Editor’s note: Police1 is proud to announce the launch of Decision Point, a new Bodycam Briefings series featuring Duane Wolfe, the 2025 ILEETA Trainer of the Year and one of the most respected voices in law enforcement training. A founding member of ILEETA, longtime Police1 columnist, and retired police officer and educator, Wolfe has spent more than five decades combined in policing and law enforcement education, helping officers and instructors translate research into practical, field-tested tactics.
Each episode uses real body-worn camera footage to break down the critical moments that shape an encounter, giving officers practical lessons in tactics, communication, decision-making and officer safety. As with all Bodycam Briefings content, this review is intended as a training opportunity. The purpose is not to blame or ridicule the officers involved, but to examine the decisions, actions and outcomes of the incident and identify lessons that officers can apply in the field.
When officers respond to an armed robbery in progress, they expect the unexpected. But sometimes a call unfolds in ways few officers have ever experienced or trained for.
In this incident, an officer responding to a robbery call becomes trapped inside a fleeing suspect’s vehicle, forcing him to make a series of split-second decisions under extreme pressure.
As you watch the footage, consider the key decision points throughout the encounter: What would you have done?
What happened?
On Feb. 20, 2026, Antioch officers responded to an armed robbery in progress after suspects used a vehicle to smash through the doors of a business. As officers attempted to stop one suspect from fleeing, a struggle occurred at the vehicle. The suspect drove away with an officer trapped inside, leading to a dangerous confrontation that ended with a crash, a shooting and the suspect’s arrest.
Decision point 1: Responding to an armed robbery in progress
What is your plan when responding to an armed robbery call?
High-risk responses should follow several core principles:
- Unobserved approach to observation: Get as close as possible without being seen. A key objective should be preventing a hostage situation.
- Closer is not better: Establish time, distance and cover whenever possible.
- Bring them to you: Whenever feasible, have the suspect come to your position.
- Surprise: If you gain the element of surprise, suspects have less time to plan a fight, ambush or escape.
Decision point 2: Everyone needs to stick to the plan
The first responding officer initially stopped at a good distance from the threat and had the advantage of time, distance and cover.
Critical incidents require officers to work as a team. Communicating and following a pre-planned response reduces confusion and prevents officers from operating independently with different objectives.
Decision point 3: Is blocking the suspect’s vehicle worth the risk?
By moving closer, officers give up time, distance and cover.
There is no safe place to be near a vehicle with a potentially violent driver. What advantage does moving directly up to the car provide?
Consider the open vehicle door the mouth of the beast. You can be knocked down, dragged or trapped if the driver suddenly accelerates. In this incident, the officer was effectively swallowed by the beast because he was in its jaws.
Officers should ask themselves whether there is a need to go hands-on with a suspect known to be armed, particularly when additional suspects may still be unaccounted for.
Decision point 4: When is deadly force authorized?
Once trapped inside the vehicle, the officer faced the threat of serious bodily injury or death.
Would you attempt to turn off the vehicle? Put it in park or neutral? Try another lower-force option?
The officer ultimately shot the suspect in the leg. Remember, shooting someone in the leg is still deadly force. Would another target area have stopped the threat sooner? Did the close quarters create a risk of disarmament? Have you trained to fire from a retention position?
Key lessons
- Time, distance and cover matter: When dealing with armed suspects, proper positioning is one of the most important officer safety decisions an officer can make.
- Team tactics reduce risk: High-risk calls demand coordinated responses. Officers should understand their roles before the incident unfolds.
- Vehicles are deadly weapons: Closer is not always better. Officers should carefully consider the risks associated with approaching occupied vehicles.
- Mentally rehearse rare events: Officers train most often for common situations. Mental rehearsal can help prepare you for the unexpected and improve decision-making when no perfect option exists.
Every critical incident contains a decision point. The question is: What would you do?
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