Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss is a voluntary, non-disciplinary officer safety initiative that allows law enforcement personnel to read about and anonymously share stories of close calls or “near misses,” which provide lessons learned that can protect fellow officers in similar situations.
The following submission involves a scenario where the officer was over confident during the warrant arrest of a known subject.
Event Summary
I was on duty in my own rural (very rural) neighborhood when I saw a known subject, whom I have dealt with numerous times, who had an active warrant and suspended driver’s license.
I watched him drive home and pulled him over. He saw me and went into his house. I filled out the citation and knocked on the door. We knew each other by first name – that is how often I have dealt with him.
I asked him to step out of the home and sign the citation because I wasn’t taking him to jail for driving with a suspended license. What I didn’t tell him was that I was taking him into custody on an outstanding warrant.
He stepped outside the home and signed the citation. I handed him a copy of it, then told him that he had a warrant for his arrest and he was under arrest. As I grabbed his wrist, he pulled me into the house (he was bigger than me) and the fight was on.
The house was an A-frame cabin, and the main floor was a kitchen and living room. He kept trying to get into the kitchen and upstairs to a bedroom as his girlfriend yelled at him to stop fighting. Because of the remote location, my portable had a hard time getting out, so I was unable to advise of the fight or radio couldn’t understand what I said. I eventually got him into custody. I didn’t get hurt, but he did.
I thought that given how we were accustomed to each other (I’ve arrested him before), this would be a regular arrest. What I failed to pay attention to was the fact that when he saw me, he went inside anyway and refused to come out until I told him that I wasn’t booking him on the suspended license charge.
Lessons Learned
- Every arrest can be dangerous, and each has to be treated as such. Always have a backup officer when making an arrest, when possible.
- Never assume that because you know a person, they will not be aggressive toward you.
- When time permits, stage in a safe location, wait for backup there, and develop a sound approach and arrest plan.
How to submit your near miss
Support this critical officer safety initiative by reading and sharing the near-miss stories and lessons learned that your fellow officers have shared, and consider sharing your own near-miss experiences at LEOnearmiss.org.