Today I am going to discuss one example of our biggest nightmare. My readers living in Southern California have probably heard about this incident. Those of you around the country may be reading of this for the first time here. This is not the topic that I had planned to discuss today. However, one goal of mine is to make this website topical, that is, I will discuss events as they happen and this one is definitely worthy of examination. I hope those of you already doing the job will understand the issues presented herein, and I hope that you casual readers or those planning to enter my profession will get an honest look inside of a high stress event.
Bear in mind that I was on duty when this event occurred. It actually began just as my shift was starting. So for the first four and a half hours of my workday, I was consumed by what was happening to the El Segundo Police Department, a very well respected agency in So Cal. It was a Friday night, around 10:20 pm. El Segundo has some fine entertainment zones which draw thousands on Friday night and the weekends. The weather was warm and it was the last Friday night of Spring Break. Many people were out and about all over the beach cities. This one was no different.
One of their theater complexes, the Pacific Beach Cities Stadium 16, was very crowded. Other nearby attractions include P.F.Chang’s and McCormick and Schmick’s restaurants. They were both crowded as well as other adjacent nightspots. This area was flooded with both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Two nearby multi-story parking garages were filled nearly to capacity. You get the idea, a few thousand people in a concentrated area.
Typically, under these conditions, not everyone can play in the sandbox together. A fight broke out in the theater and security called the police. It should be noted that the El Segundo Police Department takes the preventative approach and assigns two uniformed officers to work this location during the busiest time periods. They were nearby when the call came from security. For those of us who have done this job for any length of time, we have responded to calls like this many dozens of times. I sure have, having worked a major shopping center with a theater complex for many years. No big deal, an everyday call. The combatants have been separated and as the officers approach security there is one subject with them who was apparently involved in the fight. The officers direct this subject to the lobby area with the usual intent of ushering the subject outside and possibly sending him home.
The two officers determine that this subject needs to be patted down for weapons. I do not know the specifics here but, as I say I have been in this situation dozens of times. In some of my experiences, there were only one or two of us and at others, there were five or six. No difference, you still have to be on your toes at a moment like this. The subject is anticipating physical contact from you and may even be looking around to gauge your resolve, competence and position or may be looking for signs of weakness or indecisiveness. They know that a confrontation is about to occur and they are planning for it, believe me.
The officers apparently were going by the book and informed this subject that they intended to conduct a patdown for weapons. Apparently there was a verbal refusal by this subject and then he suddenly acted. Our biggest nightmare, without a doubt. The officers found themselves reacting to a split second close quarters gunfight, the kind that the experts tell us occur all the time in police work. Quick, close and lethal. A life or death moment. Kill or be killed. No other way to put it.
This subject pulled out a handgun and fired at both officers. An incredible advantage goes to he who gets off the first round. On the officers part, an incredible moment of heroism unfolded. As numerous rounds were fired, both officers were hit. One officer is hit in a shoulder and the other officer, a lieutenant, is struck in the jaw. Both hits could be potentially fatal, and have proven to be in the past. Incredibly, as their will to survive and their firearms training take over, both officers fire back numerous times. Their rounds cause fatal wounds in the suspect and he is killed at the scene.
As if the shock and anger at being shot by an armed assailant wasn’t enough, the lieutenant is able to get on his radio, put out the “shots fired, officers down” broadcast and get the cavalry rolling to them. He does this with a shattered jaw and blown away teeth. Unbeknownst to him, the bullet has lodged in the rear of his neck, near his spinal cord and arteries. Thank God that the shooter is lying dead in front of the theater complex, no longer an ongoing public threat. These officers did their job magnificently while almost paying the ultimate price to protect the public.
To any of you reading this who contemplate becoming a police officer, I have one question. Could you or would you risk physical injury or death to protect the public or your partner from an armed, determined criminal like this one? There is no doubt in my mind that these two El Segundo Police Department officers are heroes based on their decisive actions while confronting this lethal public threat. This is just one example, among hundreds of others, of the common everyday officer fulfilling his solemn oath and putting his life on the line for others. As the saying goes, “There is no greater sacrifice…”
I’m sure that you understand why I am not including any names of those involved in this shooting. As there is and will be an ongoing after shoot investigation, I don’t feel at liberty to put that info in here. I will defer to the agencies involved to release information as they see fit. It is also not my place to pick apart the subsequent responses by the surrounding agencies (which was very rapid and overwhelming) or the after action issues related to the missions handled by those responding agencies. Maybe I’ll discuss some of those points in a week or two, when the dust settles, but not now.
This moment belongs to those two courageous officers and a deep concern for their medical care. I’m sure that if you had the chance to speak to them they would tell you that they were just doing their job, as they’ve done it on countless other busy Friday nights. But this one was different, wasn’t it? So very different. In the least, possibly life changing.
As you know, I’ve done this job for many years. It never escapes you, that is, the thought of “will it be my turn tonight?” or “will some desperate criminal try to take my life or my partner’s in the next few hours?” If you don’t think about it, you aren’t practicing the hypervigilance that the job requires and someone might get the drop on you. It’s like skating on the edge. Will I get pushed over that edge tonight?
If you’re thinking about coming into police work, you had better think these issues through. Along with our fine military, there is no profession in society with higher stakes. You could potentially pay with your life. Understand that, very well. If you just want to look good in a uniform or enjoy free coffee once in a while, go do something else. I mean it. Not everyone is capable of heroism and understanding the will to live.
As I mentioned, there are many other aspects to an OIS (officer involved shooting) worthy of discussion. I promise you that I will talk about them in the near future. These type of incidents are the best way to learn to do better in the future, to better blend inter-agency assets at a critical time and place. So be patient, I’ll get to them. But for now, say some prayers. Pray for these officers and their families and pray that something like this never happens again.
We’ll chat again shortly. As always, thanks for visiting copcorner.net.
Tim
2 Responses to “Our Biggest Nightmare”
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Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
Nice blog. I really enjoyed it. Thanks again, Casey