Police officers from several agencies recently reached out to me with a concern: Some rioters appear to be studying law enforcement tactics and developing counter-tactics of their own.
That should not surprise us. Anyone who has worked a large-scale disturbance knows that tactics evolve on both sides. When one side develops an effective technique, the other eventually works to defeat it.
This reminded me of a lesson I first learned during my wrestling days and later saw repeated many times in law enforcement: Every tactic has a counter, and every counter requires another adjustment.
Before discussing some of the tactics officers should consider today, it is worth recalling a true incident from one of the riots our team handled years ago.
True story
During one riot, a protest leader who had earned an arrest stood just outside the reach of our police line, taunting officers and encouraging others in the crowd.
I formed an arrest team to take him into custody. However, the crowd had begun to recognize our arrest tactics. Whenever we pushed through the line to make an arrest, people scattered to disrupt the maneuver.
To counter this, we used one of our own pre-planned counters.
The arrest team stepped beyond the police line, each member pointing toward and looking at a parking ramp slightly behind and to the right of the suspect. As we walked forward, the suspect turned his attention toward the ramp to see what we were watching.
We then separated casually into two groups. One group walked beyond the suspect while the other slowed slightly behind him.
On a pre-arranged hand signal, both groups closed suddenly. The suspect was bracketed instantly and taken into custody without incident.
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Every tactic has a counter
That moment reinforced something I learned during my wrestling days that applies equally to law enforcement tactics.
Any technique, from defensive tactics to SWAT operations to crowd control, has a counter. Officers must be ready not only to employ tactics but also to adapt when demonstrators or rioters attempt to defeat them.
Officers must also remain flexible enough to adjust tactics as crowds change their own strategies.
When officers enter what I often call “The Great Noise,” they should be prepared for several common counter-tactics that appear during riots and large-scale disturbances.
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Challenging officers in the line
Demonstrators and rioters will often attempt to provoke officers maintaining a police line. Their intent is to use the most offensive insults possible in hopes of triggering an emotional overreaction.
The best counter to this tactic is professionalism. Remain calm, disciplined and hold your position in the line.
However, if verbal taunts escalate into criminal acts or physical aggression, those actions should be addressed immediately. Unchecked violence encourages others in the crowd to follow.
When a suspect comes within reach, officers can employ several tactics.
The power pivot and sweep: When a suspect moves toward the line aggressively, take hold of the individual and pivot suddenly to the rear using your reaction foot as the pivot point.
At the same time, sweep your strong foot backward like an opening gate, pulling the suspect behind the line and using the suspect’s momentum against them.
Alert the arrest officers positioned behind the line that you are the arresting officer and advise them of the charges.
The swoop: Once the suspect is pulled through the line, they will often land in an ideal position for what our team called the “two-officer swoop.”
Two arrest officers immediately place the suspect into double rear compliance, handcuff the individual and move them to the transport vehicle.
The reverse power pivot: After the sweep, the officer pivots back into the line, effectively closing the gate.
When executed quickly and efficiently, the maneuver gives the crowd the impression that the police line has simply swallowed the offender.
Our team found these sweeps and swoops created significant respect for the police line when performed decisively. However, officers must be careful not to overload their arrest teams.
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Countering tear gas canister throw-backs
When officers deploy tear gas canisters, rioters sometimes attempt to defeat the tactic by wearing gas masks and using gloves or oven mitts to throw the canisters back toward the police line.
Officers should be prepared for this counter-tactic and respond quickly.
Watch for gas masks: Monitor the crowd for individuals wearing gas masks. These individuals often anticipate violence and may initiate aggressive actions. When appropriate, arrest these individuals and seize the mask as evidence of intent.
Kick-backs: If rioters throw canisters back toward officers, do not pick them up. Instead, kick the canisters back toward the crowd and away from the police line while placing them out of the rioters’ reach.
Toss prevention: Chemical agent delivery systems can prevent canisters from being thrown back.
Impact munitions: Impact munitions aimed at appropriate body targets can deter individuals preparing to throw dangerous objects at officers. These munitions can also mark suspects for later identification and arrest.
Arrest teams: Arrest teams can move beyond the line and appear to be targeting another individual before bracketing the intended suspect and making the arrest, as described in the earlier true story.
High-profile follow-up: Post-event investigations should identify individuals who threw objects at officers using available video footage. Agencies should pursue arrests and publicize those arrests through the media as a deterrent to future violence.
Countering attempts to defeat crossbow tactics
The “crossbow” maneuver, developed by the Los Angeles Police Department, allows a team of officers to move through the police line to make arrests, rescue individuals or reposition people within a crowd.
In some disturbances, rioters attempt to defeat this tactic by either fleeing the area or attempting to surround the officers performing the maneuver.
Decide pursuit parameters in advance: Before moving into a crowd to make an arrest, supervisors should determine whether the offense justifies pursuing a fleeing suspect and how long that pursuit should continue. In some cases, the offense may be serious enough that pursuit must continue until the suspect is captured.
When to allow suspects to flee: Because the overall objective is crowd dispersal, suspects fleeing the scene may encourage others to disperse as well. Many fleeing suspects can later be identified through video footage or targeted for arrest later during the event. However, officers must avoid situations where a lone officer pursues a suspect into a crowd and becomes isolated or surrounded.
Batons: Batons remain an essential crowd-control tool, and officers must be well trained in their lawful use. A proper presentation of the baton alone can often encourage cooperation without the need for strikes.
Diamond and wedge formations: If a crowd attempts to encircle officers conducting a crossbow maneuver, officers should adopt an “on guard” baton position and form into either a diamond or wedge formation to move safely back to the police line. These formations must remain tight, with no gaps, as the team moves through the crowd. See below.
Countering crowds that run and regroup
Some crowds scatter when confronted by police but regroup later in other locations to continue vandalism, looting or arson.
The column: If rioters regroup nearby, officers can form a column to move quickly on foot, reform the line and continue pushing the crowd. Once the crowd begins moving, it is often effective to keep them moving.
The field force: If the crowd reforms farther away, Miami Field Force tactics may be appropriate. Deploy field force units to multiple locations, dismount and repeatedly disperse the crowd until it is fully broken up.
Countering passive resistance
Another tactic protesters sometimes use during arrests is to go limp and scream loudly. The goal is to make the police response appear excessive and provoke an overreaction.
Remain calm and methodical: If a suspect offers only passive resistance, officers should remain calm and professional. Slowly apply handcuffs and use pre-practiced team lift techniques to remove the individual from the scene.
Transition if resistance escalates: If passive resistance turns into active resistance, officers may transition to control holds, pain compliance techniques or approved tools when justified.
Training discussion points
When preparing officers for crowd-control operations, consider discussing the following with your team:
- How should officers maintain discipline when demonstrators attempt to provoke emotional reactions?
- What indicators suggest that individuals in the crowd may be preparing for violence?
- What safeguards should be in place before deploying arrest teams beyond the police line?
- Under what circumstances should officers pursue a fleeing suspect and when might dispersal be the better objective?
- How should officers respond when protesters employ passive resistance tactics such as going limp during arrest?
Conclusion
Elite teams train constantly because they know their opponents are also preparing.
Agencies should incorporate realistic riot scenarios into regular training and study video from real disturbances to identify emerging tactics used by rioters.
Preparation allows officers to adapt when tactics fail and conditions change.
As Sun Tzu wrote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
For officers entering the chaos of a riot, preparation is the difference between the situations controlling your team, and your team controlling the situation.
Prepare.
