Category Archives: Officer Safety
Video of the Shoot Out at a Miami-Dade Narcotics Raid
Chilling video of an ambush at a Miami-Dade Police drug raid last July was released Thursday. Thankfully, the officers prevailed. Suspect Gerardo Delgado died. Det. John Saavedra was shot three times, below his ballistic vest, but survived. Eighty pounds of … Continue reading
Keep Your Heads Down
The manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers is underway. An MIT officer is dead and an MBTA officer was seriously wounded. This is one of several all out manhunts that have occurred already this year. The Boston bombers had thrown … Continue reading
Selecting FTOs
I am an FTO sergeant on my squad. Today was the selection process for new field training officers. A letter of intent, resume, supervisors’ recommendations, and performance evaluations were previously submitted by the candidates. Interviews were then conducted by a … Continue reading
Surviving to Twenty-Five Part Two
In the first part of Surviving to Twenty-Five, I yapped a bit about safety and diet and exercise. Another part of long-term officer survival is in the work arena. Over the years, I have collected a few tips for getting … Continue reading
Surviving to Twenty-Five
Several months ago, I crested the 25-year mark as a sworn police officer. More recently, I turned 50. I had some thoughts about surviving a law enforcement career for a quarter of a century that I would like to share. … Continue reading
OIS
I was the supervisor on scene when a gunfight broke out between the suspect and an officer at a wanted subject call two nights ago. All the officers reacted appropriately and the incident eventually came to a successful conclusion. I … Continue reading
What You Don’t Know…
The weather was beautiful, so my wife and I took a walk to get out of the house. Along the journey, we headed down the sidewalk near a set of waterfront condos. There was a sheriff’s office cruiser parked parallel … Continue reading
Armored Mobility Inc. Rapid Response Carrier and SAPI3 Plate Review
My agency responded to an active shooter in the workplace last week. Shots were fired. Hundreds of workers, fearing the worst, hid in their offices. There were gunfire injuries to a civilian. Our PD response was swift and decisive. The … Continue reading
Stay Safe
One of my guys was seriously injured and almost murdered and a second narrowly escaped with his life during an incident last night. Today was a long day as the investigation continued. I have been to the funerals of officers … Continue reading
Easy on the Less Lethal…
I just got back from an armed barricaded suspect call. Why do they always come out right at the end of shift? I was a little taken aback when I saw that the three officers at the door to the … Continue reading
Emergency Medical Conditions and the Law Enforcement Response
We had two officers injured in a fight this week with a person refusing medical treatment at a local hospital. The situation highlighted what can be a gray area for the police officer, which is the question of when to … Continue reading
Suspect Drowns Detective’s Recorder
The Lakeland Ledger reports that suspect Patrick Townsend was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for possession of 32.4 grams of methamphetamine. The drugs were found in Townsend’s boxer shorts following a traffic stop. Townsend bragged to a detective, … Continue reading