By Rob Lampkin
The killer should have been executed more than twenty years ago. He had kidnapped, raped, then murdered an innocent six-year-old child when he was just nineteen. Instead, Dale Eugene Bragg was convicted of this brutal crime in a West Virginia court and allowed to live.
During his 20 years of incarceration, Bragg had escaped prison a total of three times. One time, he and another inmate doused a prison guard with gasoline, then set him on fire.
After his third escape, he eluded authorities for three months. While on the run, he burglarized a residence and stole a .357 revolver, then made his way to Hayward, California.
The Incident
Late one evening on November 13, 1995, Bragg broke into the home of a Hayward family. The house backed up to an abandoned golf course. The course was filled with areas of thick brush. A dense blanket of fog hugged the ground, and visibility was poor. The golf course was a haven for homeless transients.
Bragg was burglarizing the home when he startled one of the resident’s. A hysterical call for help was made to the Hayward Police dispatch center, and I was sent to the scene to investigate. Upon my arrival I was told that Bragg had fled into the golf course. The hysterical informant could provide no description of the intruder.
I began a search for the suspect with another officer, Tony Fonseca. Because the area to be searched was so large, we were eventually joined by K9 Officer Ron Ortiz.
At one point during the search, Ortiz advised me that Zaro, his dog, had picked up on a fresh scent. I had accompanied Ortiz and Zaro on numerous searches where the suspects were apprehended. I knew that we had to be closing in on the burglar.
As Ortiz and I followed the trail that Zaro had picked up, Fonseca was positioned so that the suspect could not double back on us. The trail led us to a hobo camp, which was situated in a clump of trees and heavy brush. Bragg was lying in the brush, inconspicuously ignoring us, or feigning sleep.
I directed my flashlight on Bragg while Ortiz ordered him to walk toward us with his hands up. My flashlight was the only source of illumination in the area.
We were not certain if we had actually encountered the suspect or one of the many homeless transients in the area. This precluded us from using the dog in the arrest at this point.
Bragg was not complying, and I had become impatient. I told Ortiz that I would go get Bragg. Ortiz stopped me, and again called out to Bragg.
Bragg rolled towards us as if he were awakening. Suddenly, and without warning, I heard a band and saw a muzzle flash. I felt an impact on the left side of my body, and I knew that I had been shot. I stumbled backwards, and my flashlight flew from my hands. The area became completely dark. I never saw the gun.
I remembered being told in an officer survival course put on by Caliber Press, that in a shooting situation if I realized that I had been shot then I was OK because my mind was still functioning.
I knew that my wound was not life-threatening so I refocused my attention toward the suspect. I returned fire where I had seen the muzzle flash. I then sought cover in a dry creek-bed while trying to get a visual on Bragg.
Immediately after the gunshot, Ortiz sent Zaro forward. Zaro locked onto an unseen transient that was hiding in the camp. Ortiz and I initially thought that Zaro had gotten Bragg. During the confusion, Bragg escaped using the darkness and brush to his advantage.
Bragg was eventually captured on the golf course hours after the incident, and after the sun came up. The manhunt included several police agencies as well as air support.
When captured, Bragg still had the .357 in his possession. The weapon was loaded and ready to use.
Bragg subsequently died in jail awaiting trial for attempted murder.
Lessons Reinforced
The most important thing after surviving such an event is to learn from it. Determine what was effective, and what could have been done better.
Mind-Set
Complacency kills! My mind-set during the incident was that I was merely pursuing a burglary suspect, who was likely a local transient. Would I have acted more carefully if I had known that I was pursing a convicted child murderer and prison escapee? Absolutely.
When Ortiz told me not to go forward to get Bragg, he probably saved my life. Had I walked up to Bragg, it would have given him a better shot at me. I would not even consider approaching a suspect with Bragg’s background without first proning him out.
The fact is, I should have treated a potential transient in the same manner that I would have approached someone with Bragg’s background. Every suspect has the potential to harm, and you should approach every tactical situation with this in mind.
Tactics
During a preliminary hearing, it became obvious that Bragg was contending that he had not tried to murder me, but instead was shooting at my flashlight. This brings up the point of “light discipline”.
As a former Paratrooper in the U.S. Army, “light and noise discipline” was constantly preached during tactical maneuvers. Soldiers are taught not to use lights unless necessary, and to use their God-given night vision. But in extreme darkness, it may sometimes be necessary to use a flashlight.
In an ambush situation such as this, Bragg had the advantage. My steady light on Bragg provided him with a target, or aiming point.
Instead of a steady light, a “shine and move” technique could have been used. This involves lighting up a target momentarily, then changing your position. This prevents a subject from pinning down your exact location.
Noise discipline is also an important factor. After the incident, Bragg was interviewed by detectives. Bragg disclosed, off the record, that he could hear the radio transmissions coming from the portable radio of a perimeter unit. Bragg said that he had even heard that I had survived the shooting, and was in the hospital.
If Bragg heard this, then he had information on the search, as well as the tactical plan.
Radio volume, keys, or even change in your pocket all produce noise that can give a suspect an advantage, and allows him to pin down your position. Items such as these need to be considered during tactical situations.
Equipment
Proper equipment is crucial for officer survival. During this incident, I mentioned that I had lost my flashlight after being shot. This precluded me from illuminating the direction where Bragg had fled.
Since the incident, I now carry two flashlights when I leave my patrol car. An additional light creates little inconvenience. “Stinger” or “Sure Fire” lights are compact, and provide as much illumination as a larger flashlight. I carry a “Stinger” on my belt, and use it as a back-up light.
After this shooting, I am now more convinced and confident in the effectiveness of bullet-resistance vests. My vest more than likely saved me from a serious injury or even death.
I was struck by a .357 bullet in the upper chest area. The vest stopped and destroyed the bullet. Material from the vest broke through the surface of my skin and muscle. I had a golf ball-size wound, and bruised ribs. The wound took approximately two months to heal. I am scarred, but suffered no serious permanent injury as a result. Imagine the effect that the bullet would have had if I had not been wearing a vest!
I am fortunate that I work for a department that provides vests and makes it mandatory to wear them. Even if I had to purchase my own vest, I would do so. My life is worth the $600.00 that it costs to purchase a good vest. The current vests offered are lightweight, and provide little discomfort even in hot or humid weather.
Summary
I am sure that proper mind-set, tactics, and discipline are constantly reinforced in training and safety courses. Even so, sometimes we become complacent and too comfortable in our working environment. We must never become too relaxed. If we do, a hero may fall.