Foot pursuits are often hot topics of local news, especially when one ends as tragically as a foot chase in New Orleans earlier this summer. The Associated Press reported that Officer Andreas Gonzales, 25, was shot in the face after he pursued a suspect who bolted from the passenger side of a car during routine a traffic stop. The officer survived but will be paralyzed.
In the bestselling book, Tactics for Criminal Patrol, P1 Senior Contributor Chuck Remsberg names a number of questions officers should ask themselves before they engage in a pursuit:
1. Who is the suspect — What is their background? Have they been patted down?
2. Who are you - Are you wearing a vest? Are you physically able to pursue then potentially apprehend them if a struggle ensues?
3. What help is available — Is there back up in the area that can assist you?
4. When is the pursuit taking place — Is it night? Is there ice? Is it too hot?
5. Where is it taking place — Do you know the territory? Remember that once you lose the suspect, the chase has become a search.
P1 columnist Ralph Mroz, Training Director at the Police Officers Safety Association, said training is the key to judgment when it comes to foot pursuits.
“The obvious concern is: What happens when I catch them? That’s when all of the potentially bad things happen,” Mroz told Police1.com. “What if he ambushes me? Allows me to catch him at a time of his choosing? Takes an offensive with a weapon he chooses”
Mroz said that during a foot chase there is a chance the suspect is in better shape and knows the terrain better than you do.
An added fear if you are on his turf is running into some of his friends. Even though you are only two blocks away from your unit, you are surrounded by people who may do anything to help their friend escape. The only tools you have are what you brought with you - you may not be able to get back.
Mroz said to remember that you can always call it off after the first few steps … basically a “tactical disengagement.”
Here are a few tips from Mroz:
— As you start to run, start to think.
— Like a dog trying to catch a squirrel, cops tend to react when a suspect flees. If he is going to try to run, you are going to try to catch him.
— The only way to quickly do a rudimentary analysis of the situation is to have it trained into you.
— You aren’t prevented from thinking quickly in a high-stress pursuit situations; it just isn’t naturally engrained into you.
— And of course, the best kind of foot pursuit is the one that can be prevented. Look for nervousness in the suspect and see if they are doing a “bob and weave,” which is looking around them for an escape route.
Stay safe out there.
Related:
La. officer who was shot in the face still critical