Good drills: the officer safety thread

Eru

Dj is right, pen gun was found during a search. Fair play to the lads for being so thorough, its fair to say most would have missed it. Also, the phone version has 4 shots. Theres a good bit of info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_gun

djtechnics1210

Thanks a million for posting that Karlito - very informative. i didn't know about the mobile phone one - good to be made aware that their out there.

donvito99

The phone one is fairlyy obvious to distinguish between a real one, what with the 'NOKITEL' 'n all.

the locust

Here's a document set out by the FBI apparently, its also quite informative and scary, kind of a guide to concealed weapons '03 for airport search teams.
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fbi/weapons.pdf

djtechnics1210

donvito99 wrote: »

The phone one is fairlyy obvious to distinguish between a real one, what with the 'NOKITEL' 'n all.

Oh ya i forgot it'd be fairly obvious alright at night in the dark with just the phone in their hand. How do ya see the NOKITEL then????

Eru

donvito99 wrote: »

The phone one is fairlyy obvious to distinguish between a real one, what with the 'NOKITEL' 'n all.

and you know every manufacturer and phone company in the world? I sure dont.


This is a FWP NOKITEL CDMA 2000 1X.

Its a real phone company but the phone in the pic is obsolete. BTW, its an adapted mobile phone not a fake phone.

donvito99

djtechnics1210 wrote: »

Oh ya i forgot it'd be fairly obvious alright at night in the dark with just the phone in their hand. How do ya see the NOKITEL then????

Good point, I guess the only solution really is to shoot anyone with a mobile phone.

Should have thought through that previous post, bit [EDIT very] short sighted.

deadwood

donvito99 wrote: »

Good point, I guess the only solution really is to shoot anyone with a mobile phone.

Just in cinemas. Let's not get ott here!

Eru

donvito99 wrote: »

Good point, I guess the only solution really is to shoot anyone with a mobile phone.

Should have thought through that previous post, bit [EDIT very] short sighted.

Whats your problem? Who said shoot people? DJ made a valid point concerning how to id a real phone versus a phone gun

donvito99

That was meant to be a joke, should have put in a smiley, relax.

Eru

donvito99 wrote: »

That was meant to be a joke, should have put in a smiley, relax.

Fair enough

Heckler

metman wrote: »

From time to time I come across stuff, both through work and online that might be of interest to colleagues elsewhere re officer safety issues and low and behold I've put together a thread for serving officers to post info (obviously public domain only stuff) that colleagues might appreciate.

To kick off (literally) this vid has been floating around here for a while and is being used as a reminder of how important a thorough search is (as well as how lightning quick custody sergeants can be when their tea and biccies are possibly at risk). Not sure if its crossed the water as yet.

One to bear in mind for all operational officers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOUn5qI6Ic

Great reaction times by those officers. Goes to show how good training can stand to someone. I'm not in any type of police or such but I would have thought he would have at least been "patted down" before he was brought to the station. In fairness, it was a big enough knife he had. Surely a basic search would have turned it up.

I thought the police in the UK and US always searched and asked first "is there anything in your pockets/ on your person that might stick/hurt me" ? No ?

Edit: Sorry. Can't hear the audio too well so maybe he does ask at some stage. Plus I just saw you posted the thread for serving officers. Hope you don't mind me sticking my oar in too much.

Eru

I understand that he was searched and found with a large sword already and the officer asks him if there is anything. What the guy was thinking is anyones guess but just goes to show.

metman

Heckler wrote: »

Edit: Sorry. Can't hear the audio too well so maybe he does ask at some stage. Plus I just saw you posted the thread for serving officers. Hope you don't mind me sticking my oar in too much.

Hello mate, nope this thread and forum in general is open to everyone, not just serving ES personnel.

As regards searching, its like everything else, some people do it properly, some people cut corners. Its complacency that tends to get people into the sh*t. The suspect was searched on the street but the knife was missed, either through a poor search being carried out, or through complacency; some suspects are very aware of police techniques and procedures and will move objects during a search so as to conceal them.

metman

Snagged & Dragged



Why are so many cops injured on traffic stops by fleeing cars?

Law Officer Volume 3 Issue 12
2007 Dec 1

Fight or Flight
“I cover this exact topic with my students every semester,” says Mark G. Robbins, a retired Naperville, Ill., officer and a professor at Minnesota State University. “I tell them every cop knows someone who has gotten dragged by a car as a result of reaching in to try to grab the keys out of the ignition. Yet, for some reason, just about everyone, myself included, at some point in their career reaches into the open window of a running car with the driver—usually drunk—behind the wheel and tries to grab the keys out of the ignition.”

An offender’s fight-or-flight instinct seems to play a role in many dragging incidents when a driver realizes the officer is on to something and panics. In several recent cases, officers saw drugs or other contraband in the vehicle and let the driver know the evidence had been discovered. The driver panicked and drove off, sometimes with the officer unexpectedly going along for the ride.

Part of the problem is an officer’s attitude towards fleeing suspects. Some believe the incidents happen because officers let their ego make decisions for them and take a stop-at-all-costs mentality, attempting to stop a suspect who has made up his mind to flee.

Robbins tells his students that inevitably the day will come when “some guy refuses to shut off the engine and get out of the car. As a result, they may find themselves attempting to grab the keys—I want those officers to hear my voice in their head telling them that they’re idiots.” Robbins says his intent isn’t to disrespect officers who have been killed or injured, but to drive home a point he hopes sticks in officers’ heads when they get to the street.

Deadly Force
Many dragging incidents have resulted in the use of deadly force by officers, often followed by controversy. No matter how justified, the shooting of an “unarmed” driver will certainly stir up a community.
Consider a 1996 incident in which a Pittsburgh officer was dragged almost a mile at speeds reaching 60 mph. As he was dragged with his hand slammed in a rear door, the officer shot and killed two passengers in the stolen car. The officer was severely injured, with one leg shattered and the other scraped to the bone.

The stolen car was first seen at an intersection, but when the signal turned green, the car didn’t move. The responding officer tapped the driver’s window, alerting the driver and front passenger. Seeing movement in the back seat, the officer opened the rear door. Suspicious movements in the front seat caused him to draw his pistol while ordering the men to show their hands. The officer then saw the rear passenger put crack cocaine in his mouth. The officer and passenger struggled. The officer’s wedding band lodged inside the door and the driver sped away.

As he bounced along the road, his equipment and clothes being pulled off, the officer fired up to nine shots through the rear and side windows. The shots killed the two passengers and wounded the driver. The ring finally pulled free, ripping nearly all the tissue from the officer’s finger. He rolled to the pavement. The stolen car was found abandoned with the two dead suspects and a laser-equipped .45 pistol inside.

The incident caused a firestorm of protests by citizens who alleged police officers brutally killed the two men. Pittsburg Mayor Tom Murphy commented on the incident saying, “Nobody told those three men to steal a car ... and drive almost a mile with a police officer on their car. At any one moment, they could have made a decision to stop. But they didn’t. If there are tears to be shed for these young men, it should have been shed for them years ago when they committed their first crime.”

Another incident in Cincinnati resulted in the tragic death of Officer Kevin Crayon and the young driver who dragged Crayon 800 feet down the road. Crayon, a four-year veteran of the force, approached 12-year-old Courtney Mathis after seeing the boy slip behind the driver’s seat of a Ford Taurus in a store parking lot. Crayon told a store patron that Mathis appeared to be too young to drive, so he asked the youth for a driver’s license.

Mathis ignored Crayon’s order to stop and drove away. Crayon then reached inside the car with both hands and was dragged. He managed to draw his pistol while still being dragged. Crayon shot Mathis during the struggle for control of the vehicle. Crayon was found dead in the middle of a road, his pistol lying at his side. Mathis managed to drive to his parents’ home, where he went inside and died from his gunshot wounds.

Safety Solutions
There are various opinions on the best way to establish contact with the driver on a vehicle stop. Some officers rely on one approach, but there’s no single correct way to approach a driver. Because each situation is different and calls for different tactics, patrol officers shouldn’t limit themselves to a single method of making contact. Each technique for approaching a driver has tactical advantages and shortcomings. If an officer uses the same method on every vehicle stop, proper assessments of the situations aren’t being performed.

There are three basic methods for contacting a driver: Approach the vehicle on the driver side; approach the vehicle on the passenger side; or have the driver exit the vehicle and walk to a position designated by the officer.
Virtually all dragging incidents occur at a driver-side window encounter, some after the officer failed to recognize signs of increased threat potential and the need for escalated safety precautions. Good judgment and an evaluation of the circumstances of each stop are necessary to determine the best method.

In addition, officers must formulate a plan of action that includes tactics for approaching and dealing with the driver. Determining what option to use is based on two factors: the officer’s assessment of the occupants and their behavior, and the environment of the stop location. Officers should carefully watch occupants during a stop with an assessment of their actions before decreasing their distance from the violator. Officers should exit the patrol vehicle and pause momentarily behind the door, carefully observing the occupants. That pause behind cover may provide protection from a surprise attack.

A left-side or driver-side approach to the violator’s vehicle is the most common method used by officers. It’s also the method motorists are most familiar with and the one they expect. It’s one of the predictable things we do because it’s convenient and makes communicating with a driver easy. But it’s also the most dangerous option—drivers seated behind the wheel can drive off or retrieve a weapon with a hand not easily visible to the officer. This approach also means the officer is more vulnerable to passing traffic.
Many dragging incidents stem from attempts by officers to turn off the ignition after a driver resists commands or attempts to drive away. Non-driver side approach options simply eliminate this impulse by placing the officer in a position where reaching in the car is impractical.

One of the biggest advantages of the passenger-side or right-side approach is the element of surprise. Few motorists expect a right-side approach. And because most people are right-handed, many officers find it easier to see if the driver has a weapon by approaching on the passenger side. At night, it’s not difficult to walk up on the passenger side and observe and listen to the occupants while they peer to their left awaiting the officer’s approach. This miscalculation on their part could save an officer’s life.

The passenger-side approach also provides increased cover and escape options compared to the driver-side approach.

However, there are also some disadvantages to the passenger-side approach. Communication with the driver may prove difficult if the vehicle doesn’t have power windows or if there are other front seat passengers. And tall grass, mud, snow, uneven terrain, guard rails or similar hazards may hinder the approach.

Some officers think it’s safer to walk up to a driver than to direct the driver out of the vehicle, maintaining that the driver is under control and somewhat restrained when in the car, and that the officer is less open to attack. They forget the primary tactic for felony stops is to order occupants out of the car because it’s the safer tactic. Why would driver removal be safer on high-risk stops but not on other stops? Assault can occur at any time. Requiring the driver to exit provides more reaction time from a safer position if the violator attempts an armed assault.

Why ask a driver to come back to the squad car on some stops? Violators have several advantages when an officer walks up to their vehicles:

Only a small part of a violator is visible for most of the approach;
They have cover and concealment while the officer has little;
They have access to weapons;
They have a means of driving away;
The violator may use the vehicle as a weapon;
The violator can see the officer’s location (if you use standard approach); and

The violator has a psychological advantage of knowing their vehicle and its capabilities.

Officers can require the driver to exit and come back toward the patrol car while the officer maintains cover. At night, patrol car lights can provide a distinct advantage using the driver-exit option. That edge is lost when an officer walks up to a car, allowing the lights to silhouette the approach. Takedown lights are only an advantage when the officer requires the driver to exit and walk back.

Having the driver exit the vehicle gives the officer several advantages:
It allows use of a cover position until the driver’s hands are observed and physical condition and demeanor assessed;

It keeps officers out of the danger zone around the suspect’s vehicle; and
It separates the driver from any occupants or weapons inside the car.
For this type of stop, an officer directs the driver to walk back and pass between the two cars to the sidewalk or shoulder. The officer can then join the driver in a position from which the officer can view the violator and the stopped vehicle. If the stop occurs off the roadway and a rear-end collision isn’t a possibility, the front corner of the patrol vehicle serves as a barrier between the officer and the violator.

Many officers who have faced a firearm when approaching a vehicle tend to require more drivers to exit their vehicles after such encounters. They cite the desire to see the violator’s hands before making an approach.

Conclusion
Officers should practice a hands-off strategy for maneuvering around stopped vehicles. You must resist the urge to touch or lean on a vehicle with the driver still behind the wheel. Evaluating the level of risk on a stop and choosing a driver-approach option that fits the circumstances may be the best way to prevent more officers from being snagged and dragged.

Wesley Harris has spent 30 years in law enforcement agencies in Louisiana, Georgia and Texas as a patrol officer, trainer, administrator and police chief. Harris possesses a B.S. and M.A. from Louisiana Tech University. The author of several books and many articles, Harris is a captain with the Lincoln Parish (La.) Sheriff’s Department and serves on the Criminal Justice faculty of the University of Phoenix. Contact him at roughedge57@yahoo.com .

TheNog

Some very valid points. Personally I do prefer the driver side approach with my body at a 90 degree angle to the side of the car to give as small a target as possible. I never fully face the driver until I am satisfied there is no threat. Also I prefer to keep as close to the door/window so I can look down towards the drivers door pocket. This way I can see if there anything there or if the driver's hand comes up from there with a weapon.

In all the stops I have done I have never had a hostile driver but I did find some weapons especially in the driver door or under the drivers seat.

metman

This courtesy of moderator Sgt. Dave from officer.com

1. Go Home At The End Of Your Shift-
That's the first rule of law enforcement-that you go home at the end of your shift. -Officer Jim Malone (Sean Connery)
The Untouchables (1987)

Enough said. However, I’ll give my thoughts on it. It is proven that officers intently focused on going home, with the mentality “I WILL not die here on the street” will be more apt to survive deadly encounters, and FAR more likely to survive a potentially deadly wound. Officers have survived being shot to the heart, brain, etc. You MUST adopt the mentality and motto: “They WILL NOT HURT ME-I MY GOING HOME TO MY FAMILY!”

Many officers point out picking something that means the most to you-a spouse, kids, a parent, a DOG, and focusing on that when shot, stabbed, ran over, whatever, and credit that focus toward keeping them alive. I can’t begin to tell you of the officers who have lived through bad injuries and said they just refused to die.

I read a story once by an American who joined the Rhodesian Army in the 70’s looking for action. In an encounter with a terrorist, he took SIX AK-47 ROUNDS to the legs and torso, and lived and is totally 100% recovered. Being shot does NOT, BY ANY STRETCH of the imagination, equal “dying.” Don’t give up. Be like the cab driver who was shot and SWALLOWED the bullet, and fought back, and lived. Be like SGT Roy Benavidez: http://www.mishalov.com/Benavidez.html
Remember, “small arms fire” means 7.62 RIFLE ROUNDS, not the .38 lead round nose of some crackhead, and “killed his opponent” meant “brutally beat him to death in vicious hand-to-hand combat, after being shot, stabbed, etc.”

Get mad if you have to, BUT NEVER FREAKING GIVE UP. I’m going to die on a boat, in my sleep, in the Caribbean, after retirement, and my girlfriend is going to be so upset she has to drop out of college! NOT on some dirty grease covered street!

2. Pick A Secret Mentor
Observe officers and learn from every one of them (although some you may learn what NOT to do!) Pick one that you feel is the best officer you’ve ever met, and try to model yourself after them. I say keep it secret, because it would make them feel “weird” if they knew you respected them this much, and was watching them this closely. I told one early in my career (before I figured out the “secret” part) and he actually got MAD about it!

3. Develop A “Hand Fetish”
MAKE YOURSELF watch the hands before you even look at the face. They can only hurt you with their hands. If you don’t see two empty PALMS then assume they have something in it. I can’t over emphasize this-if I have someone run from a car stop, I STILL look at his or her hands before the overall appearance for the description. If I get out at a domestic, when the people come out of the house, I’ve seen every hand there before I’ve seen their face. Many experienced officers can tell you that they’ve approached a violator’s vehicle, made the “Hi, I need to see your license please” spiel, and (maybe unconsciously) watched their hands so closely, they then drop the gaze to the OL and it’s someone they know. I have done this countless times. Develop a “hand fetish”! If you have trouble getting in this habit, watch “Surviving Edged Weapons” once, and think about that butcher knife penetrating and deflating your lung, and as you hit the barn floor, you’ve lost 50% of your strength.

4. Report Writing IS “Officer Survival”
Yes, you knew SGT Dave would hit on this one! SO many officers hate report writing, so many are backed up on calls, and so many supervisors will rush their officers to get back on the street (what THEM take a call or two???? )

We DO NOT have the support of the public we once enjoyed, although since September 11, we are getting it back slowly, but, as you know from intimate relationships, “trust” is a delicate thing.

Write your reports to an imaginary member of the public, NOT to just your supervisor. For instance, the layperson does NOT KNOW that “Hilltop Apartments” are a high crime area where an officer was almost killed a few years ago. They do NOT understand why your threw someone to the ground for taking his hands off the car repeatedly while you were patting him down-you must articulate that “in my training I have been taught that most officers are assaulted during the actual arrest procedure, and SINCE HE REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO OBEY VERBAL COMMANDS this furtive movement led me to believe he was reaching for a weapon.” I’m not encouraging you to lie-that is indeed why we have to take them down, but moist officers don’t possess the writing ability to objectively distance themselves, and then articulate these things in subjective terms. Indeed, my motto is that we don’t cover up bad police work-we are just better documenting GOOD police work!

Articulate everything you see, and know of a call to help justify your actions. In high courts (Sate and Federal) you don’t get the luxury of adding the details you left out, like you might with your Captain, or in district court. They will assume that if you as a police officer did not put it in your report, IT DID NOT HAPPEN!

Judges, lawyers, civilian review board members, insurance companies, etc. do not have the frame of knowledge and mindset that you do-you must write it to their level, but still in guidelines set forth by your agency. Everywhere I’ve worked, allowed me this latitude-you might not be as lucky

5. Wash Your Hands!
SO many officers are catching cooties from arrestees you must remember that something as mundane as washing your hands, that you haven’t been told since you were 12, it so vastly important to LE. I have bought my own gloves, my own hand sanitizer, and carried my own 50/50 mix of bleach and water for a long time. Also, by keeping this in mind, and doing it, you develop the OVERALL mindset of sanitation and safety, and reaps benefits other than just sanitized hands.

6. Wear That Geeky Traffic Vest
Almost every year, the number of cops killed in and around traffic is equal to or GREATER THAN the number of cops killed feloniously. The body armor is “high speed” and accepted as part of the job, but the traffic vest IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

Also, you must make time to put it on. If you roll up at a wreck, the victims/witnesses/gawkers/etc will CONTROL YOU if you let them. You must make yourself not get rushed by them and take the time to put your traffic vest on. You control the situation, don’t let it control you!

7. Use Officer.com!
I really don’t get any extra pay in my check as a moderator for plugging the site! I have been anal for many years about learning these little tidbits, but I have learned SO MUCH from this site. We can pick each other’s knowledge, and ALL benefit from it. Also, you can blow off stress here you can’t at the office, and stress kills MORE cops than guns, knives, cars. More on that later.

8. Have A Life Outside The Job
Man, I still recall being 20 YOA, and a rookie! I WISH the job were still that enjoyable! It is enjoyable still, but in a different way. I think I was excited for the first 3 years, straight! I mostly associated with only LEOs, and ate, breathed, slept, and SHAT policing! I would even go in and ride once or twice a week OFF DUTY!

As I’ve gotten older however, I’ve seen the need to NOT lose touch with the non-LEO world. Keep some friends outside LE-sometimes they can be very stress relieving.

Also, as I said earlier, stress kills more cops that guns. I VIVIDLY recall LT Peggy Shafer of Greensboro PD (5’11’’ blonde, SWAT team member, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, and OS instructor!) who, in a class she taught gave us hard and fast statistical data of how many cops die OTJ or within 5 years of retirement, and it was staggering. She concluded her presentation with this statement “So, you may as well draw your retirement out and buy a fishing boat now, because, statistically speaking, YOU WILL NOT LIVE to enjoy and collect it.” (Guuuuulp… ) It was a very powerful message.

She also told us her credentials as a firearms instructor, SWAT member, defensive tactics instructor, officer survival instructor, and then told us that THE most important officer survival technique we could learn was… (we were all expecting some vicious take down maneuver… )…GOLF! This was also a powerful message.

9. Trust Your Instincts
I don’t care what the courts rule-a cop does have a “sixth sense.” Use it. If you think you need to search someone over, DO IT. If you feel you are being lied to, keep pursuing it. I truly believe God looks out for police officers a little more. You might get hurt and never see it coming, but NEVER go against the “hairs on the back of your neck” when they ARE telling you something.

9. Handcuff EVERYBODY / “Search For The BB”
You WILL hear this in the academy, but you must practice it. Don’t assume a non-violent arrest for a minor offense means they have no reason to kill you and urinate on your grave after they do it. A local Wildlife officer was killed several years ago OVER A FISHING LAW CITATION.

You won’t have this problem initially, mind you. You will be more nervous than the arrestee you first several times! You will do exactly like you were taught. It’s after you get a few months or years, you start feeling like you know enough, and then you may get lax. You try to be good to them and not cuff them on a warrant, or cuff them in front (aaaaaggghhh!) Even if you see others doing this, you will ALWAYS cuff behind their back, every time, for every offense.

It’s proven that aggressive proactive officers are NOT the ones who get killed, for the most part. It’s the “Mr. Nice Guy.” A study was even done with prisoners currently in prison or on death row for killing cops. One of the questions asked was “What could the officer have done differently to prevent this?” Almost unanimously, they said “They could have controlled me better.” The evidence points to improper or no use of cuffs, improper or no searches, or a lax method of handling their aggressiveness BEFORE it was to late.

If you are not comfortable handcuffing EVERYONE the legislature, the courts, and your department says you can handcuff (which BTW is EVERY arrestee…duh… ) and not comfortable searching their crotch area, then PLEASE, find another job before you get yourself or worse ME killed.

You actually make MY job harder, because the next time they are arrested, I AM going to handcuff them behind the back, and then they whine and moan and EXPECT preferential treatment!

Search for the smallest of items-a paper clip, a hidden handcuff key, or an Exacto knife blade can lead to your DEATH. Don’t be their friend, be MY friend. Please.

10. Be Professional And Courteous, But Never Forget The Next Person Meet You May Have To Kill.
The push toward “community policing” and PR and “improved public image” had actually led to some officers not being able to use deadly force EVEN when it called for it.

I saw one video where an officer was attacked by a teenager girl with a pistol, and he drew and CONTACTED her body with his muzzle, BUT COULD NOT FIRE since it was a small girl. I have heard of scenarios where a fear of being sued led to officers that died, for lack of taking decisive action. Again, if you feel you cannot shoot anyone (elderly woman, teenager, Catholic priest turned EDP) that is posing an immediate deadly threat to you or another officer, McDonalds is hiring on a continual basis.

I admit we must be kind, courteous, and professional, but don’t lessen our ability, in the name of “image.” Enough cops die already-why should we REGRESS?

The rest of the above thread might be of interest to members from here. You can find it here.

metman

Psycho with a knife!
How would you respond?

Posted: Thursday, November 20, 2008

RICHARD NANCE
Defensive Tactics Contributor

Firearms are superior to contact distance weapons, such as knives, in that the former can typically injure or kill from a greater distance than the latter. This fact can lead to officers underestimating the danger an edged weapon presents. You might have even heard an officer say, "I'll just shoot 'em" when considering the possibility of facing an attacker armed with an edged weapon.

Unfortunately many officers fail to comprehend that within five feet (the distance where most of us are killed) a knife or other edged weapon, such as a screwdriver or box cutter is just as deadly as a firearm. If you're attacked suddenly with an edged weapon, you better have a plan to negate the initial attack and create enough time and distance to draw your handgun. Standing your ground or back peddling while attempting to draw is an ill-advised response. If you don't believe me, I suggest you watch Surviving Edged Weapons by Calibre Press, Inc.

Most edged weapon defense currently being taught to law enforcement personnel is based on traditional martial arts. Martial arts-based techniques tend to be overly complex, requiring the officer to respond with the reflexes of a ninja and the precision of a surgeon at a moment when the officer's coordination is significantly diminished due to the body's physiological response to extreme stress often referred to as the fight or flight response.

To make matters worse, many systems teach a different technique for each type of attack. While these techniques may work well in a sterile training environment against a single, telegraphed thrust, they will likely fail against a realistic attack, involving repeated slashes and or stabs.

Although there is no foolproof technique for handling an edged weapon attack, the run through described below is about as simple and gross-motor based as you can get. The run through can be used against most types of stabs and slashes and is simple enough to employ under the heart pounding stress of a real unscripted edged weapon attack.

Step 1 - Intercept weapon-bearing limb

The run through can be used against any downward, upward, or horizontal attack originating from the left side of your body. This is very important when you consider than roughly 90% of the population is right handed. (A slight modification of the run through can be applied against horizontal attacks coming from the right side of your body).

When the weapon-bearing arm is in motion, generalize where the attack is coming from and intercept the arm with the exterior of your left forearm. Against a low level attack, such as a thrust to the abdomen, you can thrust your hips back to help maintain a gap between the weapon and your body.

Keep in mind that in the event of a stab to the abdomen, (a preferred target for knife attacks) you will likely be grabbed initially. This affords the attacker better control of your body and allows him to pull you into the stab to intensify the damage inflicted. Any valid stab defense technique must be effective regardless of whether or not the attacker grabs his intended victim prior to stabbing.

Step 2 - Take the attacker's balance (Occurs almost simultaneously to Step 1)

If you were hoping to be able to actually take the edged weapon from the bad guy I'm sorry to disappoint you. Attempting to disarm the attacker would almost certainly result in you sustaining grievous injury. As such, this type of response is better left to Hollywood action heroes. Rather than trying to control the weapon, your goal should be to control the attacker by taking his balance.

If after intercepting the weapon-bearing arm, you fail to immediately off-balance the attacker, he can simply re-direct the blade to cut your arm and then unleash a ferocious combination of stabs and slashes with devastating results.

As the name implies, the run through technique involves you literally running through the attacker. This is accomplished by placing the palm of your hand under the attacker's chin to tilt his head back. Remember that where the head goes, the body follows. With his head off axis, you will be able to drive the attacker back rather easily. At the risk of stating the obvious, after intercepting the weapon-bearing arm, it's a good idea to direct the weapon away from the body.

It's important to differentiate between tilting the attacker's head back and delivering a traditional strike. Striking and retracting your arm gives the attacker an opportunity to regain his balance, which is the last thing you want. Instead of striking, imagine tilting the attacker's head back like a Pez dispenser.

Step 3 - Disengage, draw, and move

After driving the attacker backward with several powerful strides, plant your lead foot and shove off to disengage, creating enough time and distance to draw your firearm and asses the situation.

If possible, move to a position of cover and order the attacker to drop the knife and assume a prone position. If the attacker charges, consider moving off line, since even accurate handgun rounds might not immediately incapacitate an emotionally disturbed, highly motivated or chemically altered attacker. Moving off line causes the attacker to have to re-orient to you, which could be the difference between emerging from the encounter unscathed and being severely injured or killed.

The Run through drill

To practice the run through, find a training partner and arm them with an inert training knife. Put on your duty belt, holster and inoperable training gun. Both you and your partner should wear appropriate eye protection. Stand close enough so that your partner can actually reach you if he were to extend the knife. Note-any technique works when the attacker isn't close enough to cut you!

The drill begins when your partner either grabs you or attempts to slash or stab you. At first, begin by having your partner stab downward, with an ice pick grip. Execute the run through, move off-line and draw. Repeat the drill against a high horizontal slash, low horizontal slash, upward stab, and a grab initiated stab. As you become more proficient, mix up the attacks and pick up the pace.

Always have a plan B and never give up!

metman

Though aimed at armed US law enforcement, the following article is worth a read. Its a question I get asked (as I expect every other serving officer on here has been asked) all the time, by probies, wannabe recruits; do you get involved off-duty? The following article sums up my outlook, though I've gotten involved once or twice.....have a read and see what you think.

Off-Duty Officer Survival

Posted: Monday, September 29, 2008

KEVIN DAVIS
Tactical Survival Contributor

Whether you work eight, ten, or twelve hour shifts you're off-duty more than on. For a variety of reasons you should avoid becoming involved in incidents off-duty. Firearms and tactics trainer Massad Ayoob has pointed out that on duty you have: body armor, a full-size duty pistol with two spare magazines and possibly a back-up gun, access to a shotgun or patrol carbine, and a partner or the ability to call on the radio for assistance. Off-duty it is quite possibly just you and whatever off-duty firearm/ammunition you're carrying on your person. You probably have a cell phone but certainly not the quick response communication that a radio affords.

One of my mentors in the law enforcement survival training arena is retired Detroit P.D. Sgt. Evan Marshall. I always read Evan's Street Smarts columns in the magazine Combat Handguns (going back to the early 1980s). To me, Evan, who had his share of armed encounters while working as a Motor City copper, always had a way of making tactics and survival concepts simple. Evan was always armed off-duty and it paid off for him on more than one occasion. Several incidents that I remember Sgt. Marshall relating while off-duty had nothing to do with work as a police officer but were with subjects that either attempted to assault or attack him while he was in street clothes. Evan would always caution against becoming involved in off-duty encounters whenever possible. He recommended that you be the best witness and call it in for the on duty troops to handle. That advice holds true today as well but you should be as ready off-duty as on to thwart any attempt to attack you.

Mind-Set

The stressors of law enforcement are huge and oftentimes the last thing you want to do is put that off-duty gun on or stay as dialed in off shift as on but you must. When Officer Ken Hammond from the Ogden Utah Police Department was at the Trolley Station Mall treating his wife to a Valentine’s Day dinner in 2007, the last thing that he wanted to do was get involved in a gunfight. But thank God Officer Hammond had his head in survival mode on that day when miscreant Sulejman Talovic entered the mall with a shotgun and a .38 as well as a backpack full of ammo. It was only Officer Hammond's dedication to duty that lead him to investigate the sound of gunfire and to exchange shots with the gunman stopping the suspect's murderous assault.

Being off-duty means that sometimes the trouble comes to you - whether you are ready or not. Being armed as well as mentally prepared puts you at a huge advantage versus being un-armed and caught off-guard.

What to Carry

Sgt. Marshall would advise you that carrying a decent sized pistol with spare ammunition in a holster that is close to your duty mode of carry would be more tactically sound than carrying a small caliber "mouse gun" where you can't get to it. Yes, carrying a decent sized pistol means that your wardrobe is affected and carrying spare ammo is one more thing to lug around. The alternative of a five-shot revolver with no spare ammo means that if you hit with only 20% of your shots, one .38 Spl. hits your suspect (hardly a wise bet...). Quickly blast through those five shots and you're left with a short club or a bad boomerang.

Identifying Yourself

Remember that on-duty officers may be responding to a "man with a gun" call and cannot readily identify you as a good guy. For that reason, anticipate that on-duty coppers may point their pistols at you and give you orders to put your gun down and get face down on the deck. It might be advantageous to have your pistol holstered for this reason but regardless, be ready and follow commands so you don't get shot by the good guys. This is also another reason why you should not pursue when off-duty in plainclothes (or while on-duty in plainclothes - avoid or put out a "plainclothes officers in pursuit" to advise patrol officers).

Have a Plan

Talk to your family about what to expect if an armed encounter happens while you're off-duty. Work through tactics such as: moving away from you (bullets might be coming in your direction); communicating to dispatch who you are and what you're wearing (Ken Hammond's dispatcher wife had to do this); maybe come up with a code word that means trouble; get away and call help. Go over with your family or significant other that when you give instructions such as "Get down!" or "Run!" they shouldn't question you but rather respond immediately.

Transitioning from Off-Duty to On-Duty

When you say the magic words "You're under arrest," or "I'm a police officer" you go from off-duty status to on-duty and have all the same arrest powers that your state law allows while operating in or out of your jurisdiction You should consult with your agency legal advisor to find out specific limitations on out of jurisdiction off-duty enforcement actions. You also must follow agency policies on use of force, reporting and other procedures. This doesn't mean that when you get involved in a drunken brawl off-duty and are loosing you then try to arrest the other half. But if the action is such that you are clearly operating under color of law you have agency legal protection and workman's compensation coverage. Once again, I strongly recommend against off-duty enforcement activity but if trouble finds you or you must act to save another, you do have legal protection.

I've heeded Evan Marshall's advice my entire career and it has helped save my bacon on numerous occasions on duty and off and I've thanked him in person for his contributions to my survival. The lessons were important and I pass them on to you: Avoid if possible; Carry a gun because you never know; Carry enough gun; Carry spare ammo; Talk and Plan with your family about what you'll do and what they should do before it happens and pay attention to what's going on around you. On-duty or off the mission is clear - plan and train for it and then WIN it!

Officer.com

Eru

Metman,
O.com is a walter site. I wouldnt believe anything on it.

As for a knife. It depends on what equipment you have, with a vest and gloves you can take them on but if you have neither its almost impossible not to get injured unless you have other lads with you.

As for off duty,
Unless life is in immediate danger DO NOT get involved. Take a reg plate and follow up later, be a witness to the investigating officers but remember even a simple traffic stop can go bad fast when you off duty. As said above, you have no cuffs, baton, spray or whatever, no protective gear, no backup and you have no idea who or what is in that vehicle.

Add to this that you may be within yards of your own home, your own car or family and by getting involved your giving Mr Gouger a lot of personal information to be used later. This was made quite clear when one of my mates followed a car off duty. A few days later the station got a call warning that if he went near 'one of our cars' again there would be troubel. To prove it the caller had the members car reg, full name, address and his parental home.

metman

Eru, yeah I'm aware of the walter factor over at O.com. I don't bother with the forums there because of it. However some of the articles (the ones I've posted) are, imo, worthy of posting here. If such topics get colleagues thinking about officer safety, then its not a bad thing.

As regards the off-duty bit, unless its life or limb, I tend to leave it up to the on-duty massive and just ring it in.