Understanding the Objectively Reasonable Standard

Police supervisors and training officers are clearly vested with the solemn duty to protect the safety of the men and women entrusted to their care. Sadly, the law enforcement profession suffers painful losses each year, some of which seem unavoidable given the inherent risks of police work. As a supervisor or trainer, we often focus on safe driving, sound tactics, physical conditioning, mental preparedness and a wide variety of other job skills that are known to either contribute to or detract from officer safety. We teach, we train and we practice safety. We continuously enforce safety by means of instruction, demonstration, application, commendation and even discipline. If you’re reading this, then you most likely accept this mantel of responsibility placed on you by your co-workers, department and profession. Continue reading

Great article…right, wrong or reasonable what's the standard?  And How to train to it! ~Fred

Killer of 2 Ark. officers had anti-government links

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Ohio man's resentment of authority and run-ins with the law was enough for a local sheriff to warn that he could be dangerous if confronted by law enforcement. Years later, the sheriff appears right: The man and his teenage son are suspected of fatally shooting two Arkansas police officers during a traffic stop before they died in a shootout.

Jerry Kane Jr., 45, of Forest, Ohio, and his son Joseph Kane, believed to be 16, were killed during an exchange of gunfire with officers in a Wall-Mart parking lot, Arkansas State Police said Friday. Continue reading

Another example of extremism and the changing times??? ~Fred

Harnessing The Street Cops Wisdom: Taking Whole of Conflict...And Effective Full Spectrum Responses

By Fred Leland

“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in the days to come.” ~Proverbs 19:20

Over the past two weeks there was a great discussion by experienced law enforcement professionals taking place on active shootings. The discussion hit a vast array of factors surrounding active shooting situations such as does the title we give the topic “ACTIVE SHOOTER” cause confusion in the ranks of responders and how we respond? What tactics should we be using 4 man, 3 man, 2 man and even 1 man entry techniques? What if we have multiple subjects or multiple targets, then what? Do we respond differently based on our adversaries ability and if so how? Does the size of your department matter, if your from a small town or a large metropolitan area, do tactics change? All great questions and responses in a back and forth dialog to help reshape our thinking in an age where threats are evolving at a faster rate than in the past.

In the discussion I noted a healthy sense of searching for the right answer as to how to handle, but at the same time I sensed an unhealthy search for one way of doing it. This search for a tactical procedure that fits every type of possible scenario surrounding ongoing deadly action is a obstacle to effective responses to dynamic encounters. This all got me to thinking about the policy and procedure, checklist driven world of law enforcement and how this linear, canned response approach is part of the problem in delivering an effective full spectrum response to the vast array of problems and adversaries we face today.   continue reading