Without realizing it, armed suspects often exhibit behavioral indicators that they’re carrying a concealed weapon. Ten tattletale “tells” were itemized at the latest ILEETA conference by Ofcr. Greg Lee — a firearms and use-of-force instructor with the Metropolitan Nashville (Tenn.) Police Department — then elaborated on in a recent Police1 interview. If you’re familiar with these tics, you’ll be better able to detect a potentially dangerous adversary before making an approach.
Many of these characteristics apply to suspects carrying drugs or other contraband, as well as guns, Lee says. “This list, based on training tips from ATF, makes an excellent roll call reminder — and on the street could make a life-or-death difference. Heightened awareness is an important component of survival.”
Also, be sure you don’t succumb to any of these revealing cues when you’re out of uniform and want to keep your armed status discreet.
1. Clothing Hitch
Suspects tend to carry concealed firearms in their waistband or pocket near the front of their body, sans holster, for easy access with their dominant hand, Lee says. The weight of a gun may cause it to shift position when they’re sitting or walking, particularly in the loose clothing today’s young suspects favor.
“When they stand up or move around, you may see them adjust or pull up their pants to make sure the weapon hasn’t slipped down or is about to fall out,” Lee says. “They may push their forearms against their waist and lift up to ‘set’ their clothing. We call it ‘hitching up their drawers.’ ”
The absence of a holster is likely more a calculated tactic than mere cheapness, Lee says. “If they’re about to be stopped or arrested by police, they may want to toss the gun, but if they’re left with an empty holster on their belt it’s hard to deny they were armed.”
2. Unusual Clothing
A giant jersey that hangs down to a suspect’s knees could be part of a “loose look” fashion statement—or it could have been chosen to better conceal a firearm. Likewise an untucked shirt that’s buttoned only at the top may be “cool,” or it may better hide a gun and facilitate a fast draw.
In cold weather when most people have their coats zippered tight, watch for jackets left open for easier weapon access—“a big ‘tell,’ ” Lee says. “Armed suspects may also wear a glove on the left hand but no glove on the right. And even in extremely warm weather, some favor heavy, bulky clothing to better conceal a gun.”
Small guns are often carried in hoodies or inside Crown Royal bottle bags, he adds.
3. Security Checks
“Just as you may reassuringly touch your wallet when you’re in a crowd, suspects with a hidden gun tend to frequently perform ‘security checks’ to be sure the weapon’s still there—touching it through their clothing with their elbow, forearm, or hand,” Lee says.
“They constantly want to know where the gun is, especially if they’re doing their business, like a drug trade.”
4. Pinning
Often, Lee says, suspects will pin a firearm in place with an arm or hand, to better conceal it, to keep it from shifting, or to quicken a draw. He cites one such case that nearly cost an officer his life.
During a vehicle stop, the officer made contact with a subject dressed in oversized shirt and shorts who, it was eventually determined, had broken out of prison in another state. After some initial questioning, the officer sent the subject back to the car to retrieve some documents.
A review of the officer’s dash-cam tape later revealed what Lee considers a significant indicator that the suspect had hidden a gun under his shirt before he walked back toward the officer.
“He had his hands raised to signify compliance,” Lee explains. “But his left hand was noticeably higher than his right. His right elbow was pinned against his side. As it turned out, he was holding the concealed gun in place there. When he got close, he whipped the gun out and shot the officer five times.”
Luckily, the officer lived, though permanently damaged. But had he recognized the danger cue, he might have forestalled the attack, Lee believes.
5. Unnatural Gait
Lee recommends that you study how people normally move and walk. “There’s generally a fluidity in the way they move when they’re not carrying a concealed weapon. Their gait is not impeded. They’re not worrying about something coming loose or shifting.”
In contrast, a suspect carrying a gun in his pocket may keep one hand in that pocket so only the other arm swings freely as he walks. Or a gangbanger with a shotgun hanging down inside a pants leg probably won’t have a natural, balanced stride.
“When you’re familiar with what’s normal, what’s different stands out more,” Lee says.
6. Environmental Attention
“Most people when they’re out and about are self-absorbed, but people concerned about the police are constantly looking around, paying an unusual amount of attention to what’s going on around them,” Lee says. “This can be a big cue.
“If they’re carrying a gun, they’re nervous about it. They want to know who’s noticing them, because they really hoping they’re inconspicuous.”
7. Give-away Glance
“When you’re talking to a suspect, your attention most of the time needs to be focused more on what he’s doing than on what he’s saying,” Lee says. “You can expect he’s going to lie to you. It’s his body language that will yield the cues you’re after.
“If you ask a suspect if he’s carrying dope, a lot of times he’ll look right at where it’s hidden, wanting to reassure himself that it’s still concealed. You’ll often find the same reaction with firearms, a give-away glance. It’s like an instinct—done before he realizes it. But you have to be watching for it.”
In the shooting described earlier, Lee says the assailant was looking down at the spot where he had his gun pinned as he approached the victim officer.
8. Blading
When you’re initially approaching someone who has something he doesn’t want you to detect, a give-away glance is often combined with another telling cue: the suspect turns to keep his gun side away from you.
Or, Lee says, “he’ll try to move behind another person, to deflect your attention to someone else.”
9. Outlining
It’s easiest to see suspicious bulges in snug clothing, of course, but spotting a weapon imprint when a suspect is dressed in loose or bulky garb is still possible if you’re alert, Lee says.
“Watch especially when a subject twists or stretches. That movement tends to pull clothing tighter across the weapon and you may be able to see an outline of it.”
10. Drug / Money Proximity
Finally, Lee says, “any time you find drugs or money, guns are likely to be close by. Someone’s going to be packing to protect themselves, their contraband, or their proceeds.
“If you’re surveilling before making a bust, you may see one of the players lift up a shirt to flash a gun butt at whoever he’s dealing with.”
As a firearms instructor for nearly three decades, Lee finds himself frustrated by officers who overestimate their ability to stay safe in close proximity to suspects with a hidden gun.
“You can be within 4 feet of a suspect and they’ll still outdraw you with a concealed weapon,” he declares. “Wherever they carry their concealed weapon, they spend a lot of time practicing drawing. Before you can draw or advance and grab them, they’ll be slinging shots.”
To reinforce this reality, Lee likes to take officers to the gym immediately after a classroom review of concealment cues and run them through Airsoft drills. “They play both roles, officer and suspect,” Lee explains. “They see how amazingly easy it is for a suspect to draw and fire before an officer can react to stop it. This makes believers out of them.”
And what they end up believing in, he says, are fundamentals like observing before approaching, utilizing cover, calling for backup, employing the contact/cover tactic, moving and drawing simultaneously in instant response to a threat, or disengaging when the odds are against you—survival basics that can never be practiced too often or too intensely.
