Training, vehicles, equipment, strategies — nothing is guaranteed to work.
Sometimes we get it in our head — whether they were seeds planted by a sales rep or by an enthusiastic ignoramus in the Training Division — that some “thing” is sure to work. Well, if you’ve been on the job for any amount of time, you know that is not the case.
Enter Murphy
On a frigid night in the Fall of 2007 one of the units working with me on the midnight shift responded to a home for a burglary in progress at around 3 a.m. The suspect had fled on foot and the manhunt began. The K9 was deployed and tracked to a nearby 7 Eleven where a guy matching the suspect’s description was hanging around inside the store. I responded to the store as a backup unit.
This guy was playing it real cool when we asked to talk to him and then planned to let the dog have a final sniff to confirm our suspicions. That’s when he took off running. I started running after him without considering the fact that a hair-missile would be hot on my heels as well.
Foot Pursuit
The foot pursuit went behind the 7 Eleven, through a bank parking lot, and into a wooded area bordered by a stockade fence. I thought the fence would stop him but the guy dove like he was sliding into home base and wriggled through a hole in the fence. After taking a tumble in the bank parking lot, I regained my feet and followed after him through the fence. My duty belt kept me from fitting through easily, but with a little extra effort, I was out the other side.
I started running again, emerged from the woods, and stumbled down a hill that led to a dimly lit street. I was pretty gassed at that point and sucking wind like an asthmatic old fart. Just as I felt I couldn’t go on, my saving grace came running down the road from the right — the police dog! I stopped to catch my breath and had a front row seat to the awesomeness about to unfold in front of me. I reveled at the thought of the snarling dog taking this guy down like a sorry sack of potatoes. After some chewing, I would triumphantly walk down there and slap on the cuffs.
But that’s not what happened.
Cute Dog
The dog ran right up to the guy who had now braced for impact. But the dog began hopping and prancing around in a circle like a puppy waiting for a ball to be thrown. The K9 handler was yelling, “Get ’em! Get ’em! Get him! Gettttttt himmmmmm!” and whatever German commands those guys use all mixed in until his voice went hoarse. That dog didn’t want to bite. He wanted to play.
Realizing nothing was going to happen, the bad guy started running again, now cutting through the parking lot of a small industrial park that led to a steep embankment along the river that acted as the town’s western border.
Taser Taser Taser
In horror and disbelief, I started chasing the guy again while shaking my head as I ran past the K9 and his happy, wagging tail. I gained some ground and closed the distance as the guy began to make his way down the steep embankment. I drew my Taser, aimed at his back, and pulled the trigger. Nothing. I flipped the safety off and then back on again. Still nothing. I couldn’t believe this was happening. First the dog, now my Taser!
A backup officer had also arrived and began making his way down the hill, but soon twisted his knee and was out of the chase. It felt like everything was going wrong.
Swim Time
We continued down the hill, grabbing trees for balance and stumbling all the way. He made it to the river first and started pulling his hoody off making like he was going to swim for it. I hit the water running, and with my useless Taser still in hand, clobbered him with it. We both fell into the ice-cold water along the shoreline. He immediately gave up and I was able to roll him over and handcuff him.
By the time we had walked back up the hill we had come down, my pant legs were frozen solid. I was cold, wet, winded, and miserable. And once the adrenaline petered out of my system, I felt unbearable pain in my right shoulder. I had fallen directly on it in the bank parking lot but hadn’t felt anything until it was all over. Later, I would learn that I had separated my shoulder, bruised the bone, and tore some cartilage.
If Only
Police dogs are highly trained and are great tools, but they aren’t perfect. And some dogs are better at public demos and birthday parties than they are at catching actual bad guys.
Tasers are great tools — if and when they work — despite what the sales rep tells you. (In all fairness, my battery had fallen out at some point during the chase).
Back up officers are absolutely essential, but not invincible.
100% Guaranteed
The one thing that is guaranteed in this job is that nothing is guaranteed. We must develop a mindset that expects problems and plans for contingencies so we don’t go into vapor lock when parts of our plan, or the whole dang thing, falls apart.
It’s all about mindset and preparation. Act like you cannot fail. Plan for if you do.
- Have you been let down by a piece of equipment that didn’t function as promised or an intricate strategy that came to naught?
- Did you have a contingency plan — a Plan B — already in place?
- How can you mentally prepare yourself for when things go wrong?
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