In October, Lafayette, Indiana police officers engaged in a vehicle pursuit of a subject who was reported to have just committed a battery, burglary and arson. After a chase of approximately seven minutes, the subject left the roadway and got stuck, unable to flee any farther in the car. Here's what then happened in the next few seconds: … [Read more...]
Key Breaks
Key breaks are a momentary open mic typically caused by an officer bumping the transmit button on the radio getting into a car or reaching for gear. To the rest of the officers on the channel, it frequently sounds like just a burst of static. The vast majority of the time, key breaks are accidents. Before departments had the fancy radio systems that identified … [Read more...]
Israeli Bandage Instructional Video
The Israeli bandage is something every police officer should have on his or her active shooter plate carrier and in their bail out bag. It allows the officer to quickly apply a very effective pressure bandage to themselves or to a fellow officer who has been wounded. Israeli bandages are inexpensive, and even if your department does not issue them (they probably … [Read more...]
There I was, minding my own business…
Bluesheepdog has been emphasizing officer safety issues since its inception. Recently articles, videos, and stories from other sources have emphasized the dangerous job law enforcement has especially in the difficult times we live in now. Richard has posted the FBI research findings from interviews with prisoners who have felonious assaulted and killed officers. Videos have … [Read more...]
Trauma Pak with QuikClot for First Responders Review
Adventure Medical Kits’ Trauma Pak with QuikClot is a recent offering that is an important addition to the patrol car, bailout bag, or go-vest. AMK markets a line of first aid products designed for outdoor adventurers and travelers. Their first aid kits are combinations of items tailor-made for different users’ needs from outdoor sport to professional. The Trauma … [Read more...]
CIT—The Memphis Model
Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, training is a model for first-responding law enforcement officers to more effectively deal with mentally ill persons, with the goal of improving safety for the officers, mental health consumers, family, and citizens. Developed in 1988 as a partnership between the Memphis, TN Police, the Memphis Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental … [Read more...]
Are Spike Strips Killing Officers?
Stopping a fleeing suspect has always been a dangerous proposition. Criminals fleeing the police pose a very real risk to citizens and officers alike. Getting them stopped as quickly and safely as possible is the goal, though there is no "sure fire" way to accomplish it. It used to be that officers would set a roadblock, forcing the suspect to stop or crash into the … [Read more...]
Police Tactics Used Against the Police
As I was reading another officer down article the other day, it struck me that our own tactics are the very ones being used so effectively against us. When I went to SWAT school in the late 80’s, most police teams visually resembled the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (SAS). You know, black BDU’s, black balaclava hoods, black nylon load-bearing vests, black … [Read more...]
Pedestrian Stop Shooting Video
Walking backwards almost got a North Carolina deputy killed. At about 4:15 am on August 29, 2009, Guilford County (NC) Sheriff's Corporal J. Mecham made a pedestrian stop on a suspicious person later identified as Daniel Roy Smith. Unknown to Corporal Mecham, Smith was an escapee from a halfway house where he was serving time for a federal bank robbery conviction. … [Read more...]
Minimize Your Risk in an Ambush
On Saturday, May 29, 2011, there were two separate criminal ambushes on law enforcement officers with different situations and results. In San Antonio, TX, Bexar County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kenneth Vann was responding to an accidental shooting call across town. While enroute to the call, he stopped in traffic at an intersection and was fired upon by the occupant(s) of … [Read more...]