Question about police tactics for my screenplay.

[harmonica]

In my script there is a shootout in a container terminal between two cops and gunmen. As soon as back up arrives from the outside, the outside cops enter from different sides of the terminal and spread out. Would they get on a bullhorn or something and announce that they are coming and for the gunmen to drop their weapons and get down? Or would they come in quietly hoping to take them by surprise as they locate them? Both have their risks and advantages, so which how would they do it? Thanks?

[Citicop]

There is already a shootout. If the bad guys were going to drop their guns and surrender to the police, they would have done so from the beginning instead of shooting at the police.

There are a lot of reasons not to discuss specific tactics on an open internet forum. I would take this one either way you want depending on which way you want it to go.

-Citicop.

[harmonica]

Okay thanks. Well in my script actually the gunmen is innocent. It's a long story but the cops are undercover and think the gunmen is one of the bad guys. But then gunmen got his gun from a real bad guy. The undercover cops are working in an undercover capacity but were confused as real bad guys and by the innocent man who picked up a gun to defend himself.

So the whole shootout was started by the cops accidentally fooling a suspect (who is innocent), into defending himself against armed crooks (who are actually cops). Two cops outside the terminal are aware that the shoot out was started by undercover confusion and that the gunmen may think he is defending himself against cops but has been fooled into thinking they are armed crooks, and that everyone may be innocent. They also probably don't have time to explain this to the back up arriving, since they have to move in before someone dies. What would they do then?

[Citicop]

So the undercover cops did not announce that they were police when they started shooting at someone? Sounds like bad procedure to me.

Also, for someone concerned about realism in his screenplay, there is an awful lot of suspension of disbelief required for me to buy any of the above.

-Citicop.

[harmonica]

The undercover cops are trying to maintain the cover. The come across a man who has picked up a gun in self defense while avoiding being killed by other real crooks. The undercover cops see he has a gun but the gunmen thinks those cops are bad, from before, since they are undercover. The cops draw their guns out of reflex of a gunman in front of them, but before the cops can even issue a warning the gunman fires shots at them and runs away.

He shoots at them cause he thinks they are armed crooks out to get him when they were acting as undercover capacity with the real crooks. They then announce they are cops but the suspect does not want to take their word for it and come out, in case they are lying and really want to shoot him. So no one has announced they are a cop yet. Would the cops outside announce while coming in, or would they prefer to sneak up and get the drop on them before announcing?

[Piggy]

Make sure the cops unholster their guns before entering the container, and rack one round the chamber. As we all know from watching movies, the police don't carry guns ready to fire.

[Radical Jack]

Make sure the cops unholster their guns before entering the container, and rack one round the chamber. As we all know from watching movies, the police don't carry guns ready to fire.

Or if they're carrying revolvers have them spin the cylinder before slamming it shut. Also, make sure they're a couple of mismatched partners ironing out their wacky differences. One could be a by-the-book veteran a few days away from retirement and his partner could be a play-by-his-own-rules rogue. They may be unconventional but they get results.

[Outshined]

Don't forget to have them rack the shotgun every time they come around a corner. They should be eating a hotdog or some other terribly unhealthy food yet have a six pack stomach. Also the partners should have a long winded discussion on going on three or at three.

[Piggy]

After they make the arrest, be sure to have them drive away with the siren on. It happens all the time.

[Radical Jack]

Don't forget to have them rack the shotgun every time they come around a corner. They should be eating a hotdog or some other terribly unhealthy food yet have a six pack stomach. Also the partners should have a long winded discussion on going on three or at three.

Maybe show how they live in filthy apartments with nothing but beer and chinese takeout in the fridge. And let's not forget their Captain is always slamming his fist on his desk threatening to take them off the case. You know, forget helping out this Harmonica guy, let's just right this screenplay ourselves.

[Outshined]

Maybe show how they live in filthy apartments with nothing but beer and chinese takeout in the fridge. And let's not forget their Captain is always slamming his fist on his desk threatening to take them off the case. You know, forget helping out this Harmonica guy, let's just right this screenplay ourselves.

They eat cold pizza for breakfast, cut it with sissors while cleaning their gun. Or they use beer for milk on their cereal, cause dammit, yes they are that tough. Don't forget the 37 messages on their answering machine from chicks, and pissed off druggies that they laugh at and delete.

[patchcop]

So you guys will tell me that all the american police movies aren't reality? And they have been the reason why I became a cop years ago. LOL.

To the OP, no cops willl let you know what we do in reality out in the "zoo", that is the reason why most movies are BS.

[harmonica]

So you guys will tell me that all the american police movies aren't reality? And they have been the reason why I became a cop years ago. LOL.

To the OP, no cops willl let you know what we do in reality out in the "zoo", that is the reason why most movies are BS.

Well I thought it would be okay to ask whether or not the cops announce they are coming into a maze of containers or would they just come in. I thought that asking that would not endanger public safety, since an all I'm asking for is whether or not they announce. Not really giving a lot of tactics away. But that's fine then. What about cops and FBI agents who are also screenwriters and novelists? Do they bring real tactics into the movies and books they write, or are they under legal rules that even they have to make things up? And what about the cops that the movies pay for authentic advice while in production?

[Citicop]

Well I thought it would be okay to ask whether or not the cops announce they are coming into a maze of containers or would they just come in. I thought that asking that would not endanger public safety, since an all I'm asking for is whether or not they announce. Not really giving a lot of tactics away. But that's fine then. What about cops and FBI agents who are also screenwriters and novelists? Do they bring real tactics into the movies and books they write, or are they under legal rules that even they have to make things up? And what about the cops that the movies pay for authentic advice while in production?

Based on the outcome I see on the big (and small) screens, the paid advisors are often overrulled by producers who want to take artistic license with things.

This happens even in great, successful shows.

For instance, I am watching the last season of "24" right now. It's one of my favorite shows ever, but there are multiple scenes where the director of the NY office of CTU calling the president of the IRK directly to ask him questions about their operations in the United States.

There is no way that anything approaching that would ever happen in real life no matter what the situation is on the ground. Do you think they got hung up on the State Department people telling them that would never happen? No. They needed to have that happen for the plot to proceed in the best way, so they did it.

Lethal Weapon is another great example of a great movie franchise that wasn't overly concerned about getting police proceedure exactly correct. Let the plot go where it will, and don't let reality get in the way of a great story.

-Citicop.

[Curt581]

For the life of me, I do not understand why we are going 'round and 'round with this.

It's not as if his (or any of the other wannabe writers) "screenplay" is ever going to see the light of day.

Any real writer actually committed to some level of realism would research his material in person, instead of bouncing little spitballs off an anonymous Internet forum.