By Main Wealthy Kuong, NZMCR (ret.) and Colonel Richard Herrington, NZMC (ret.)
Statistically, 98% of lively shooter incidents are dedicated by one gunman. Usually, the shooter dies by suicide, surrenders, or is fatally shot by police. Nonetheless, keep in mind the “plus 1 rule.” If there’s one gunman, assume there are two, if two, then three, and so on. Therefore, police should verify the variety of perpetrators concerned as rapidly as doable. Till then, police can not rule out that the risk(s) has escaped.
Whereas some officers will handle crime scene points after the mud settles, the Incident Command Put up (ICP) should decide if a manhunt is required, quickly! If that’s the case, they have to alert perimeter officers and concurrently manage/temporary police assets (hopefully ready on the designated staging space and officers nonetheless responding to the preliminary scene). The ICP should then orchestrate a coordinated, overlapping, mutually supporting manhunt.
Regulation enforcement proceed a manhunt within the aftermath of a mass capturing, in Durham, Maine, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. Authorities are scouring tons of of acres of family-owned property, sending dive groups to the underside of a river and scrutinizing a doable suicide observe within the second day of their intensive seek for an Military reservist accused of fatally capturing a number of folks in Maine. (AP Picture/Matt Rourke)
Well timed intel dissemination
Companies ought to use the SALUTE report:
Size: What number of gunmen/accomplices have fled?
Activity: Are they hiding/have they fled?
Location: What’s the final identified location/the place are they prone to escape?
Uniform: What’s the description of the gunman?
Time: How present is the BOLO data?
Equipment: What weapons, tools, coaching and escape means is the risk using?
Because the manhunt develops in span of management and complexity, extra intel could also be disseminated through the ICP. Insurance policies ought to determine the hierarchy of businesses which will assume incident command to keep away from confusion, give self-deploying officers the reference level to report back to, quickly manage, and guarantee unity of command to be able to execute an efficient manhunt.
Looking city and wooded areas
Contemplate your search space. Is it an city metropolis, a suburb, rural terrain, on water, or any mixture of the 4 settings? Every space presents its personal distinctive challenges and talent units to allow an efficient and prudent search.
If the gunman is an skilled hunter or has severe tactical expertise, is in a wooded surroundings and possesses night time imaginative and prescient, you’ll want to rethink your tools, coaching and talent degree to barter that terrain, particularly at night time, when you don’t have night time imaginative and prescient, thermal or infrared scopes. Workforce leaders ought to think about deferring to officers better-trained/outfitted officers to go looking the realm. Examine egos on the door, be trustworthy along with your capabilities and deal with the mission.
Your package
Pack your package to journey mild whereas making certain you might have all you’ll want to search/patrol for 12 to 16 hours. Necessities embody your major and secondary weapon, additional magazines, water, energy bars/MRE, radio, responsibility gear, ballistic safety, GPS or map and compass. Good-to-haves embody additional flashlight, additional batteries, enough clothes (ought to the climate drastically change), no less than one additional pair of socks, knife, discipline binoculars, night time imaginative and prescient, chem lights, chalk or giant grease pencils for marking, tender cowl (hat), gloves.
NOTE: Although in all probability a assured no-go inside legislation enforcement, think about using smoke grenades. This is able to be invaluable for an officer down in an open scenario. Along with hearth superiority, you possibly can manufacture your personal concealment whilst you drag a wounded officer to cowl to manage buddy assist.
Common motion methods
When transferring to contact indoors, in a wooded space, or outdoors buildings whether or not in a formation, single file, or strolling on line to brush an space, even with an overwatch aspect, ideally transfer from some type of cowl/concealment to a different that you could possibly dash to inside 2-3 seconds. Because you’re attempting to make contact with the gunman, you’re probably strolling into the kill zone of his ambush. Be a troublesome goal as a result of he’ll in all probability see you first.
Pace, mild and noise self-discipline are vital. Except you make contact, keep away from fast, jerky actions that can entice consideration. All the time preserve 360-degree (even 3D) situational consciousness. The shooter(s) could possibly be wherever. They may attempt to have interaction you in all places, besides out of your entrance. Lastly, preserve personnel accountability always!
Routes and management options
Sketch your group’s space/patrol route for the ICP. Use outstanding terrain options you possibly can acknowledge day or night time as rally/test/linkup factors and radio your progress into your reporting senior. Backup must know the place to seek out you rapidly. Know who’s additionally looking in your left and proper, particularly in wooded terrain, at night time.
Strike group management
Management encompasses all the things from holding officers hydrated/rested/skilled (throughout downtime) to personnel accountability, safety and tactical employment. For instance, if in case you have a four-officer strike group, we suggest you quantity officers 1 via 4. Level is #1, you’re #2, you might have #3 and #4 (rear safety) is your assistant strike group chief. In the event you break up your group up, 1 and a pair of stick collectively whereas 3 and 4 go the place you direct them. Each components can have management however your assistant nonetheless experiences to you. Lastly, maintain the ICP knowledgeable and talk with adjoining items. Share intel. You’re all on the identical group. Good luck, keep secure!
In regards to the authors
Colonel Herrington NZMC (ret.) and Main Kuong, NZMCR (ret.), have collectively immersed themselves in consulting, educating, informing and coaching first responders, non-public safety, army personnel, colleges and hospitals, and metropolis and municipal businesses in numerous initiatives, table-top and full workout routines, and lively shooter and hostage rescue preparation/response coaching since 2004. This text is a concise overview of switching gears to a manhunt from lively shooter response. For data/particulars, they are often contacted at 781-223-3979, [email protected], [email protected].
