Responding to Serious Incidents

When responding to a shooting or another serious crime it is always the first instinct of police officers to "rush in" to the scene in order to address the immediate problem (and possibly catch the bad guy). In theory, this is excellent however, not withstanding multiple crime scenes (such as the one we had recently in Salisbury), bear in mind that this tactic has several issues.

First and foremost, your safety. You have to count on the fact that the suspect(s) may indeed still be there. These suspects are obviously armed and dangerous and don't mind shooting at people in order to inflict the most amount of damage possible and don't discriminate of who they shoot. It is widely believed that a police officer maybe the target of gangs in order to "score points" in the gang community.

Second, bear in mind that if there are enough units responding to the scene, it is best to establish a perimeter patrol around the site of the crime (or establish a fixed perimeter). Most of the time the suspect vehicle or suspects are still within a small geographic area from the scene. If in a vehicle, bear in mind that the suspects have just committed a very serious crime and of course probably don not want to get caught. So, take appropriate action for a felony stop.

Third, if possible get a K-9 unit en route rapidly. The scent of a human can degrade rapidly over a short amount of time, especially in a highly traveled area or due to various wind conditions and the amount of stress the suspect is under. If serious enough, request air support to be dispatched, especially if it is a serious crime involving a vehicle with description.

Fourth, it is always a good idea to carry a well stocked first aid kit. Make sure that you have a tourniquet. If it is not supplied, "quickclot" or a similar substance is a great addition to your kit (available online). Quickclot instantly stops heavy bleeding from wounds thereby slowing death from blood loss from a bullet wound from bleeding to death.

In summery, consider your options prior to "rushing" into a scene. Think about what would benefit the case, your safety, and the community more. Will 10 officers be required to be at the scene?