Police Officers Safety Assoc Ambush Survival 1

Police Officers Safety Assoc. Ambush Survival 1

Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this material so long as the Police Officers Safety Assoc. is credited as the source 2

About POSA The Police Officers Safety Association’s primary mission is to develop, produce and distribute training programs to law enforcement professionals. All of our programs are distributed free of charge. 3

Program Organization This Power. Point presentation accompanies the video presentation of the same title. 4

Presenter The "Godfather of SWAT" Ron Mc. Carthy served as a Los Angeles Police Officer for twenty-four years. He was assigned to the Department's Tactical Unit, Metro Division, for 20 years and retired from Special Weapons and Tactics as the senior supervisor and assistant commander in 1984. Ron then served as Chief of Tactical Operations for the U. S. Department of Energy from 1984 through 1986. He was the Director of the Deadly Force Training Grants for the U. S. Department of Justice and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) from 1986 through 1988, and served as Manager of IACP's Center for Advanced Police Studies from 1987 through 1992. Since 1993, Ron Mc. Carthy has been an owner and partner of R. M. Mc. Carthy & Associates, Inc. , a Training, Consulting and Logistics Resource for Law Enforcement. 5

MIND AND MOVEMENT TO DEFEAT AN AMBUSH • Mind – Your mental state can help you or kill you • Movement – Unpredictable tactical action can defeat your enemy • Recognition Eliminates Surprise – If you can see the ambush even one second before it initiates you are on the way to defeating your enemy. Time is all about surviving. Your tactical action must happen in split seconds.

OODA LOOPS – ONE AFTER THE OTHER • • We see the signs of an ambush We recognize those signs We MOVE, and MOVE!! We decide to fight back as we Move! We shoot as we MOVE! We Move and look for more enemies We fight and shoot and we MOVE

TIME • Time is critical to Survival • If you can see it coming (1/2 to 3/4 of a second) • Now, the ambusher is surprised as you move • Now he is reacting to your “loop” – Keep it going!

IF IT DOESN’T WORK CHANGE POLICE TRAINING • Problem 1 – Most shooting positions in training are stationary • Problem 2 – “Failure Drill Training” doesn’t work. If it works the way you train, we would see it used in a significant number of OIS’s. We do not see it.

Solutions • Majority of rounds must be while moving at relevant distances = 2 feet to 30 feet from the suspect • All courses of fire from 3, 5, 7 and 10 yards must include the head after the first press and the head is still there. • With the training we do, the result is many rounds to the chest until the suspect is down. More suspects are wearing body armor.

Blunt Trauma and Body Armor Body armor is a fighting position. If your ballistic vest stops the round, the energy or impact or blunt force trauma from the round cannot knock you down. Your Mind can! SO MOVE AND SHOOT!

Officers have been ambushed and murdered while: • Picking their child up at a grade school • Seated in a coffee house • Having lunch in a pizza parlor • Responding to a cold call for service

While you are off duty. . • Look at your home and evaluate the locations outside where an attack could come from • When you exit or return home, use a different route and walk a variety of paths to and from your entry/exit point

Your Family • Do not scare your family with your “problem” • You are the target • If you live in an area outside of your jurisdiction, connect with the patrol officer(s) in the area where you live

The Problem • The police are the most visible part of government • Unemployment, dissatisfaction with government, racial discord and no shortage of violent crimes

Something Old – Something New • Sun Tzu’s concepts are still relevant – “Quick appropriate responses to changing conditions” • General George Armstrong Custer (1876) is not relevant • Colonel John Boyd, U. S. Air Force is still relevant The U. S. Marine Corps is our most respected military organization. They adopted Boyd’s concepts.

Law Enforcement Tactical Leader Captain Bob Smitson, LAPD Retired • Original SWAT Team Supervisor • Developed SWAT Tactics • Invented “Officer Survival Training” – based on the Onion Field Incident

Patterns of Conflict/Maneuver Fighting Captain Bob Smitson and Colonel John Boyd • Fluid and fast-moving tactics that create confusion and uncertainty • Implicit rather than Explicit – implied concept/flexible or fully developed to the smallest details • Explicit – NOW YOU ARE TOO LATE!

Tactics must be IMPLICIT. If they are explicit, you cannot do it fast enough. What comes first? • The officer • The ideas and techniques • Hardware/weapons (last on the list)

The “Energy Maneuverability” Concept From John Boyd / O. O. D. A Loop. • A mathematical technique that allows one to change the competitive dynamic faster than the competition. • You are alone, no close back up. You are confronted with 3 suspects who are not responding to your verbal commands.

“Asymmetric Fast Transients” • An abrupt unexpected disorienting change that causes pause or better confusion or even panic. It’s a “What the F_ _ K ! Change. • “I’ve got a radio call. You guys are free to go. Thanks for your time. ” (Break off, then re-contact)

Use of Force & Deadly Force Law - Policy - Training – Ethics The law says officers must act reasonably. The policy is your chief, your department and your community. The training is your foundation. Ethics is simple – Don’t be afraid to do the right thing.

2 Types of Ambushes! 1. Immediate Ambush 2. Sophisticated Ambush

Immediate Ambush The ambusher(s) have pre-determined and planned a violent attack on law enforcement officers. This pre planned attack is based upon two primary goals; 1. Kill cops 2. Avoid arrest through planned spontaneous violent resistance.

Sophisticated Ambush The ambushers have studied the target (officers) and know the officer (s) route of travel, locations where ambusher (s) can make a close contact and predictable escape route.

Immediate Ambush Conditions • The suspect (s) are armed, trained, have a plan. • The suspect (s) don’t know when or where the contact will take place, but they plan to attack!! • The suspect (s) intend to escape dentification so they will close and assassinate a downed officer. • One or more ambushers

Sophisticated Ambush Conditions • The officers have given the suspects a predictable pattern of travel or response to a “cold” call. • There will be multiple ambushers. • They will be heavily armed. • There is a planned avoidance and escape.

Sophisticated Ambush Plan • A well set up ambush involves: 1. Sniper – AK 47 or similar 2. Assaulters – Mac 10’s or sawed off shotgun 3. Lay off – AK 47 or similar

The Kill Zone • Is the pre-determined location that the ambushers have selected. • They can predict that the officer (s) will be in the kill zone. • The sniper, assaulters and lay off are set up on the kill zone.

The Sniper • Wants to stop and / or kill the officer’s in the kill zone. If it’s a 2 officer car the sniper will eliminate the driver first. • If the sniper misses the first round he will continue to fire as long as the “target” is in the kill zone.

The Assaulters • Are hidden on edge of kill zone. • When the sniper stops the police vehicle in the kill zone, the assaulters close rapidly and put contact shots on the officer’s bodies.

The Lay Off • Is hidden outside the kill zone on the anticipated route of officer’s effort to escape. • As officer (s) drive to the lay off location the suspect use semi or full auto to kill them.

Counter Ambush Tactic To Defeat a Sophisticated Ambush • When you are in a kill zone you will know • Worst thing is to stop • Next worst thing is to drive straight out (you’ll meet the lay off. )

Counter Ambush Tactic. To Defeat a Sophisticated Ambush • Turn immediately right or left and drive off the street through business or residential property. • Once out of the kill zone, dump the patrol car and move! • Take shoulder weapon with you and move to concealment. Evaluate and move again and again. Communicate!! • Look for signs – nothing moving when it should.

Sophisticated Ambush Sniper Kill Zone Ambushers Layoff Your clue is no activity when there should be.

Riverside Ambush No Lights A A A

Immediate Ambush Indicators Vehicle Stops 1. Suspect (s) immediately exit their vehicle and begin to close the distance to you. 2. Suspect (s) are cooperative until they or you create the location of attack. (Look for indicators – constantly observing you in mirrors. Constantly making small movements or nervous movements. )

Immediate Ambush Continues 3. Suspect will obviously pretend your not there. 4. Suspect will make “adjustments” to a weapon concealed in the waist band area. 5. Suspect will move to you, or be in the path you must take. Be ready. Look at him hard!!

Vehicle Stop 20 -25 ft. Minimum