Single Officer Response
to Active Threats
What to do when YOU are the First on
Scene
We need to change our MINDSET!
The saying that when this happens “It’s a bad day
to be a cop” should not be the lens we view our
response through….
…. we should be saying “This is the day I took my
oath, trained and prepared for my entire career.”
What is an Active Shooter?
One or more subjects whom have used, are using
or are threatening to use a weapon to inflict deadly
force on others, and/or continue to do so while
having unrestricted access to additional victims.
Prior actions demonstrate intent to continuously
harm; objective appears to be mass injury or
murder.
When is using Deadly Force Justified for Law
Enforcement?
An officer acting within the scope of his employment is
justified in the use of deadly force under the following
circumstances:
> to defend himself from what is reasonably believed to
be an imminent threat of serious physical harm or
death.
> to defend another person from what is reasonably
believed to be an imminent threat of serious physical
harm or death.
Active Threat Response
1966-1999
- Patrol Officers respond by
Locating the Shooter
Containing the Suspect
Evacuating the Area
Notifying SWAT
Active Threat
Response 1999-2008
-First Arriving Officer’s form a Contact Team.
Diamond
“T” Formation
Stack
-As other officers arrive
Set up containment and Triage
ICS begins
Active Threat
Response 2008Present
-Officers are empowered to engage
the active threat upon arrival, without
waiting for more officers.
•Research has shown the failure of
four officer tactics due to delays in
arrival.
•In almost every case, when the
shooter is confronted, the killing of
innocent persons stops.
FBI Active Shooter
Manual of Guidance2009
- Stated that delayed Response (waiting for
more officers) was flawed.
- First responders were outgunned and/or
didn’t have the training to respond to an
active shooter.
- Average event last 3-4 minutes. Average
time per kill/injury is 15 seconds.
-
Average Law Enforcement Response is 5
minutes.
Does this change anything?
• The priority remains the same. Bypass wounded persons,
suspicious items, and find the threat.
• Remember, the suspect wants a body count. He is neither
looking for you nor expecting you to respond quickly.
• If you locate the suspect engage and close with him.
• Tactics are basically the same - speed, surprise and
aggressiveness all need to be there.
• The faster we can neutralize the suspect the less time he / she
will have to harm innocent persons.
• As more officers arrive, teams will form up to either search,
engage or secure the scene.
What would you want?
An Active Threat is in a building with the person I love the
most. I want Law Enforcement to:
1. Wait outside for more officers.
or
2. Enter the building and find the threat as fast as possible.
Our expectation is no different from that of the public.
If not you, then who?
Sandy Hook, Ct. December 14, 2012
20 children & 5 adults killed