Sort of. I know that one I mentioned has been played over and over for me in annual "refresher training." I wish they'd also play more often the one of the gang member patiently and politely waiting in his car for the officer to walk up, then blasting at the officer's head, preferably immediately before or after the other vid, followed by a reminder that "you never know -what- the person is going to do, so always be on your toes." Getting a preconceived notion in our heads that -this- is how a violent person will act, and -that- is how a non-violent person acts is probably one of the biggest things that gets cops killed, aside from no-seatbelt traffic accidents.talltex wrote:Officers are supposed to be trained to assess risk, and it may very well be the training vids that JTS was referring too are part of the problem
Head on a swivel, actually -look- inside the car, use the driver's mirrors to see what he's doing, stand behind the door pillar if he's in the car, and make sure you have a handle on what's going on if he's out of his car. As for drivers, some cops still like you to get out of the vehicle (I see it all the time here), while some prefer you to wait there for them. Roll the window down, put the car in park, turn the dome light on (if it's nighttime), and wait to hear what he wants you to do. If he's cool with standing around outside, no problem. If he's jumpy or wants you to stay in the car, just keep your hands visible and let him know when/where you're going to be reaching (for license, insurance, etc., assuming you didn't already have them out before he walks up or calls you over.
I would put this down to either complacency, or excitement. A rule that should be pounded into cops' heads (by other cops) is that there isn't a rush; you can take 30 seconds to look the car over, call your dispatch, do a registration check, watch the driver for a little, and then when you have an idea what the driver's doing, you can get out to go talk to him or her. When the cop pulls you over, and you're waiting for a minute with that bright light in your mirror? That's what the cop's doing. Watching to see if you're going to do something. Neither cop nor driver should be in a rush."puma guy" wrote:I do have to wonder why the officer was so quick to exit his own vehicle.
Simple situational awareness can prevent or forestall a lot of shootings, from both sides. Unfortunately, not everyone has this, even law enforcement. I'm sure the other LEOs on this forum, current and prior, can tell stories on THAT. I'll keep mine to myself for a while, or at least until the guilty parties retire.