Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss is a voluntary, non-disciplinary officer safety initiative that allows law enforcement personnel to read about and anonymously share stories of close calls or “near misses,” which provide lessons learned that can protect fellow officers in similar situations.
Event Summary
The night was chilly, maybe the high 20s. I had been on shift for about three hours at the time of the incident. My eight-officer patrol team was manned by newer officers with a high drive. Officer safety was more of an idea we knew existed somewhere else.
One of our officers came over the radio stating he was out with a known subject and requested dispatch confirm the subject had a warrant for violating a restraining order. Dispatch confirmed the warrant and the officer acknowledged.
A few other units and I started toward the officer’s location. The suspect usually fought or ran, and this night was no exception. The suspect took off running through downtown toward a residential neighborhood that bordered the shops and bars. I got ahead of the foot pursuit in my vehicle and got out of my car anticipating the suspect’s movements. Radio traffic diminished as the pursuit slowed and stopped. The suspect went to ground somewhere about a block to my east.
We formed a good perimeter and began searching the area. The suspect appeared on the sidewalk to my west, moving slowly. I was in the dark, so I knew he didn’t see me. I crept toward him before he glanced in my direction. I blinded him with my flashlight and made all lawful announcements. The suspect took off running.
I gave my position over the radio and took off after him. About five blocks worth of sprints later, the suspect went into an alley between two apartment buildings. I slowed my run and gave radio traffic to set up a perimeter.
The roaring of engines confirmed officers were in the right position. I pied the corner with my firearm in hand and slowly moved into the alley without a second officer. The alley came to a small side yard, which was fenced in completely with seven-foot wood planks. Except for the entrance where I came in, the yard appeared to be a dead end.
I lit up the side yard with my light and saw two small ground-mounted air conditioning units in front of me. The narrow entrance opened to the right. A small shed occupied the open space to my right. I cleared the open shed, then noticed broken fence boards just past it on the right side of the yard. I walked over to the broken boards and shined my light down the alley that was visible through the opening in the boards. I radioed the updates. The suspect was a lot skinnier than me, and my tactical girth along with my gear would never allow me through the fence opening.
I heard the perimeter units adjust in accordance with my radio traffic. I stopped and listened to myself breathe. Large clouds of condensed breath billowed from my burning lungs. Something was not right. I held my breath for a moment, but the sound of breathing continued. My heart sank and my stomach tightened.
I whirled around and saw a plume of condensed breath rise from behind one of the small air conditioning units. I fumbled with my flashlight and lit the suspect’s crouched figure. He was curled up about four feet behind me with his hands clasped together, praying I would not find him. I yelled for the suspect to get on the ground, and he complied. At that moment, a corporal came sprinting in to cuff him.
About a month after this incident, the suspect used a machete to nearly severe another man’s arm.
Lessons Learned
- An NTOA instructor said it best: “You can race to your death.” Once the suspect stopped running, I reasonably believed he went to ground in the side yard. I should have slowed down and asked for another unit prior to entering the alley. Searching with two officers is exponentially safer and should be done whenever possible. If a K-9 or other resources are available, use them. With the perimeter set, time is on your side.
- Once I started my search, I got tunnel vision when I spotted an avenue of escape. I should have completed my search of the immediate area first.
- Remember to exercise light discipline. Use your flashlight to locate safe points of cover, and turn your light off when moving to that cover. Once in cover, stop for a few seconds to observe your surroundings.
- When searching for a suspect, look for visual clues such as tracks, disturbed foliage, open doors, or in this case, condensed breath. Use all of your senses, and if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
- Physical fitness played a huge role in this incident. After five blocks of sprinting, I was extremely gassed. Had the suspect wanted to fight, I would have been fighting while already out of breath and fatigued. Don’t slack on your physical fitness.
- The suspect later proved he was very capable of violence, so this incident in the alley could have turned out much differently if he had chosen to be violent toward me.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR NEAR MISS
Support this critical officer safety initiative by reading and sharing the near-miss stories and lessons learned that your fellow officers have shared, and consider sharing your own near-miss experiences at LEOnearmiss.org.