My first undercover raid...

[Blue_Chameleon]

On Friday night, I had the opportunity to do my first undercover work and, which ultimately became a police/INS raid on a prostitution ring masked as a massage parlor. Because nobody was hurt, it was FUN, FUN, FUN!!! http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Now that I had time to clear my head of all the excitement, I kinda noticed a few things that bother me.

First off, I think someone one this board mentioned that no matter how well you plan or strategize a plan, it never happens the way you want it...which was true in my case. http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif It made me become a person who was extremely creative in those few seconds...haha.

My problem was that during the raid, I was to cover the Lounge area where the "Johns" were. Nobody was around except for an old guy and an old lady. I pointed my gun at the old lady cause she was closer towards me and I told her to get on the ground...she did so. As the other officers and INS agents swarmed in, I still had my gun pointed right at her even though she went on the ground. I didn't take my gun aim away from her until an officer from my department put his hand on my gun, pushed it down so that it was at "low ready" and walked past me.

The longer I think about it, the more I thought I shouldn't have pointed it at her for so long. Was I wrong in doing so or was I just reacting on FNG instinct?

[unhappycop]

I guess it comes down to what level of threat YOU perceived. I'm not having a go at you, but were you s**ting yourself? At the time the "old lady" was on the ground and compliant (and I would assume searched for weapons) was there any further threat from HER? I'm asking did this person present a likely threat to you, or do you believe you were just doing WHAT WAS EXPECTED, or what everybody else was doing?

Further to this was she (and the old man) under arrest? if so, why not handcuffed and any likliehood of imminent threat removed entirely.

I would have to say that it is a standard O/S given that the longer a firearm is drawn, the more danger IT presents. I have been involved in several shots fired (by police) incidents recently. In one of these incidents, my firearm was legitimately drawn at an offender. A significant struggle ensued and while I was being assaulted, and during this altercation I was unable to reholster (jacket caught in the s**tty safariland p/c holster), and as I fought the P, he grabbed my glock, and in the (extremely violent) struggle, an accidental discharge resulted. This stray round went through a shop window, narrowly missing 5 people. http://www.officer.com/ubb/eek.gif

I'm not happy about that incident (I got the P though http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif) but it highlights the neccesity for firearm security.

You mention another person on the search team pushed the firearm down to the cover/ready position. If this is the case, I believe you MAY have had it out too long.

The basic fundamental is DON'T POINT IT AT A PERSON UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THE POSSIBILITY OF THREAT IS SUCH THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO FIRE IT!

Once the threat level is identified and the subject is compliant, put it away. I'm NOT criticising you. I wasn't there, so I only speak generally, but from what you say I would suggest you may need to consider a level of restraint in pointing the squirter at suspects. You paint a picture of suspects who were compliant, subdued and no IMMEDIATE threat. You can always get it out again if there is any escalation of threat form a compliant suspect.

[Don]

Blue,

I can

[Blue_Chameleon]

I'm glad that you guys are helping me out by giving me some constructive critisism. At the time, I felt like everyone around me who wasn't wearing a badge was a threat. Maybe perhaps it's because I'm still new at this or because I've never done anything at such a magnitude before.

When everything happened, my mind kind of went a little chaotic because I'm running down a hallway with 3 other u/c cops, about 30 other of us were stacked comin' into the building at the same time, people yelling, prostitutes screaming, doors slamming open...you get the picture. But I noticed that my training from the Academy and from my department really, really helped - especially when entering into an unknown room configuration. I think the only thing I could have done better was the whole gunpoint incident I mentioned above. Other than that, I think I did pretty well for my first time around.

[secobra]

Blue,
I can't really add a whole lot to the other posts, but I can say that it sounds like you did a great job. You and your comrads went home uninjured and you did critique your tactics afterwards. If you walked out there and got nothing, as far as learning in concerned, then I would say you have a bad case of FNG syndrom. But since you are looking at what you did, and more imprtantly, why, then you will be on your way to better tactics. I do feel though that the perps you had should have definately been cuffed and detained pending the outcome of the investigation. Not only for officer safety, but for their own safety as well. That is just an opinion since I was not there, so don't think that I am Monday Night quarterbacking yours or anyone elses tactics.

It does bring to mind though a time when our EX-chief (yes I said ex) arrested a 71 y/o female for shoplifting. Being a nice guy he didn't cuff her after she was arrested. She proceeded to beat him to the best of her abilities. After a brief struggle and her gray hair turning red from the dye in the OC spary she was on her way to jail. All is well that ends well, accept the embarassment :O our department faced for months afterward.

Just continue to do the best you can, sounds to me like your doing a fine job.

[Blue_Chameleon]

Hmm...Maybe I should add in what happened with these two old people. When my gun was drawn, they were told to get on the ground...in which they did. At that time, there was only 2 of us that were in the lounge area. The other two u/c were watching the madam and the security guard. I didn't feel safe enough to go handcuff either the old lady or the old man while I had only one other u/c with me covering both people.

Which is why I think I continued pointing it at her direction. After the rest of the team entered in and cleared the building, some uniformed officers came into the front door and into the Lounge area. They put handcuffs on these two people as we covered for them.

So yes, they were eventually handcuffed by other officers. I didn't feel very comfortable to have just one u/c cover two people as I cuffed one of them. Just cause they're older doesn't mean they can't pose a threat to me. The two on two odds are "okay" but four on two are much better odds.

[Blue_Chameleon]

Wow!!! This is pretty neat. I just found out that this made the news.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/kron/archive/2001/02/12/ring.DTL

It feels good to be a part of something so big... http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[MSchelling]

Blue-

As for holding your gun on target for a long time, your muscles will start to fatigue. When the time comes (God forbid!) that you need those fine and gross motor skills, you don't want shaky, exhausted muscles.

Consider going to low-ready, like your back-up caused you to do, earlier. This should also help you avoid tunnel vision.

Congrats on a successful raid! I agree that the self-critique is very constructive. Keep at it!

[Rule.303]

I would echo what unhappy said as well.
In addition to say that my neck of the woods has a very low rate of firearm incidents and some officers could very well go through their entire career without ever needing to draw a gun. This is of course, not saying that we are not prepared or not willing to do so if the situation requires such action..

In my own personal thoughts, I feel that if a person has a gun pointed at them and are thinking irrationally, they may well think "$hit!! he's going to kill me", and with that thought could well be motivated to use lethal force aginst an officer in belief of what they might think is justified self defence, when they may not have done so without that threat level against them.



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Why Rule.303 ? ..... Refer to the movie, Breaker Morant