What's a BOLO?!

[freshgirl]

Additionally, I do not accept that I am Monday Morning Quarterbacking. The video and audio is evidence enough for me to come to my conclusion based on experience.

As a trainee in the police academy I appreciate the comments on videos like this from experienced officers. Our instructors frequently used videos to show us how they feel a call should or should not have been handled. They are a great tool and help improve tactics.
Even great officers make mistakes. A good friend of mine was killed in the line of duty this year. The entire incident is on video tape. Although I have no desire to watch this video, hopefully (once the trial is over) they will be able to show this video to other officers and recruits so that they can learn from it.

[Cat_Doc]

Even great officers make mistakes.

Yes, officers, agents, deputies, troopers, et al., are human. We need them to be human because of the required discretion in the big gray area between black and white.

Because we are human, we make mistakes. We can get lethargic, we can have a terrible head cold but we came to work anyway, we can be having marital problems and are not 100% on top of the game, we could have just gotten out of an butt chewing from the sergeant and are distracted from tactical training and warning bells, and unfortunately, we occasionally get murdered in the line of duty.

I used to pass around to my squad the annual FBI Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Murdered report which provides a synopsis of every officer murdered in the line of duty that year.

I wanted them to read it because it is painfully open concerning what happened and to me is better than any survival training seminar. The seminars provide sound tactics, but the real life murders pound home the errors made.

Now, I am not saying that every officer made an error. I would be fool to say so. There are ambushes, sniper fire, etc., that could not have been avoided.

You hate to negatively comment on a fellow officer being murdered, but it is wise to evaluate survival errors and strive to avoid them.

[Darin]

Great points Cat Doc. I've been guilty of using piss poor tactics. I try to learn from them.

If you have an in car camera get in the habit of watching your traffic stops.

[Larrythetoggy]

First of all Merry Christmas to all.

Working in the Traffic area of my dept and working solo most of the time, I have been in similar situation to the one on the video. Without criticizing the officer to much, I know most of us LEO (I know I am not verified yet) thought, how would have I dealt with this situation? With the beauty of hind sight of course, I think most of us would have done things a little differently. Whether it be with more assertive communication or a better use of operational skills and tactics.

Mate on the chances you are a member of this forum, consider Hound's signature 'Train for perfection luck is not a tactic.' Your training starts right on this tread. Listen to what these guys are saying and learn from your mistakes. We have all made them and been smart enough to only make them once.