Trending Topics

Video of violent Vegas traffic stop: Can you spot the warning signs?

Some positions and movements are better than others but you can’t depend solely on positioning to save your life on a traffic stop

We all know that traffic stops are like a box of chocolates (“you never know what you’re going to get”) but we should also always bear in mind that the box of chocolates in question may contain one or more morsels laced with arsenic — that any given stop can turn deadly in an instant.

Last week, Las Vegas Metro Police Department released on-officer camera footage of a traffic stop for a broken taillight that turn suddenly violent after the agitated driver pulled a Ruger 9mm and fired at officers. One officer who had just arrived as backup to the stop was struck and wounded.

Naturally, when we viewed the video, we all knew a shooting was coming — that fact was made clear when the agency released the footage — but officers on the scene did not have that advanced knowledge.

However, the assailant offered two verbal queues that a violent confrontation was a probable outcome of the stop. Watch the clip and see if you pick up on it.

Two Telltale Sentences
“I’m not going to f***ing jail...”

That sentence — or variants on the theme — instantly puts officers on heightened alert that the subject would rather die than live in custody.

“I’m gonna shoot myself...”

That sentence — or variants on the theme — informs officers that the subject is suicidal, and maybe even hopeful for suicide by cop.

When-Then Thinking
On every traffic stop, remind yourself of your when-then thinking. When that guy pulls a gun, I’m going to do ___________. Formulate your plan of action based on the specifics of that circumstance, remembering that the box of chocolates has a wide variety of flavors. What are the weather conditions? Where did you make the stop? What side will you approach, and why?

One more reminder from this stop is a lesson learned from research by Force Science Institute on traffic stops. 93 LEOs of various ranks, ages, and years of service from police and sheriff’s agencies in the Pacific Northwest participated one at a time in the same scenario: each officer — with sidearm holstered — approached a 2004 Ford Taurus that had been stopped for speeding 10 mph over the posted limit. The first two times, the subject was argumentative, and the third time the white male driver opened fire.

Dr. Bill Lewinski — FSI’s executive director and the principal researcher who led the study — said, “Some positions and movements are better than others but you can’t depend solely on positioning to save your life on a traffic stop.”

Lewinski added, “If you decide to approach a vehicle you’ve pulled over, probably the most important elements for your safety will be your ability to control the suspect’s hands as soon as possible after beginning your approach and to verbally and psychologically dominate the interaction through effective communication and tactical maneuvers.”

FSI Vice President of Operations Scott Burhmaster — who played the part of the bad guy in the research scenarios — told Police1, “In playing the bad guy, the most effective counterattack was to attack my gun.”

Check out the complete report about the traffic stop safety study authored by Police1 Contributor Chuck Remsberg for Force Science News, and stay safe out there on patrol.

Doug Wyllie writes police training content on a wide range of topics and trends affecting the law enforcement community. Doug was a co-founder of the Policing Matters podcast and a longtime co-host of the program.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU