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
I was working at the county fair when I was flagged down by a concerned citizen. She stated an intoxicated male was sitting on the back of my patrol unit and gave me a description. I went into the parking area and saw a male sitting on my patrol unit.
I began speaking with the man and noticed the smell of alcohol and slurred speech. He stated he would leave and said his vehicle was not parked far. I advised him I was unable to let him leave in his vehicle and told him he would have to call someone to get him. He stated his phone was in his vehicle, so I offered him my phone. He stated he could not remember any numbers. Due to how intoxicated he was and knowing I do not remember most numbers, I allowed him to go to his vehicle with me.
While walking to his vehicle (after describing it to me), I located the vehicle from a distance. I saw someone sitting in the passenger side of the vehicle with the door open. I asked him who was sitting in his vehicle (the color was yellow and it was the only vehicle of that color in the lot), and he stated, “No one.” I assumed he was too intoxicated to see from that distance, so we walked closer.
As we got near the vehicle, I asked the subject to take a seat on the ground so I could speak with the subject who was in the vehicle. Upon approaching the vehicle, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
I got to the passenger side of the vehicle, and I’m not sure why, but the first question I asked was, “Do you have any weapons on you?” He (subject #2) didn’t say a word and just stared at me.
I asked him again, and he quickly jumped out of the vehicle and shoved his hand into his pocket. I grabbed his hand as he was trying to pull something out, and I could feel the shape of a gun. I was able to get him on the ground and cuff him. As I did so, I turned around to see the other individual (subject #1) running toward me. He was on me before I knew it.
I grabbed both his arms and saw he had a knife in one of his hands. I was able to disarm him, but the fight continued. I finally got him to the ground and called for assistance using my call sign. The fight continued for about another minute before I was able to cuff him.
My backup finally arrived, and both subjects were transported to the jail. At that point is when I remembered something. It was a really hot day, and I had decided not to wear my vest, thinking, “I’m just working the fair for four hours, and nothing ever happens at the fair.” It was a small town, and it was a small fair (you could walk around it in five minutes).
During the interviews, it was revealed the subjects planned to kill me because they “hated cops.” We were not able to locate the female subject who initiated the incident. She was involved, but they never gave any information identifying her. None of them were from the county I worked for.
Lessons Learned
- Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t, so take extra precautions to protect yourself and fellow officers.
- Never assume a part-time detail will be easy or “normal” as this can lead to deadly complacency. You are a potential target anytime you are in uniform, so regardless of the assignment, wear your vest and keep your head in the game.
- If you need routine assistance or backup, particularly with multiple subjects, don’t hesitate to ask. Just because you are working a part-time or secondary detail does not mean you can’t ask a working unit to come and assist you.
- Don’t expect a highly intoxicated subject to be fully cooperative, even if they seem cooperative in the beginning. Intoxicated subjects are unpredictable and can turn on you at any time. Maintain good officer safety positioning at all times and anticipate aggressive mood swings from them.
- This incident underscores the importance of remaining physically fit and proficient with defensive tactics. Your life could depend upon it.
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.