Police work requires a close combination of skill and instinct. Let’s think about best practices for approaching a suspicious person.
If dispatched or directed by a citizen, get enough descriptive information so you approach the right suspicious person.
DANGER: You might decide to approach the wrong person and focus in too tightly, completely missing the actions of the actual suspect.
On approach to the subject alone or with a partner, plan your bailout routes before they’re needed. Usually there is a best way to go IF you plan ahead.
DANGER: With no preplan you often put yourself in a structural corner, overpowered or out-gunned with no place to go.
Compare the subject’s stature and appearance compared to yourself and partner.What are the officer/subject factors: age, height, weight, strength, gender, observed skills, as well as clothing style, agitation or animation level.
DANGER: Assuming everyone is the same and missing real physical clues indicative of the suspect’s abilities or intentions.
Many police officers are taught to “watch the hands.” This is fine, however, you need to watch everything else as well.
DANGER: Hyper-attention to the hands alone blinds you to other things. Rather, watch the PALMS of the hands where weapons and contraband are held and activated.
When approaching the suspicious person, realize from your own personal experiences that weapons carried on the person create asymmetry of the body. It may also affect the movement and gait of a subject.
DANGER: Ignoring or rationalizing why a person limps or keeps his hands in his pockets. Know that concealing a weapon for the untrained is an awkward thing to do. Look for the signs.
Once you have begun closing distance on this person and he knows your intentions, you must be ready for his reaction. It may be that he will now choose to pull a gun rather than try to keep it balanced in his droopy waistband, confident you must know he has the a weapon.
DANGER: If drawn upon within reaching distance, you cannot out-draw the suspect. You must attack the weapon system to protect yourself. This usually consist of an application of the G.U.N. System that includes “grabbing” the weapon or hand holding the weapons, “undoing” the weapon from the hand(s) holding it, and “neutralizing” the threat by rendering the subject unconscious or, if possible, disengaging, drawing your firearm, and being ready to make a deadly force decision.
When you have a partner, be sure to approach on two very different angles.
DANGER: When you walk up together you are presenting one target consisting of two officers. Try contact/cover as a recipe for field interviews. One officer contacts or speaks the other officer flanks out and covers you.
If there is any indication of shots fired, gun play or weapon use, one of the two officers must have a firearm out and ready to activate.
DANGER: Assuming the other officer will pull her duty weapon can lead to a situation where no one does except the bad guy.
Everyone draws weapons but it turns into a non-shooting situation. Someone must go hands on and apply handcuffs.
DANGER: Control tactics especially handcuffing while holding a firearm is dangerous and could result in an unintentional discharge injuring / killing you, your partner, the subject, or an innocent bystander.
Remember that in dealing with a suspicious person having one or both of the officers behind cover reduces the chance of the subject trying to take you out – and, if s/he does draw and fire, you are better able to avoid being shot.
