Florida, New York, Georgia (3), South Carolina (2),<br />
Pennsylvania, Illinois (3), Texas (5), Kentucky, Arkansas, Nevada, California, Arizona,<br />
<strong>No</strong>rth Carolina, Tennessee, Delaware, Minnesota, Indiana<br />
Sponsors/Supporters:<br />
Shoes - Honor And Respect LLC<br />
Stickers - Powercall Sirens LLC<br />
Lights - Guardian Angel Device<br />
T-Shirts - The Tshirt Shop<br />
Tumblers - Nella’s Cottage<br />
Drone Security - Gresco UAS<br />
Games - Zagbag Board<br />
Sporting Goods - Academy Sports + Outdoors<br />
Marketing - Awake Marketing Agency<br />
Legal - Chisholm Law Firm<br />
Coffee - Engine 3 Coffee<br />
Food - MISSION BBQ; Marco’s Pizza; Texas Roadhouse<br />
501(c)3’s - SUPPORT 1; Brotherhood for the Fallen; Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)<br />
126 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 127
emembering my hero ...<br />
... Beaumont Officer Bryan Hebert<br />
Concerns of Police Survivors is an organization whose mission is to help rebuild the<br />
shattered lives of those family members and co-workers of law enforcement officers<br />
that are killed in the line of duty. Holly Hebert, the sister of Fallen Officer Bryan Hebert,<br />
talks about her brother and best friend.<br />
LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE<br />
ABOUT MY BEST FRIEND.<br />
My best friend, who just so<br />
happened to be my brother, is<br />
Bryan Hebert. There was a sixyear<br />
difference in our ages; he<br />
was older, and I was the little<br />
sister. We always got along<br />
great with each other, thus<br />
making us lifelong best<br />
friends. We shared mutual<br />
friends, and each had<br />
friends of our own. Bryan<br />
had a jovial personality and<br />
was always willing to help<br />
anyone in need. He was a<br />
practical jokester and had<br />
a great sense of humor,<br />
balanced with a heart of<br />
gold. We took road trips<br />
together, attended tailgating<br />
events, spent countless<br />
weeks during the summer at<br />
our grandparents’ house in<br />
the country. Bryan enjoyed<br />
football, taking Jiu Jitsu (he<br />
was a brown belt) watching<br />
other sports, spending time<br />
outdoors, woodworking and<br />
spending time with his friends,<br />
family, and dog Apollo.<br />
We were fortunate to grow up<br />
in a close-knit family and were<br />
blessed to have parents who<br />
encouraged us to work hard, stay<br />
humble and to be compassionate<br />
to others. Bryan’s love and dedication<br />
to his friends and family,<br />
and others are what helped define<br />
him. He had a heart of gold and<br />
this showed in his daily life, as<br />
well as in his professional life.<br />
Bryan graduated in 1993 from<br />
Port Neches-Groves High School<br />
and later attended and graduated<br />
from the 93rd Police Academy<br />
at Lamar Institute of Technology<br />
(LIT). He embarked on his career<br />
with Beaumont Police Department<br />
(Beaumont PD/BPD) in<br />
January 2001. Throughout his tenyear<br />
career, he made a tremendous<br />
impact on those around him,<br />
touching more lives than he could<br />
ever have imagined. Also, he continually<br />
grew from those incidents<br />
and events, and those things also<br />
helped shape him into the great<br />
person and officer that he was.<br />
During those ten years, he experienced<br />
a couple of “close” calls<br />
that were too close for comfort,<br />
but by the help of others and the<br />
grace of God, he made it<br />
through and was more appreciative<br />
for life each day.<br />
My brother and I had a<br />
keen sense of intuition<br />
about each other. Some<br />
friends and family would<br />
laughingly say, we were<br />
like twins, only I was born<br />
six years later. I say this<br />
because when something<br />
would happen with one of<br />
us, the other would always<br />
sense something was<br />
going on before prior to<br />
finding out.<br />
On Friday, July 8, 2011, I<br />
went to Beaumont to have<br />
dinner with friends. I had<br />
just bought a new Mustang<br />
(that my brother may have<br />
helped convince me to<br />
purchase). It had a black exterior<br />
and black interior, and you could<br />
change the colors of the interior’s<br />
ambient lighting. After dinner,<br />
I was planning to run by to say<br />
“hi” to my brother, as he was on<br />
patrol in the “safe” part of town.<br />
However, that never happened.<br />
At dinner, my friend and I were<br />
talking, laughing and having a<br />
great time; mid-conversation, I<br />
had a sudden pain in my stomach,<br />
almost like a huge knot. The pain<br />
left as fast as I experienced the<br />
onset. At the time, I had no clue as<br />
to why this occurred. My friends<br />
decided to go to the Casino. I had<br />
a bad feeling and felt like something<br />
was wrong, so I opted to go<br />
home. I text my brother when I<br />
was leaving the restaurant because<br />
I was planning to go meet<br />
him since he was just down the<br />
street from where I was. Before I<br />
backed out of my parking spot, I<br />
changed the ambient lighting in<br />
my car’s cup holders to blue. He<br />
did not respond to my text, so I<br />
assumed he was busy, and I made<br />
my way home. When I was leaving<br />
the parking lot, I had turned<br />
on my right blinker; doing this<br />
would have unknowingly brought<br />
me to the scene. Instead, out of<br />
habit, I turned left to my usual<br />
route home.<br />
When I got home, I still had an<br />
uneasy, restless feeling, but I did<br />
not know what was wrong. A<br />
few minutes after going inside,<br />
I received a text from a mutual<br />
friend of ours, who was also a<br />
co-worker of my brother. He was<br />
out of town and did not realize<br />
we had not been notified, and he<br />
definitely had our best interest in<br />
mind. The text stated, “I’m so sorry<br />
for what happened. I’m out of<br />
town, but coming back tomorrow.<br />
I’m here for whatever you need”.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t knowing what had occurred,<br />
I thought he had the wrong number,<br />
so I text him back with a response,<br />
“Sorry for whatever happened.<br />
I’m here for whatever you<br />
need”. Then, I got an indescribable<br />
awful feeling that something<br />
horrible had happened, and I text<br />
my brother, “Where are you? Call<br />
me NOW!”<br />
As soon as I set my phone down,<br />
the doorbell rang. I walked to<br />
the front door and looked out the<br />
window. I could see Chief Coffin<br />
128 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 129
and a large group of police officers<br />
from Beaumont PD and other<br />
agencies standing at the door,<br />
appearing as if they were fighting<br />
back tears. I opened the door<br />
to greet them, and saw the Chief<br />
holding Bryan’s badge. With tears<br />
in his eyes, he held up Bryan’s<br />
badge, and stated, “You’re Holly,<br />
Officer Bryan Hebert’s sister…”. I<br />
nodded my head, and interrupted<br />
as he started trying to break<br />
the news. I said, “You don’t have<br />
to say it. Bryan’s dead….?” He<br />
nodded his head and softly said,<br />
“Yes.” I was living with my parents<br />
at the time, and they were<br />
asleep in their bed. So, I offered<br />
for everyone to come inside, and I<br />
volunteered to go break the news<br />
to my parents. I walked through<br />
the house, fighting back tears and<br />
trying to think of the best way to<br />
say it. Come to find out, there is<br />
no best way, nor a good way to<br />
tell your parents the worst news<br />
they would ever have to endure. I<br />
walked to their bedroom, turned<br />
on the light, my tears started<br />
pouring down my face and I uttered<br />
the words, “Mom and Dad,<br />
Bryan is dead.” I will never forget<br />
their reactions as I broke this<br />
painstakingly news to them. They<br />
jumped from their bed, and we<br />
hugged and cried. I proceeded<br />
to tell them, “I’m not sure how<br />
it happened, but everyone is in<br />
the kitchen”. We walked into<br />
the kitchen and were greeted by<br />
these officers and clergy members<br />
who were near and dear to<br />
us. They explained the situation<br />
to us. There was a high-speed<br />
chase where the suspect led them<br />
on the highway and on a few<br />
streets in town. My brother had<br />
gone ahead of the chase to set<br />
out spike strips in an attempt to<br />
safely end the chase and apprehend<br />
the suspect. He parked his<br />
patrol car in the turning lane of<br />
a four-lane road with its lights<br />
on. As he was at the rear of his<br />
vehicle and attempting to remove<br />
the spike strips from his vehicle,<br />
the suspect sped from the top<br />
of a nearby overpass at a speed<br />
exceeding 100 mph. The suspect<br />
turned off his vehicle’s headlights,<br />
and intentionally crashed<br />
into my brother’s patrol car, thus<br />
knocking the lid of the trunk into<br />
my brother’s head and causing<br />
his body to fly approximately 30<br />
feet into the air before he landed<br />
on the concrete driveway of a<br />
bank’s parking lot. The assailant<br />
was apprehended at the scene,<br />
and my brother was pronounced<br />
dead. Later, the assailant agreed<br />
to a plea of “Life in Prison without<br />
Parole.”<br />
Once we found out the things<br />
that occurred during that night,<br />
the things that I experienced<br />
throughout the night started<br />
making sense to me...the knot<br />
in my stomach occurred at the<br />
time Bryan was struck, the time<br />
I changed the color of the ambient<br />
lighting in my vehicle was<br />
the time he was pronounced<br />
deceased. The text prepared me<br />
to walk to the door and to be able<br />
to answer it and to be able to tell<br />
my parents. Bryan’s alarm clock<br />
“died” that morning and he had<br />
told our mom he needed another<br />
one. How “ironic” that it occurred<br />
on the same day as his death.<br />
Our Beaumont PD family drove<br />
us to the hospital so we could go<br />
see Bryan. At this point, I knew<br />
our lives would be changed for<br />
forever, but I don’t think anything<br />
resonated with me at this point. I<br />
just wanted to get to my brother,<br />
as quickly as we could. When<br />
we got to the hospital, everything<br />
became a blur. The hallways<br />
were lined with officers and loved<br />
ones, and we made our way to<br />
the room he was in. I ran into the<br />
room first, and saw him lying lifeless<br />
on the gurney. That’s when it<br />
hit me, he was really “gone” and<br />
there was nothing I could do to<br />
help save him.<br />
We, along with the help and<br />
dedication of Beaumont PD and<br />
several others, planned Bryan’s<br />
funeral. This is where I was able<br />
to fulfill one of my promises to<br />
him (if anything ever happened<br />
to either one of us, the other one<br />
promised to give the other sibling’s<br />
eulogy). I had the honor and<br />
privilege of being able to give the<br />
eulogy at my brother’s funeral. His<br />
funeral was beautiful and filled<br />
with so much dignity, respect, and<br />
love. I could feel him with us that<br />
day. So many loved ones, friends<br />
and family-blood and blue were in<br />
attendance, it was breathtakingly<br />
overwhelming.<br />
Neither of us were married, so<br />
our friendship had remained strong<br />
through our adulthood- road trips,<br />
football games, tailgating, and daily<br />
chats were the norm.<br />
Going from a lifelong best friend<br />
and being the little sister of an<br />
overprotective big brother for 30<br />
130 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 131
years to becoming an only<br />
child (on Earth) became an<br />
adjustment, even at 30 years<br />
of age. However, these were<br />
the cards we were dealt<br />
and sometimes you have to<br />
make the most of it.<br />
When asked what has<br />
helped me? There are a<br />
number of things that have<br />
helped me along my journey.<br />
First and foremost,<br />
our faith in God has helped<br />
tremendously. Seeing the<br />
strength of my parents has<br />
helped me. My bond with my<br />
parents, friends and loved ones<br />
have helped me. Beaumont<br />
Police Department and our<br />
entire “blue” family have helped<br />
me. People honoring my brother<br />
through projects and properties<br />
have helped tremendously.<br />
The moments, you’re just living<br />
life that turn into memories<br />
and being able to cherish those<br />
memories are also what help<br />
to make a difference. I’ve met<br />
several amazing people along<br />
this journey, who I’m forever<br />
thankful for.<br />
I also learned about an organization<br />
I never knew about until<br />
I needed them. That organization<br />
is called C.O.P.S. (Concerns of<br />
Police Survivors). This organization<br />
was founded to help the<br />
family members and co-workers<br />
of our fallen LEO heroes. They<br />
host retreats for each specific<br />
group. At these retreats, there<br />
are counselors and surviving<br />
“peers” who understand your<br />
journey because they are walking<br />
the same journey, too. My<br />
first retreat, I didn’t want to attend;<br />
I didn’t think I “needed” it.<br />
I only went to appease my parents<br />
and loved ones. However, it<br />
was one of the best decisions of<br />
my life and this organization and<br />
the people involved have helped<br />
transform my life. It’s an incredible<br />
sense of support of things you<br />
never want anyone else to have to<br />
understand. But, since these people<br />
have experienced a LODD too,<br />
you share a special bond. I have<br />
gained some lifelong friends from<br />
this organization who I am eternally<br />
grateful for. I’m not one who<br />
typically talks about my feelings,<br />
but I’ve learned ways to communicate<br />
them without being extra<br />
hard on myself.<br />
Another thing that has helped<br />
me are all the great things that<br />
have been hosted and established<br />
in Bryan’s honor, as well as things<br />
that include my parents and me.<br />
I’ve had the honor and privilege<br />
to share my story in annual<br />
trainings at Beaumont PD, and in<br />
a death notification course. There<br />
was a residential street named<br />
after Bryan in a field where he<br />
and friends would play football<br />
as kids. Training rooms have also<br />
been dedicated in his memory, as<br />
well as a 5k hosted by BPOA and<br />
a relay marathon that included<br />
officers from Beaumont PD and<br />
other agencies. These were all<br />
incredible events and tributes.<br />
Another major thing that has<br />
helped is the establishment of<br />
the Officer Bryan Hebert Memorial<br />
Foundation. This foundation<br />
was formally established<br />
in 2013 by a few of our<br />
Beaumont PD blue family<br />
members. Throughout<br />
the years, I’ve had the<br />
privilege of serving on<br />
the board of directors for<br />
this foundation, and our<br />
parents serving as advisors,<br />
along the side of a<br />
host of incredible officers<br />
and people who have tremendous<br />
hearts of gold.<br />
Since our foundation’s<br />
inception, we have awarded a<br />
number of fully paid scholarships<br />
to cadets attending LIT’s police<br />
academy, we’ve also assisted with<br />
FFA students with the sales of<br />
their animals, and our foundation<br />
has had the honor of helping fund<br />
Eagle Scout projects for all 18 of<br />
BPD’s fallen police officers.<br />
The concert fundraisers and fish<br />
fries too, have been an amazing<br />
act of kindness and support from<br />
our friends, family (blood and<br />
blue) and community members.<br />
We are forever thankful for all of<br />
these things.<br />
In July, it will be ten years since<br />
my brother was killed. We miss<br />
him tremendously and think of<br />
him each day of our lives. There’s<br />
no doubt that he’s watching over<br />
us, and from time-to-time, he’ll<br />
send an “angel” sign. Losing<br />
someone is something you never<br />
“get over”, you learn to navigate<br />
your way through it. Some days<br />
are good, some days are bad.<br />
Some days you feel lost, other<br />
days you know exactly where you<br />
want to “go”. <strong>No</strong> matter what,<br />
you always get through.<br />
Throughout this journey, we<br />
have gone from experiencing<br />
some of the worst moments in<br />
our lives to being able to experiencing<br />
some of the most incredible<br />
aspects and hearts of<br />
others- from<br />
the love and<br />
support they<br />
bring and share<br />
with us. The<br />
love and support<br />
of others<br />
help get you<br />
through. Being<br />
able to be<br />
there for those<br />
who are there<br />
for you also<br />
makes a difference.<br />
There<br />
have been<br />
some unbreakable<br />
bonds<br />
that have been<br />
established and<br />
have flourished<br />
throughout this journey.<br />
Yes, there is a lot of bad in our<br />
world, but there’s a lot of good,<br />
too! You just have to look for it<br />
sometimes, but it’s always there.<br />
There’s not a day that goes by that<br />
I don’t think of my brother and I<br />
miss him tremendously, but I’m<br />
thankful for the memories we’ve<br />
made, the friendship we had and<br />
that he was my brother on earth<br />
for 30 years. Heroes never die,<br />
they live on forever, not on earth,<br />
but through always speaking their<br />
names. In valor, there is hope and<br />
the bonds that are formed are<br />
astounding.<br />
Thank you to each of our who<br />
are reading this for all that you<br />
do- whether you are in law enforcement<br />
or a supporter- you<br />
make a difference, and we appreciate<br />
you!<br />
132 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 133
Lieutenant<br />
James Kouski<br />
Hometown Police Department, Illinois<br />
End of Watch Saturday, April 3, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 58 Tour 34 Years Badge # N/A<br />
Lieutenant James Kouski was struck and killed by a vehicle while investigating<br />
a prior DUI-related crash at about 3:00 am.<br />
He was standing on the side of South Pulaski Road, near the intersection<br />
of 91st Street, when he was struck. The driver of the car that struck<br />
him fled the scene but was arrested later in the day.<br />
Lieutenant Kouski had served with the Hometown Police Department for<br />
34 years.<br />
Police Officer<br />
Brent Nelson Hall<br />
Newton Grove Police Department, <strong>No</strong>rth Carolina<br />
End of Watch Saturday, April 3, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 26 Tour 5 Years Badge # 503<br />
Police Officer Brent Hall was killed in a vehicle crash near the intersection of<br />
<strong>No</strong>rtheast Boulevard and Isaac Weeks Road in Clinton, <strong>No</strong>rth Carolina. He was<br />
driving his patrol car to Newton Grove at about 6:40 pm when he suffered a<br />
medical emergency that caused his vehicle to accelerate and leave the roadway<br />
at a high rate of speed. The patrol car then struck a utility pole before coming<br />
to rest. Officer Hall suffered severe blunt force trauma as a result of the crash.<br />
Officer Hall had served with the Newton Grove Police Department for two years<br />
and had served in law enforcement for five years. He is survived by his parents<br />
and sister.<br />
Deputy Sheriff<br />
Christopher Wilson Knight<br />
Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia<br />
End of Watch Tuesday, April 6, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 30 Tour 3 Years Badge # N/A<br />
Sergeant<br />
James K. Smith<br />
Iowa State Patrol, Iowa<br />
End of Watch Friday, April 9, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 51 Tour 27 Years Badge # 462<br />
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Knight was stabbed to death by a prisoner at<br />
the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center at about 2:45 am.<br />
He and another deputy were moving the prisoner to an observation area<br />
after the man made suicidal comments. The inmate began fighting with<br />
both deputies and was able to gain control of Deputy Knight’s knife, which<br />
he used to stab both deputies.<br />
Deputy Knight was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to<br />
his wounds one hour later.<br />
Sergeant Jim Smith was shot and killed while attempting to arrest<br />
a subject who had assaulted and disarmed another law enforcement<br />
officer during a traffic stop near Grundy Center. The subject initially fled<br />
as officers attempted to stop him but stopped and confronted them<br />
and antagonized them to shoot him. He was able to get back into his car<br />
and fled to his home at 305 G Avenue. Responding officers established<br />
a perimeter around the home and established an arrest team. When the<br />
arrest team entered the home, the man opened fire with a shotgun, striking<br />
Sergeant Smith. Other members of the team were able to remove<br />
Sergeant Smith from the home. He was transported to a local hospital<br />
where he was pronounced dead.<br />
Deputy Knight had served with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for three<br />
years. He is survived by his 2-year-old child and mother.<br />
Sergeant Smith had served with the Iowa State Patrol for 27 years. He<br />
is survived by his wife, two children, mother, brother, and sister.<br />
134 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 135
Deputy Sheriff<br />
Thomas Patrick Barnes<br />
Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Dept., Mississippi<br />
End of Watch Saturday, April 10, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 49 Tour N/A Badge S010<br />
Detention Deputy<br />
Mark Edward Anderson<br />
Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota<br />
End of Watch Thursday, April 15, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 52 Tour 11 Years, 1 Month Badge # 1743<br />
Deputy Sheriff Pat Barnes was killed in a vehicle crash while responding to<br />
a domestic disturbance at a hotel in Prentiss, Mississippi.<br />
He was responding to backup members of the Prentiss Police Department<br />
when his patrol car left the roadway and struck a tree near the intersection<br />
of Highway 42 and Ed Parkman Road.<br />
Deputy Barnes also served as a part-time officer with the Prentiss Police<br />
Department. He is survived by his wife, two children, and one grandchild.<br />
Police Officer<br />
David Parde<br />
Lexington Police Department, <strong>No</strong>rth Carolina<br />
Detention Deputy Mark Anderson suffered a fatal heart attack after<br />
interacting with a belligerent inmate in the Olmsted County Adult Detention<br />
Center. Deputy Anderson was working alone managing gym-use time<br />
for inmates when one of the inmates became extremely upset, prompting<br />
Deputy Anderson to call for emergency response from other deputies.<br />
Additional deputies responded and they escorted the inmate back to<br />
his unit. Deputy Anderson was preparing for a subsequent shift when he<br />
collapsed in the locker room.<br />
Deputy Anderson had served with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office for<br />
11 years. He is survived by his daughter and brother, as well as his significant<br />
other and her son.Nurse Schulte had served with the Iowa Department<br />
of Corrections for 14 years.<br />
Deputy Sheriff<br />
Terry Dyer<br />
Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee<br />
End of Watch Saturday, April 17, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 54 Tour 2 years 6 Months Badge #324<br />
Police Officer David Parde succumbed to complications of a gunshot<br />
wound sustained on May 5th, 1992, while investigating reports of a<br />
suspicious person at an apartment complex at 612 Fairview Drive.A<br />
resident had called police after three teenagers were observed knocking<br />
on doors pretending to be delivering pizza at 12:30 am. Officer Parde and<br />
another officer were attempting to locate the three in the complex when<br />
one of the juveniles shot him. The round entered his shoulder and caused<br />
severe damage to his spinal column, leaving him paralyzed below his chest.<br />
Officer Parde had served with the Lexington Police Department for 2-1/2<br />
years at the time of the incident. He is survived by his wife, son, two<br />
grandsons, mother, brother, and two sisters.<br />
End of Watch Tuesday, April 20, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 62 Tour 33 Years Badge 71-F<br />
Military Veteran<br />
Deputy Sheriff Terry Dyer suffered a fatal heart attack after responding<br />
to a domestic violence call at a local church two days earlier.<br />
He collapsed while appearing in a General Sessions Court criminal case.<br />
He received immediate medical attention and was transported to Jackson<br />
General Hospital where he passed away.<br />
Deputy Dyer was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Madison<br />
County Sheriff’s Office for three years and had previously served with the<br />
Jackson Polie Department for 30 years. He is survived by his daughter.<br />
136 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 1<strong>37</strong>
Police Officer<br />
Anastasio Tsakos<br />
New York City Police Department, New York<br />
End of Watch Tuesday, April 27, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 43 Tour 14 Years Badge # 17563<br />
Police Officer Anastasio Tsakos was struck and killed by a vehicle being<br />
operated by an intoxicated driver. Officer Tsakos responded to assist<br />
at the scene of a fatal automobile collision on the Long Island Expressway,<br />
near the entrance to the Clearview Expressway. He was redirecting<br />
traffic when a 2013 <strong>Vol</strong>kswagen driven by a 32-year-old woman swerved<br />
to avoid other cars and hit Officer Tsakos as he stood next to his marked<br />
patrol vehicle. Officer Tsakos was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital<br />
where he succumbed to his injuries.<br />
Officer Tsakos served with the New York City Police Department for 14<br />
years and was assigned to Highway Unit 3. He is survived by his wife,<br />
6-year-old daughter, and 3-year-old son.<br />
Sergeant<br />
Chris Ward<br />
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, <strong>No</strong>rth Carolina<br />
End of Watch Wednesday, April 28, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age N/A Tour N/A Badge # N/A<br />
Sergeant Chris Ward and Deputy Sheriff Logan Fox were shot and killed<br />
while conducting a welfare check at a home on Hardaman Circle.<br />
Backup officers were able to extract Sergeant Ward from the home but<br />
were unable to reach Deputy Fox. Sergeant Ward was flown to a hospital<br />
in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he succumbed to his injuries.<br />
The subject barricaded himself inside of the house and continued to<br />
shoot at law enforcement officers who were on the perimeter throughout<br />
the day. He committed suicide several hours into the barricade. Deputy<br />
Fox was retrieved from the residence and pronounced dead.<br />
Corporal<br />
Keith Heacook<br />
Delmar Police Department, Maryland<br />
End of Watch Wednesday, April 28, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 38 Tour 2 Years Badge # 5349<br />
Corporal Keith Heacook succumbed to injuries sustained on April 25th,<br />
<strong>2021</strong>, when he was assaulted after responding to a fight call in 11000<br />
block of Buckingham Drive in Delmar, Delaware. He was the only officer on<br />
duty when he responded to the call at approximately 5:00 am. Corporal<br />
Heacook was assaulted by a male subject who then repeatedly stomped<br />
on his head after he had become unconscious. Officers from the Delaware<br />
State Police and Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland, were<br />
dispatched to check on Corporal Heacook when he failed to respond to<br />
dispatchers. He was transported to a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland,<br />
where he succumbed to his injuries on April 28th, <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
Corporal Heacook remained on life support so his organs could be donated.Corporal<br />
Heacook had served with the Delmar Police Department for<br />
22 years. He is survived by his son and wife.<br />
Deputy Sheriff<br />
Logan Fox<br />
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, <strong>No</strong>rth Carolina<br />
End of Watch Wednesday, April 28, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age N/A Tour N/A Badge # N/A<br />
Sergeant Chris Ward and Deputy Sheriff Logan Fox were shot and killed<br />
while conducting a welfare check at a home on Hardaman Circle.<br />
Backup officers were able to extract Sergeant Ward from the home but<br />
were unable to reach Deputy Fox. Sergeant Ward was flown to a hospital<br />
in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he succumbed to his injuries.<br />
The subject barricaded himself inside of the house and continued to<br />
shoot at law enforcement officers who were on the perimeter throughout<br />
the day. He committed suicide several hours into the barricade. Deputy<br />
Fox was retrieved from the residence and pronounced dead.<br />
138 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 139
Our Brothers & Sisters in Blue, taken too soon<br />
Police Officer<br />
Christopher Farrar<br />
Chandler Police Department, Arizona<br />
End of Watch Thursday, April 29, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Age 50 Tour 18 Years Badge # N/A<br />
Police Officer Chris Farrar was struck and killed by a vehicle during a vehicle<br />
pursuit of a stolen vehicle involving multiple agencies.<br />
Deputies with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office had initiated the pursuit<br />
of a known felon shortly after 10:00 pm. The driver of the vehicle fired<br />
shots and at the responding deputies before entering Chandler, Arizona.<br />
The man drove through a gate and onto the runway of the Chandler<br />
Regional Airport and then back into the community. He drove to a car<br />
dealership on East Motorplex Loop where he stole a truck. As the man<br />
exited the dealership, he struck Officer Farrar and a Gilbert police officer,<br />
causing both to suffer critical injuries. Officer Farrar was transported to<br />
a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The man continued to<br />
flee but was taken into custody after being shot at by pursuing officers.<br />
Deputy Sheriff<br />
Alexander Gwosdz<br />
Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas<br />
Deputy Sheriff Alexander Gwosdz died from complications as the<br />
result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. Deputy Gwosdz had<br />
served with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for nine years.<br />
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and<br />
other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19<br />
during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many<br />
of these first responders have died as a result of COVID-19, and continue<br />
to do so as the virus spreads across the United States.<br />
Officer Farrar had served with the Chandler Police Department for 18<br />
years.<br />
“When a police officer is killed,<br />
it’s not an agency that loses an officer,<br />
it’s an entire nation.”<br />
Chris Cosgriff, ODMP Founder<br />
140 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 141
Take a Kid Fishing<br />
this Summer<br />
Every year, there are events<br />
throughout the state and across<br />
the nation encouraging adults<br />
to take a kid fishing. Those of<br />
us blessed enough to be good<br />
coaches with kids and handy<br />
with a fishing rod should not<br />
wait for a certain day, but instead<br />
look for every opportunity<br />
possible to introduce fishing to<br />
a young person. Over the past<br />
40+ years I have had received<br />
much pleasure from introducing<br />
people to the sport of fishing,<br />
but none more gratifying than<br />
to see the uncontrollable smile<br />
and excitement from a child<br />
who has never the experience<br />
of a tug of a fish on<br />
the end of a line. Even<br />
more special is when<br />
you teach your children<br />
how to fish and then<br />
one day you see them<br />
teaching their friends.<br />
As I was writing this, I<br />
realized that although<br />
I have taught all three<br />
of my children how<br />
to fish, my daughter<br />
will likely claim that<br />
Jimmy Houston taught<br />
her how to cast in our<br />
backyard pool, which<br />
does sound much cooler<br />
than learning from<br />
me. But you don’t have<br />
to be Jimmy Houston to<br />
teach someone how to fish. You<br />
don’t have to own a boat either.<br />
Remember the most important<br />
lesson about teaching kids to<br />
fish; they want to catch fish. So,<br />
in the beginning don’t worry<br />
about teaching them too much,<br />
just get them hooked on fishing<br />
by catching a fish. Using worms<br />
in small local pond to watch a<br />
bream dance a bobber up and<br />
down and then eventually pull<br />
it under is a great first experience.<br />
Then you can move up to<br />
catfish bait or minnows to catch<br />
bigger fish. Much further down<br />
the road can come lures and the<br />
art of casting. What type of<br />
type of fishing rods are best for<br />
very young beginners? Well,<br />
you can’t go wrong with the all<br />
enclosed Barbie Zebco<br />
24-inch fishing rod and<br />
reel. However, for kids<br />
older than about five years<br />
old, I like to start teaching<br />
them on a small spinning<br />
rod. They are easy to use<br />
and once you learn on<br />
a spinning reel, you can<br />
very easily go up in size<br />
to handle even the biggest<br />
of fish. Remember,<br />
keep it simple and make it<br />
fun! With summer fishing<br />
season almost upon us,<br />
please consider taking a<br />
day or two and just focus<br />
on introducing a kid,<br />
small or large, the art of<br />
fishing.<br />
It was a special treat to have my daughter with me when I got to fish<br />
Jimmy Houston’s Twin Eagle Ranch in Oklahoma.<br />
142 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 143
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146 146 The The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The The BLUES BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 147 147
ADS BACK IN THE DAY<br />
148 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 149
150 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 151
San Felipe Del Rio CISD Get Info Chief of Police 05/21/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Wise County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Peace Officer 06/09/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Brownwood Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/19/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Texas State Technical College Police Get Info Peace Officer 05/07/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Bruceville-Eddy Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/15/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Bandera County Sheriff's Office Get Info Peace Officer 05/21/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Sour Lake Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/23/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Mansfield ISD PD Get Info Peace Officer 06/01/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Sunset Valley Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/17/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Wylie Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/26/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Houston County Sheriff's Office Get Info Peace Officer 05/26/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Saginaw Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/26/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
South San Antonio ISD Get Info Peace Officer 05/31/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Paris ISD Get Info Peace Officer 06/01/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Cleveland ISD PD Get Info Peace Officer 06/08/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
University of Texas Medical Branch Get Info AVP and Asst. Chief of Police 06/08/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Port Arthur Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 06/08/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Get Info Probationary Agent 05/12/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Woodway Public Safety Department Get Info Public Safety Officer I 05/13/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Denton County Constable Pct. 2 Get Info Deputy Constable 05/13/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Hutto Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/13/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Houston Community College PD Get Info Peace Officer 06/11/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Crowley Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/31/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Bellmead Get Info Peace 06/11/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Elgin Get Info Peace Officer 06/16/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Baylor University Get Info Peace Officer 06/14/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Hill County Sheriff's Office Get Info Baliff 05/31/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Hawley Police Department Get Info Peace 05/31/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Bulverde Get Info Peace Officer 06/16/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Alamo College Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/21/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Pelican Bay Police Department Get Info Peace Officer (full time) 06/16/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Pelican Bay Police Department Get Info Peace Officer (Reserve) 06/16/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Nixon Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/21/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Greenvile Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/28/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Cedar Hill ISD PD Get Info Peace Office 06/19/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Spur Get Info Chief of Police 05/17/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Stinnett Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/31/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Hays County Constables Precinct 1 Get Info Peace Officer 06/21/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Bellmead Get Info VAWA Detective 06/01/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 10/10/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Crosbyton Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 06/19/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Highland Park Dept. of Public Safety Get Info Public Safety Officer 05/15/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Memphis Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/23/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Limestone County Sheriff's Office Get Info Peace Officer 05/23/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Coryell County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Peace Officer 06/22/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Texas Woman’s University Police Dept. Get Info Peace Officer 06/23/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Oldham County Sheriff's Office Get Info Peace Officer 06/01/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Aubrey Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 06/16/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Prairie View A&M Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/23/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Pearsall Police Deptartment Get Info Peace Officer 05/28/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Murphy Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 05/14/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
TJC Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 06/27/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of College Station Police Dept Get Info Peace Officer 05/23/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Tulia Get Info Chief of Police 05/27/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Lamar University Get Info Chief of Police 06/03/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
McLennan Community College Police Get Info Peace Officer 07/30/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Onalaska Get Info Peace Officer 07/07/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Lake Travis ISD Get Info Peace Officer 06/04/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of Horseshoe Bay Get Info Peace Officer 06/05/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Get Info Peace Officer 07/05/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Southwestern Baptist Police Dept. Get Info Peace Officer 07/02/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
City of <strong>Austin</strong> Get Info Chief of Police 07/05/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Kaufman Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 07/05/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Frisco Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 07/07/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
Merkel Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 07/07/<strong>2021</strong> - 5pm<br />
PLACE YOUR FULL PAGE<br />
HERE FOR ONLY $250.<br />
RUNS MONTHLY UNTIL YOU<br />
FILL ALL POSITIONS<br />
152 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 153
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS<br />
• Paid Vacation<br />
• Sick Leave<br />
• Paid Holidays<br />
• Personal Days<br />
• Compensatory Days<br />
• Certification Pay<br />
ALDINE ISD POLICE DEPT.<br />
now accepting applications for<br />
Full-Time Police Officers<br />
MUST HOLD A CURRENT TCOLE<br />
PEACE OFFICE CERTIFICATE<br />
Salary starting at $47,211<br />
with no experience<br />
TO APPLY VISIT<br />
WWW.ALDINEISD.ORG<br />
OR<br />
Contact the Personnel<br />
Department at<br />
281-985-7571<br />
OR<br />
Contact Sergeant R. Hall at<br />
281-442-4923<br />
HIRING PROCESS<br />
• Physical Agility Test<br />
• Written Exam<br />
• Oral Board Panel Interview<br />
• Complete Personal History Statement<br />
• Psychological Evaluation<br />
• Medical Examination<br />
• Interview with the Chief of Police<br />
154 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 155
MAKE A<br />
DIFFERENCE<br />
IN YOUR<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
We are looking for outstanding individuals to<br />
join our team! As a Pearland Police Officer your<br />
mission will be to prevent crime and disorder, build<br />
partnerships within the community, and positively<br />
impact the quality of life for all our residents.<br />
CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS<br />
• Competitive Salary • Outstanding Training<br />
• Career Advancement • Exceptional Benefits<br />
The City of Pearland is one of the fastest growing<br />
communities within the region. Pearland is located<br />
approximately 20 minutes south of Downtown Houston<br />
and the current population is approximately 130,000<br />
residents.<br />
JOIN OUR TEAM<br />
HIRING POLICE OFFICERS AND CADETS<br />
$5,000 Hiring Incentive for T.C.O.L.E Certified Police<br />
Officers who qualify with at least 2 years of experience.<br />
TEST DATE:<br />
SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 8:30 A.M.<br />
Register by: April 12.<br />
Pearland Recreation Center & Natatorium<br />
4141 Bailey Road, Pearland, TX 77584.<br />
Doors Open: 7:15 a.m. <strong>No</strong> admittance after 7:45 a.m.<br />
Candidates must park in the north parking lot.<br />
SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES WILL APPLY<br />
• Attendance limited to first 150 arrivals<br />
• Mandatory temperature checks<br />
• Masks required, hand sanitizer available<br />
• Candidates seated 6 feet apart<br />
<br />
<br />
•Be a citizen of the nited tates able to read,<br />
write, and speak the English language<br />
• Have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate .E.. certified by<br />
the issuing agency with:<br />
0 credit hours with a cumulative PA of 2.0 or higher on a .0 scale from an accredited<br />
institute of higher learning or<br />
- Minimum 24 months of active duty service with an honorable discharge authenticated by<br />
a Member 2 or Member orm 21 or<br />
15 credit hours with a cumulative PA of 2.0 or higher on a .0 scale in addition to Basic<br />
Peace Officer Certification from TCOLE or<br />
An Intermediate Peace Officer Certification from TCOLE<br />
• Valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record<br />
• Must meet all legal requirements necessary to become a licensed Peace Officer by the Texas<br />
Commission on Law Enforcement TCOLE.<br />
• Be between 21 and 5 years of age at the time of the examination or<br />
• Be between 18 and 21 years of age if the applicant has received an associate’s degree or 60<br />
semester hours of credit from an accredited college or university or has received an honorable<br />
discharge from the armed forces of the nited tates after at least two years of active service.<br />
: Cadet $1. hourly Police Officer $2. hourly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
April 12, <strong>2021</strong>. Applications will not be accepted after this date.<br />
Submit applications online by visiting pearlandtx.gov/careers.<br />
THE CITY OF PEARLAND IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER<br />
pecial accommodations are available when necessary to aord equal opportunity to participate<br />
in testing. Please make request in writing, five business days prior to the test date to City of<br />
Pearland, HR Department, 3519 Liberty Drive, Pearland, TX 77581.<br />
or questions regarding the application process please contact Terene uddsohnson at<br />
281.652.1617 or hr@pearlandtx.gov.<br />
List will remain in eect for one 1 year or until exhausted, whichever is sooner.<br />
156 The For BLUES additional POLICE information MAGAZINE and to register for an upcoming Civil Service Exam, visit<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 157<br />
pearlandtx.gov/PDCareers
Montgomery<br />
County Pct. 4<br />
Constable's<br />
Office<br />
full-time<br />
&<br />
reserve<br />
COME JOIN US!<br />
great retirement &<br />
great insurance<br />
Advancement Opportunities: Criminal<br />
Investigations - Special Response Team - Honor<br />
Guard - Special Response Group - Swift Water<br />
Rescue Team - K9 - Mounted Patrol - Drone team<br />
overtime opportunities: step - dwi<br />
enforcement - special teams - evidence - jp<br />
security<br />
Stipend Pay: k9 - specialist - fto deputy<br />
paid time off: holiday - vacation - comp time -<br />
personal - paid training<br />
salary - step pay slotted based on tcole full-time years of<br />
service:<br />
Under 2 yrs - $48,755.20 9 Yrs - $59,508.80<br />
2 Yrs - $51,188.80 12 Yrs - $61,150.40<br />
4 Yrs - $53,726.40 15 Yrs - $65,270.40<br />
6 Yrs - $56,368.00 16+ Yrs - $68,536.0<br />
license certification (up to $3599) and longevity pay<br />
civil service protected<br />
LATERAL DEPUTY<br />
MORE INFO:<br />
Constable Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden<br />
Pickup and complete applicant in 1.<br />
person.<br />
questionnaire<br />
Pct. 4 Constable, Montgomery County, TX<br />
assessment, 2.<br />
written exam<br />
Firearms qualification, fitness<br />
21130 personality Hwy assessment 59 scheduled.<br />
Ste. C New Caney, TX and 77357<br />
www.mcco4.org - 281.577.8985 -<br />
candidates 3.<br />
passing Successfully personal<br />
receive will<br />
@mcconstablepct4<br />
book.<br />
history<br />
158 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 159<br />
board.<br />
4. Oral
Alamo Colleges District Police Department<br />
Alamo Colleges 2222 N. Alamo St. San Antonio, Texas 78215<br />
The Alamo Colleges District Police<br />
Department is currently hiring Campus<br />
Peace Officers who are tasked with providing<br />
police services to each of the five<br />
campuses and satellite facilities of the<br />
Alamo Community College District.<br />
Campuses include <strong>No</strong>rtheast Lakeview<br />
College, <strong>No</strong>rthwest Vista College, Palo Alto<br />
College, St. Philips College, San Antonio<br />
College.<br />
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Enforce Alamo Colleges District regulations and city/state/federal laws and statutes.<br />
Control traffic including the issuance of traffic citations for moving/parking violations; assure smooth<br />
flow of traffic; direct traffic as needed.<br />
Patrol (foot/bike/ATV/mobile) Campus and District buildings, lots, and property to assure security, prevent<br />
crime, and protect property.<br />
Ensure all facilities are secure by locking doors as needed.<br />
Provide directions, information, and assistance to campus visitors. May assist individuals with disabled<br />
vehicles and lockouts.<br />
Provide escort service for bursars, personnel, or special vehicles.<br />
Prepare offense reports and/or accident reports documenting details for possible court record; complete<br />
all other paperwork as required.<br />
Assist in evacuations during fire or bomb threats; provide emergency first aid in event of injury. May<br />
transport injured persons.<br />
Assist outside law enforcement agencies in securing warrants on campus.<br />
Report traffic, safety, and/or security infractions to proper authorities.<br />
Perform special duties and assignments as directed.<br />
May perform arrest/search/seizure and follow booking procedure/transport individuals to jail as needed.<br />
Minimum Qualifications:<br />
Must have Basic Certification by Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) or have successfully completed<br />
the TCOLE Re-Activation Examination. Must possess and maintain a valid Texas State Driver's License.<br />
A high school diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.). Pass background check and pre employment physical, psychological<br />
and drug screening.<br />
Salary / Benefits:<br />
• Base salary starting at $40,040.00.<br />
• Incentive pay for TCOLE Certification Level ($600 a year for Basic; $1,200 a year for Intermediate; $1,800<br />
a year for Advanced; $2,400 for Master) and TCOLE Instructor Certification pay ($600 a year).<br />
• Incentive pay for degree ($1,000 a year for an Associates, $2,000 a year for a Bachelors, $3,000 a year<br />
for a Masters degree).<br />
• Shift differential pay (B Shift—$50 a month, C Shift $100 a month).<br />
• Department provided uniforms, equipment, duty weapon, ammunition.<br />
• District provided employee health insurance, paid vacation, paid holidays, paid sick leave.<br />
• Employee & Dependent Tuition Assistance Programs.<br />
• Participate in Teacher’s Retirement System and Social Security.<br />
Human Resources (210) 485-0200<br />
Apply online at http://alamo.edu/jobs/<br />
160 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 161
CEDAR HILL ISD<br />
POLICE DEPARTMENT<br />
COMPETITIVE<br />
BENEFITS<br />
Insurance<br />
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance,<br />
AD&D and Long Term<br />
Disability<br />
Leave Benefits<br />
***Seeking Certified Peace Officers***<br />
High School Diploma or GED<br />
Valid driver’s license<br />
Law Enforcement experience (Preferred)<br />
Ability to pass required physical, medical/psychological ,<br />
and drug test<br />
Proficient with firearms and emergency equipment<br />
Knowledge of criminal law, procedures, and criminal investigations<br />
Ability to write effective police reports<br />
Ability to work well with youth and adults<br />
Vacation, State/Local Sick Leave<br />
Retirement<br />
Teachers Retirement System of<br />
Texas<br />
Equipment<br />
Uniforms and equipment<br />
(excluding Firearms and boots)<br />
Highly Sought out Schedule<br />
226 Work Days<br />
Weekends & Holidays off<br />
COMPENSATION<br />
Basic certification: $45,200<br />
CHISD Police Department<br />
Location: 504 E Beltline Rd,<br />
Cedar Hill, TX 75104<br />
Phone: 469-272-2088<br />
E-Mail: carlos.below@chisd.net<br />
Intermediate Certification: $48,906<br />
Advanced Certification: $52,595<br />
Master Certification: $56,319<br />
Overtime Opportunity !<br />
162 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 163
WOODWAY PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT<br />
PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS<br />
E D T N A W<br />
STARTING PAY: $27.50 PER HOUR<br />
AND BENEFITS<br />
COMPENSATION<br />
E D U C A T I O N A L I N C E N T I V E P A Y<br />
R E T E N T I O N P A Y<br />
P A I D S I C K L E A V E<br />
1 3 P A I D H O L I D A Y S<br />
2 0 Y E A R R E T I R E M E N T<br />
5 Y E A R V E S T I N G<br />
2 : 1 E M P L O Y E R / E M P L O Y E E M A T C H<br />
7 % E M P L O Y E E C O N T R I B U T I O N<br />
M E D I C A L / D E N T A L / L I F E I N S U R A N C E<br />
T E X A S M U N I C I P A L R E T I R E M E N T<br />
V O L U N T A R Y L I F E F O R F A M I L Y<br />
A L L E Q U I P M E N T P R O V I D E D<br />
U N I F O R M P R O V I D E D<br />
OUR OFFICERS PERFORM LAW ENFORCEMENT, CRIME PREVENTION, FIRE SUPPRESSION, FIRE<br />
PREVENTION AND RESCUE DUTIES ON AN ASSIGNED SHIFT, AND PERFORM OTHER RELATED DUTIES.<br />
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: <strong>MAY</strong> 13TH AT 5PM<br />
TO APPLY: CONTACT cstephenson@woodwaytexas.gov OR VISIT<br />
164 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE<br />
woodwaytexas.gov/human-resources-2<br />
The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 165
Come join the MISD Police Department<br />
Mansfield ISD Police Department currently employs over 61<br />
well-trained professional peace officers. Together, we ensure<br />
the safety of our students, school district, and its employees.<br />
Employment advantages include:<br />
NOW HIRING for Multiple Officer Positions!<br />
CERTIFICATION HOUR ANNUAL<br />
Based Pay<br />
Recruit $24.12 $43,608<br />
Basic $26.28 $47,514<br />
Highland Park Department of Public Safety<br />
The Best PEOPLE. The Best TRAINING. The Best SERVICE.<br />
TESTING FOR: PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER<br />
Salary Range: $66,820.00 - $84,012.50<br />
226 day a year work calendar,<br />
Monday thru Fridays work days<br />
Majority of officers’ work day shift hours.<br />
Extended breaks during Thanksgiving, Christmas,<br />
Spring Break, and the week of July 4 th .<br />
In addition officers also receive 6 days discretionary<br />
leave and 10 personal (sick) days per year.<br />
Available Overtime<br />
Provided uniforms, dry cleaning, all police equipment,<br />
and duty weapon.<br />
Additional Officer training to achieve increased levels<br />
of peace officer certifications.<br />
Other benefits include Teachers Retirement System, optional<br />
health, dental, vision, and life insurance.<br />
We are currently hiring several officers to fill new schools and<br />
vacant positions.<br />
For more information Please contact the Mansfield ISD Police<br />
Department at 817-299-6000 or go to our District website at:<br />
start the application process:<br />
https://www.mansfieldisd.org/join-misd/apply-with-misd<br />
Right Click to open Hyperlink<br />
Intermediate $28.42 $51,383<br />
Advanced $30.56 $55,252<br />
Masters $32.72 $59,157<br />
Position receives cross-training as a<br />
Police Officer, Fire Fighter & EMT-Paramedic.<br />
Minimum requirements: 21 years of age, U.S.<br />
citizen, valid Driver’s License, Bachelor’s Degree<br />
(Applicants possessing at least 60 college hours with either 4yrs combined paid experience<br />
in police, fire or EMS or 4yrs of active duty military are eligible to test).<br />
Applications available beginning April 16, <strong>2021</strong> online<br />
at www.hptx.org. Deadline for submitting<br />
applications – May 14, <strong>2021</strong> at 5:00pm.<br />
COVID-19 Screening will be conducted immediately prior to<br />
all testing and interviews. CDC Guidelines will be followed at all times<br />
during the hiring process.<br />
Questions: Contact Lt. Zach Sitton at<br />
zsitton@HPDPS.org or 214.559.9349<br />
EOE<br />
166 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 167
The Kaufman Police Department is hiring!<br />
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE<br />
High school diploma or GED; supplemented by Basic Peace Officer License and<br />
TCOLE certification; CPR training; supplemented by completion of in-service<br />
training, as directed, for assignment to other primary functional areas. Must be at<br />
least 21 years of age and possess a valid state driver license.<br />
• Total Annual Salary: Certified $50,400.00; <strong>No</strong>n Certified $ 45,000.00<br />
• Fast growing community<br />
• Work Schedule: 4 days on, 4 days off (12 hour shifts)<br />
• Uniforms: Department provides a complete uniform with a vest<br />
• Paid employee health insurance with optional family coverage<br />
• Retirement: 7% match 2 to 1 (TMRS)<br />
Complete Job Description here.<br />
Police Officer Candidates must print and complete an Application, Personal<br />
History Statement and Authority to Release Information Form to be considered.<br />
Online Application here<br />
Personal History Statement here<br />
Authority to Release Information Form here<br />
All applicants subject to background check, physical and drug screening.<br />
Mail all completed documents to:<br />
City Of Kaufman<br />
P O Box 1168<br />
Kaufman, Tx 75142<br />
Att: Mike Holder ACM<br />
Human Resource Department<br />
Direct all questions to Kaufman Police Department 972-932-3094 ext. 201<br />
168 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 169
STINNETT POLICE DEPARTMENT<br />
NOW HIRING FULL-TIME CERTIFIED<br />
POLICE OFFICER<br />
Stinnett is a wonderful small-town<br />
community (Population 1,881) that is the<br />
county seat of Hutchinson County.<br />
STARTING SALARY<br />
$40,500<br />
Currently recruiting TCOLE Certified Peace Officers<br />
‣ Salary<br />
o $21.29/hour - $27.00/hour<br />
o Years of Experience Adjustments<br />
‣ Certificate & Education Pay<br />
‣ Annual Uniform Allowance<br />
‣ 12 Paid Holidays<br />
‣ Paid Vacation/Sick Leave<br />
‣ 20 Year Retirement<br />
‣ Long/Short term disability<br />
‣ Insurance<br />
o Medical<br />
o Dental<br />
o Vision<br />
o Life<br />
‣ Officers allowed 1 hour on-duty<br />
to exercise<br />
‣ Training Provided by<br />
Department<br />
‣ All Uniforms and Equipment<br />
provided upon employment<br />
‣ 12-hour work shifts with every<br />
other weekend off<br />
‣ Promotes Higher Education<br />
GO TO:<br />
www.fairoaksranchtx.org/jobs<br />
We are very proud of our PSPCISD school<br />
district.<br />
Lake Meredith is a short 15-minute drive!<br />
And Amarillo is only an hour drive away to<br />
unlimited shopping and entertainment!<br />
Vacation, Holiday,<br />
and Sick Pay!<br />
Free Health, Dental<br />
and Vision Benefits!<br />
Life Insurance<br />
Available!<br />
2-1 Retirement match<br />
(TMRS)<br />
Take home vehicle for<br />
those that live in the<br />
city limits!<br />
Job Description and link to apply can be found at the link<br />
below:<br />
http://www.cityofstinnett.com/explore_stinnett/job_opportuniti<br />
es.php<br />
For questions, contact Corisa Earls, Chief of Police at:<br />
806-878-2422 ext. 402 or email<br />
CEarls@cityofstinnett.com<br />
170 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 171
Hiring Certified and <strong>No</strong>n Certified Police Officers<br />
City of Wylie<br />
Police Department<br />
Wylie Police Department Mission: Our mission is to impact the quality of life, by providing a professional<br />
level of service that will foster, support, and build relationships with those we serve.<br />
SALARY RANGE<br />
HIRING PROCESS:<br />
Years of Service<br />
Annual Salary<br />
BENEFITS:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Complete and submit a City of<br />
Wylie job application: https://<br />
www.governmentjobs.com/<br />
careers/wylietexas<br />
Written Exam (exempt for Laterals)<br />
Physical Agility Test<br />
Complete and submit a Personal<br />
History Statement<br />
Oral Board Panel Interview<br />
Background Investigation<br />
Police Chief Interview<br />
1 Year—Step 0 $56,671.60<br />
2 Years—Step 1 $58,088.39<br />
3 Years—Step 2 $59,540.59<br />
4 Years—Step 3 $61,029.11<br />
5 Years—Step 4 $62,554.84<br />
6 Years—Step 5 $64,118.71<br />
7 Years—Step 6 $65,721.68<br />
8 Years—Step 7 $67,364.72<br />
9 Years—Step 8 $69,048.84<br />
10 Years—Step 9 $70,775.06<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
City Paid Medical/Dental/Vision<br />
Texas Municipal Retirement System<br />
(TMRS) 14% City Contribution<br />
Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick<br />
Time)<br />
City Paid Uniforms<br />
City Paid Training<br />
Life Insurance and AD&D<br />
Long Term Disability Insurance<br />
Employee Assistance Program<br />
Longevity Pay<br />
<br />
Polygraph Examination<br />
11 Years—Step 10 $72,544.43<br />
<br />
Tuition Reimbursement<br />
<br />
Psychological Evaluation<br />
12+ Years—Step 11 $74,358.04<br />
<br />
Free Recreation Center Membership<br />
<br />
Medical Examination<br />
RECRUITING CONTACT:<br />
<br />
Certification Pay (Intermediate,<br />
Advanced, Master, and Bilingual)<br />
Wylie Police Department<br />
2000 Hwy 78 <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
Wylie, TX 75098<br />
Sergeant Mark Johnson<br />
mark.johnson@wylietexas.gov<br />
972-429-8013<br />
<br />
<br />
Deferred Compensation Plan<br />
Ancillary Benefits Available (Aflac,<br />
Avesis, and More)<br />
https://www.wylietexas.gov/<br />
172 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 173