OT - Cops and robbers - "playing" for keeps...

[AmBraCol]

Below is an interesting article on confrontations between cops and a variety of folks who were bent on killing them... Very interesting in that the majority (98%) of the weapons used were obtained illegally...

*Interesting..of 50 Firearm attacks on Police Officers, only one firearm
was obtained legally.*

*Stephen*

* *

*Destroying Myths & Discovering Cold Facts *

* *


with The Force Science Research Center


*New findings from FBI about cop attackers and their weapons*

[From /Force Science News/ provided by The Force Science Research Center.
Register here <http> for
a free subscription e-mailed to you twice per month.]



New findings on how offenders train with, carry and deploy the weapons
they use to attack police officers have emerged in a just-published,
5-year study by the FBI.

Among other things, the data reveal that most would-be cop killers:

--show signs of being armed that officers miss;

--have more experience using deadly force in &#147;street combat&#148; than their
intended victims;

--practice with firearms more often and shoot more accurately;

--have no hesitation whatsoever about pulling the trigger. &#147;If you
hesitate,&#148; one told the study&#146;s researchers, &#147;you&#146;re dead. You have the
instinct or you don&#146;t. If you don&#146;t, you&#146;re in trouble on the street&#133;.&#148;

These and other weapons-related findings comprise one chapter in a
180-page research summary called &#147;Violent Encounters: A Study of
Felonious Assaults on Our Nation&#146;s Law Enforcement Officers.&#148; The study
is the third in a series of long investigations into fatal and nonfatal
attacks on thing by the FBI team of Dr. Anthony Pinizzotto, clinical
forensic psychologist, and Ed Davis, criminal investigative instructor,
both with the Bureau&#146;s Behavioral Science Unit, and Charles Miller III,
coordinator of the LEOs Killed and Assaulted program.

&#147;Violent Encounters&#148; also reports in detail on the personal
characteristics of attacked officers and their assaulters, the role of
perception in life-threatening confrontations, the myths of memory that
can hamper OIS investigations, the suicide-by-cop phenomenon, current
training issues, and other matters relevant to officer survival. (Force
Science News and our strategic partner PoliceOne.com will be reporting
on more findings from this landmark study in future transmissions.)

Commenting on the broad-based study, Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive
director of the Force Science Research Center at Minnesota State
University-Mankato, called it &#147;very challenging and
insightful--important work that only a handful of gifted and experienced
researchers could accomplish.&#148;

From a pool of more than 800 incidents, the researchers selected 40,
involving 43 offenders (13 of them admitted gangbangers-drug
traffickers) and 50 officers, for in-depth exploration. They visited
crime scenes and extensively interviewed surviving officers and
attackers alike, most of the latter in prison.

Here are highlights of what they learned about weapon selection,
familiarity, transport and use by criminals attempting to murder cops, a
small portion of the overall research:

*Weapon Choice*

Predominately handguns were used in the assaults on officers and all but
one were obtained illegally, usually in street transactions or in
thefts. In contrast to media myth, none of the firearms in the study was
obtained from gun shows. What was available &#147;was the overriding factor
in weapon choice,&#148; the report says. Only 1 offender hand-picked a
particular gun &#147;because he felt it would do the most damage to a human
being.&#148;

Researcher Davis, in a presentation and discussion for the International
Assn. of Chiefs of Police, noted that none of the attackers
interviewed was &#147;hindered by any law--federal, state or local--that has
ever been established to prevent gun ownership. They just laughed at
gun laws.&#148;

*Familiarity*

Several of the offenders began regularly to carry weapons when they were
9 to 12 years old, although the average age was 17 when they first
started packing &#147;most of the time.&#148; Gang members especially started young.

Nearly 40% of the offenders had some type of formal firearms training,
primarily from the military. More than 80% &#147;regularly practiced with
handguns, averaging 23 practice sessions a year,&#148; the study reports,
usually in informal settings like trash dumps, rural woods, back yards
and &#147;street corners in known drug-trafficking areas.&#148;

One spoke of being motivated to improve his gun skills by his belief
that officers &#147;go to the range two, three times a week [and] practice
arms so they can hit anything.&#148;

In reality, victim officers in the study averaged just 14 hours of
sidearm training and 2.5 qualifications per year. Only 6 of the 50
officers reported practicing regularly with handguns apart from what
their department required, and that was mostly in competitive shooting.
Overall, the offenders practiced more often than the officers they
assaulted, and this &#147;may have helped increase [their] marksmanship
skills,&#148; the study says.

The offender quoted above about his practice motivation, for example,
fired 12 rounds at an officer, striking him 3 times. The officer fired 7
rounds, all misses.

More than 40% of the offenders had been involved in actual shooting
confrontations before they feloniously assaulted an officer. Ten of
these &#147;street combat veterans,&#148; all from &#147;inner-city, drug-trafficking
environments,&#148; had taken part in 5 or more &#147;criminal firefight
experiences&#148; in their lifetime.

One reported that he was 14 when he was first shot on the street, &#147;about
18 before a cop shot me.&#148; Another said getting shot was a pivotal
experience &#147;because I made up my mind no one was gonna shoot me again.&#148;

Again in contrast, only 8 of the 50 LEO victims had participated in a
prior shooting; 1 had been involved in 2 previously, another in 3. Seven
of the 8 had killed offenders.

*Concealment*

The offenders said they most often hid guns on their person in the front
waistband, with the groin area and the small of the back nearly tied for
second place. Some occasionally gave their weapons to another person to
carry, &#147;most often a female companion.&#148; None regularly used a holster,
and about 40% at least sometimes carried a backup weapon.

In motor vehicles, they most often kept their firearm readily available
on their person, or, less often, under the seat. In residences, most
stashed their weapon under a pillow, on a nightstand, under the
mattress--somewhere within immediate reach while in bed.

Almost all carried when on the move and strong majorities did so when
socializing, committing crimes or being at home. About one-third brought
weapons with them to work. Interestingly, the offenders in this study
more commonly admitted having guns under all these circumstances than
did offenders interviewed in the researchers&#146; earlier 2 surveys,
conducted in the 1980s and &#146;90s.

According to Davis, &#147;Male offenders said time and time again that female
officers tend to search them more thoroughly than male officers. In
prison, most of the offenders were more afraid to carry contraband or
weapons when a female CO was on duty.&#148;

On the street, however, both male and female officers too often regard
female subjects &#147;as less of a threat, assuming that they not going to
have a gun,&#148; Davis said. In truth, the researchers concluded that more
female offenders are armed today than 20 years ago--&#147;not just female
gang associates, but female offenders generally.&#148;

*Shooting Style*

Twenty-six of the offenders [about 60%], including all of the street
combat veterans, &#147;claimed to be instinctive shooters, pointing and
firing the weapon without consciously aligning the sights,&#148; the study
says.

&#147;They practice getting the gun out and using it,&#148; Davis explained. &#147;They
shoot for effect.&#148; Or as one of the offenders put it: &#147;[W]e&#146;re not
working with no marksmanship&#133;.We just putting it in your direction,
you know&#133;.It don&#146;t matter&#133;as long as it&#146;s gonna hit you&#133;if it&#146;s up at
your head or your chest, down at your legs, whatever&#133;.Once I squeeze and
you fall, then&#133;if I want to execute you, then I could go from there.&#148;

*Hit Rate*

More often than the officers they attacked, offenders delivered at least
some rounds on target in their encounters. Nearly 70% of assailants were
successful in that regard with handguns, compared to about 40% of the
victim officers, the study found. (Efforts of offenders and officers to
get on target were considered successful if any rounds struck,
regardless of the number fired.)

Davis speculated that the offenders might have had an advantage because
in all but 3 cases they fired first, usually catching the officer by
surprise. Indeed, the report points out, &#147;10 of the total victim
officers had been wounded [and thus impaired] before they returned
gunfire at their attackers.&#148;

*Missed Cues*

Officers would less likely be caught off guard by attackers if they were
more observant of indicators of concealed weapons, the study concludes.
These particularly include manners of dress, ways of moving and
unconscious gestures often related to carrying.

&#147;Officers should look for unnatural protrusions or bulges in the waist,
back and crotch areas,&#148; the study says, and watch for &#147;shirts that
appear rippled or wavy on one side of the body while the fabric on the
other side appears smooth.&#148; In warm weather, multilayered clothing
inappropriate to the temperature may be a giveaway. On cold or rainy
days, a subject&#146;s jacket hood may not be covering his head because it is
being used to conceal a handgun.

Because they eschew holsters, offenders reported frequently touching a
concealed gun with hands or arms &#147;to assure themselves that it is still
hidden, secure and accessible&#148; and hasn&#146;t shifted. Such gestures are
especially noticeable &#147;whenever individuals change body positions, such
as standing, sitting or exiting a vehicle.&#148; If they run, they may need
to keep a constant grip on a hidden gun to control it.

Just as cops generally blade their body to make their sidearm less
accessible, armed criminals &#147;do the same in encounters with LEOs to
ensure concealment and easy access.&#148;

An irony, Davis noted, is that officers who are assigned to look for
concealed weapons, while working off-duty security at night clubs for
instance, are often highly proficient at detecting them. &#147;But then when
they go back to the street without that specific assignment, they seem
to &#145;turn off&#146; that skill,&#148; and thus are startled--sometimes
fatally--when a suspect suddenly produces a weapon and attacks.

*Mind-set*

Thirty-six of the 50 officers in the study had &#147;experienced hazardous
situations where they had the legal authority&#148; to use deadly force &#147;but
chose not to shoot.&#148; They averaged 4 such prior incidents before the
encounters that the researchers investigated. &#147;It appeared clear that
none of these officers were willing to use deadly force against an
offender if other options were available,&#148; the researchers concluded.

The offenders were of a different mind-set entirely. In fact, Davis said
the study team &#147;did not realize how cold blooded the younger generation
of offender is. They have been exposed to killing after killing, they
fully expect to get killed and they don&#146;t hesitate to shoot anybody,
including a police officer. They can go from riding down the street
saying what a beautiful day it is to killing in the next instant.&#148;

&#147;Offenders typically displayed no moral or ethical restraints in using
firearms,&#148; the report states. &#147;In fact, the street combat veterans
survived by developing a shoot-first mentality.

&#147;Officers never can assume that a criminal is unarmed until they have
thoroughly searched the person and the surroundings themselves.&#148; Nor, in
the interest of personal safety, can officers &#147;let their guards down in
any type of law enforcement situation.&#148;

NOTE: For new findings from the FBI researchers about highly dangerous
suicide-by-cop confrontations, read the exclusive 2-part report by Force
Science Research Center board member Chuck Remsberg here
<http>.

[Old Ironsights]

... Very interesting in that the majority (98%) of the weapons used were obtained illegally...

Not interesting at all to we folks here. We already knew that - that's why all of these idiotic Gun Control laws, from the NFA onward, are meaningless and serve to do nothing but stymie the 2nd Amendment and put good people onto Government Watch Lists.

[Ridgerunner]

Mr. Paul, you know that there are no real criminals, that the cops themselves steal the guns, plant them in innocent hands, just to have someone to murder when they are not molesting children.....

[Old Ironsights]

This is what I found interesting:
*Concealment*

The offenders said they most often hid guns on their person in the front waistband, with the groin area and the small of the back nearly tied for second place. Some occasionally gave their weapons to another person to
carry, “most often a female companion.â€

[Old Time Hunter]

I am mystified as to why this isn't just "common" sense and why it was even necessary to waste the money on having a report done.

I do have a question though, why do we as society look at violence targeting law enforcement as being "worse" than that targeting average citizens? Seems that we as tax paying citizens are paying for those in law enforcement to be the "buffer" between us and the bad guys, so it comes with the territory so to speak.

[airedaleman]

[quote="Old Ironsights"]This is what I found interesting:
*Concealment*

The offenders said they most often hid guns on their person in the front waistband, with the groin area and the small of the back nearly tied for second place. Some occasionally gave their weapons to another person to
carry, “most often a female companion.â€

[AJMD429]

I do have a question though, why do we as society look at violence targeting law enforcement as being "worse" than that targeting average citizens? Seems that we as tax paying citizens are paying for those in law enforcement to be the "buffer" between us and the bad guys, so it comes with the territory so to speak.

We're supposed to REVERE the LEO's who "put their lives on the line" for us, and I agree - we should. However you are right, they chose by their profession to take those risks, and the "regular" man or woman out at the grocery store who gets shot during a robbery seems to me to be no less a reason to go after the criminal aggressively than if the same crook had shot a cop. All lives should be precious. If any should be put above the rest, it should be infants, pregnant women, children, and non-pregnant women, but not anyone based on their profession except if their INDIVIDUAL function is critical to society, such as the President.

[oldmax]

+1 , Exactly !!!!

[Jeeps]

Definitely a good read, thanks Paul.

[awp101]

Very interesting in that the majority (98%) of the weapons used were obtained illegally...

And it won't make a tinker's you-know-what to those who want firearms gone.

[Ysabel Kid]

I do have a question though, why do we as society look at violence targeting law enforcement as being "worse" than that targeting average citizens? Seems that we as tax paying citizens are paying for those in law enforcement to be the "buffer" between us and the bad guys, so it comes with the territory so to speak.

Not worse. LEO's simply know that any criminal willing to take on an armed LEO is considerably more dangerous to the mostly unarmed civilian population. This is the worst kind of violent, predatory criminal - and they need to be put down hard and fast.

That and LEO's are humans too - with all of our foibles. Who can blame them for being upset when they lose one of their own?

[scr83jp]

[quote="Old Ironsights"]This is what I found interesting:
*Concealment*

The offenders said they most often hid guns on their person in the front waistband, with the groin area and the small of the back nearly tied for second place. Some occasionally gave their weapons to another person to
carry, “most often a female companion.â€

[Comal Forge]

Interesting article. There was an incident in San Antonio yesterday that had some parallels. Seems like a guy had a legal AK47 stolen from his apartment, then later in the day, the thief was trying to sell it to some local gang members. Someone in the group called the owner so he drove over and confronted the thief, who shot the other fellow in the head and fled. When police finally caught him, they found a stolen .38 and a stolen .45 on him. He had ditched the AK in the escape (which was done in a stolen Cadillac). Goes to show that pretty much everything the guy had on his person was stolen.

A rhetorical question to be sure - but why would a "thief" who does it for a living, buy something if they can steal it? It's a way of life - same as when we get up and go to work every day.

[Jaguarundi]

AmBraCol interesting articles.Thanks for posting.

[Jeeps]

A rhetorical question to be sure - but why would a "thief" who does it for a living, buy something if they can steal it? It's a way of life - same as when we get up and go to work every day.

Very well said. If a person is willing to live with the consequences (jail time,
doing harm to others) Then in real world/plain speech it is the easiest way to go.

It is how they are wired, we just had a kid at work who got arrested and fired
for stealing diesel fuel. His family is friends with our bosses family. I heard through
the grape vine that the kid is mad for being fired. Go figure.
I look at our diesel pump and see it for what it is, where I fill up my truck to
get the job done. Others (thieves) see it as one of a long list of opportunities.