There are few experiences on this planet as satisfying as catching an offender doing bad things to good people; or even more so, stopping that bad thing from happening to a good person before it occurs.
But when you’re off duty, it’s a different story.
You don’t have your radio. You might not have a vest. There’s no squad car racing in to back you up. Yet the instinct to act — the same one that makes you effective on duty — doesn’t just disappear.
That’s why it’s critical to think about these decisions before they happen. Because once they do, there won’t be time to work through your options. There will only be time to act — or not. Here’s what you need to consider.
Gear, readiness and the people by your side
Do you carry a firearm? Do you carry OC? (If no, please do.) What are your physical capabilities? Who is with you? Spouse? Untrained friends? Children? What is your plan for them should you decide to intervene? What are your department policies and how do they apply? You must consider all of these factors beforehand.
I implore everyone who is qualified to do so to carry a firearm off duty. That said, we are much more likely to encounter a situation where empty-hand skills or a small can of OC will fit the situation much better. If some folks in the news today had a can of OC at the time of their event, you would not likely know their name. (Sentiment courtesy of Chuck Haggard.)
What are we required to do?
What are we legally required to do when we encounter a situation off duty? I think my state’s regulations are pretty consistent with most of the nation, so I’ll speak from that knowledge:
- If it’s a minor traffic violation, nothing is required, and I suggest you do exactly that, no matter your level of irritation.
- A reckless or possibly intoxicated driver warrants a 911 call, good witness testimony and probably nothing more. Pursuing, following or confronting that driver will likely not end well.
- A shoplifting in progress may require all the above and some cell phone video of the offender and the tag number couldn’t hurt if done wisely.
- What about an assault in progress? What about something more serious? The key here is to have a plan and pre-think these situations. There’s a huge discretionary gap between what is legally required of us and what we think we must do.
If you don’t know what you are required to do in your respective jurisdiction, please find out.
What should we do?
Stop and think! How serious is the situation and will your intervention improve it? There’s a time and place to intervene when off duty, but whether you act or not can have life-changing implications for you, your family and other officers. There is always the possibility that your intervention will exacerbate the situation for everyone involved.
Managing your ego
We are accustomed to arriving at a chaotic scene and taking control. It’s admittedly difficult to turn off our ego and de-escalate ourselves. I often use two perfect human examples when making this point: Greg Ellifritz and Chris Cypert. Greg is a highly accomplished retired peace officer. Chris is an equally high-accomplished retired Special Forces Group (Green Beret) veteran. They have a few relevant qualities in common:
- They’re both top-shelf instructors in the fields of firearms, self-defense and many other topics.
- They’ve both effectively and professionally used justified and necessary force many times in the course of their respective employment/deployments.
- They’re both exceptionally large fellows who could easily be mistaken for professional mixed martial arts competitors. No sane or sober person would ever challenge these men to a physical confrontation.
- And: They are also both avid proponents of avoiding conflict whenever possible. When guys like that preach avoidance, we should probably listen. There are many ways to win or lose a fight. Only one involves physicality.
Required. Willing. Must.
I write this article because I’ve intervened in several situations off duty. The outcomes varied greatly depending upon: The situation itself and its seriousness, when I became aware of it, my level of preparedness, the point in time I decided to intervene and the level to which I intervened.
Be assured, I’m not discouraging off-duty intervention outright. We all have to live with what we do or don’t do. There are some consequences worse than physical injury or prison. That said, have a plan and pre-think these things through to minimize negative outcomes. What are you required to do? What are you willing to do? What must you do?
| WATCH: Author Warren Wilson talks to retired officer Greg Ellifritz, founder of Active Response Training, about off-duty interventions. Drawing from his own experiences, including a close call with a violent shoplifting gang, Ellifritz emphasizes the risks of acting without backup, proper gear, or current information. Off-duty officers are vulnerable to misidentification and legal consequences. Ellifritz advises only intervening in extreme situations, like active shooter incidents, and stresses that often, calling 911 and being a good witness is the wisest choice.
