Planning Ahead: The John Schoen Incident
make a habit of using them at all times. As with preplanning, make a conscious eff ort to put good tactics into place whenever practica- ble, and eventually it will become a habit that provides you with an extra layer of protection against mistakes and/or unanticipated dangers. Standing next to doors is a habit that every
offi cer should cultivate, but in some cases it may not be enough. In any situation that makes you uneasy, consider doing more. De- pending upon the circumstances, there are several things you can do: Stay outside as you assess the circumstances further by listening longer, quick peeking through windows at various locations around the house, etc. After opening the door, call out to anyone who may be inside, and then pause a little longer to look and listen some more. When looking inside, try to anticipate where someone could be lying in ambush, and plan how best to deal with the possibility. Plan how you will enter, and, per- haps more importantly, where you will go once inside. Distractions should also be considered. If you have backup, consider having him bang on a wall, window or other door, or have him open the other door, activate his siren, fl ash his spotlight through a window, etc. T en enter as quickly as you can and head for the destination you chose earlier.
Another distraction is one that can be used
even when alone; i.e., throwing a glow stick into the room, and then moving in right be- hind it. T is creates a relatively minor, yet very eff ective distraction that disrupts the thought processes of anyone inside the room. In addi- tion, since the eyes naturally follow any item that comes across their fi eld of view, the sudden moving light will cause anyone inside to take their eyes off the door, even when the room is well lit. T e stick doesn’t have to be aimed at any particular spot in the room. In fact, it may be even more distracting if it bounces off the door, a wall, or even the suspect as it fl ies into the room. Another advantage of glow sticks is that they can be useful in other applications, like signally for help when hurt, off ering some limited illumination when the batteries run out in your fl ashlight, or when dimmer light is needed. One large sheriff ’s department even uses them to mark routes when responding to calls at remote, unfamiliar locations when backup may be needed. T e fi rst deputy to respond places one at each key intersection
42 The Police Marksman Jan-Feb 2014
or other important landmark to expedite the arrival of any units who may have to follow him in. Glow sticks are also inexpensive, light- weight, and compact enough to be carried at all times. Every offi cer should consider carrying a few of them.
Return to Question 2
Exiting the Hot Zone Ordinarily, it is best to fi ght back when at- tacked. Aggressive return fi re will force your as- sailant to re-think his plan of attack while also keeping you focused on your most important goal—stopping the threat. However, return fi re isn’t always possible, as is graphically evident in this case. Since Deputy Schoen’s wounds kept him from immediately returning fi re or even drawing his weapon, his only alternative was to immediately exit the hot zone. T ere is no shame in making a tactical withdrawal in order to stay in the fi ght, reassess your options, make a plan, etc.
In fact, in many cases a tactical withdrawal can be turned to our advantage as long as we stay focused on winning. Once in a safer place, we can position ourselves to ambush our adver- sary if he follows, or if he doesn’t, to regroup, reload if necessary, call and wait for help, etc. T en, at a time and manner of our choosing, we can take the initiative with renewed re- sources and a solid plan of action. Return to Question 3
Radio Use Alone in a remote area with help far away, rendered nearly helpless from his wounds, and unable to draw his gun on the run, Deputy Schoen was understandably anxious to call for help. Still, from a purely objective point of view, it would have been better for him not to use the radio while running as it slowed him down and probably distracted him from zigzag- ging more eff ectively (he later commented that he had zigzagged somewhat but not as widely as he should have). It is very common for offi cers to use their radios prematurely when under fi re because of the natural urge to want to get help when in trouble. However, it can be danger- ous to focus on the radio when other things are more important, like fi ghting back, or, as in this case, escaping the hot zone as quickly and safely as possible. Since the vast majority of gunfi ghts will be over long before assistance can
arrive, it is unlikely that calling for it earlier will get anyone there in time to help you neutralize the threat. Take care of the threat fi rst, get to a place of relative safety, or at least wait for a pause in the action before calling for help. Still, it isn’t easy to overcome the impulse to get on the radio when in trouble. It takes com- mitment, forethought and training. Make up your mind, know that you will take care of fi rst things fi rst, and delay using the radio until the appropriate time. T en use mental imagery to reinforce this decision by including the proper use of the radio in your mental scenarios. Fi- nally, the proper use of the radio should be in- corporated into reality-based training exercises and reinforced in the debriefi ngs afterward. Another point regarding use of the radio is the importance of keeping the dispatcher prop- erly advised of your location. Deputy Schoen notifi ed the dispatcher when he arrived at Shimpi’s house, but neglected to tell her his exact location. Furthermore, by calling in the license plate of a vehicle in a neighbor’s drive- way not long before arriving at the Shimpi’s residence, he had led her to believe that the neighbor’s address was the correct one. T is caused some dangerous confusion for some of the responding units as well as the dispatcher. Fortunately, the mistake was realized before anyone attempted to enter the neighbor’s house in search of Schoen’s assailant; neverthe- less, it shows how easily a simple communica- tion oversight can endanger innocent citizens and fellow offi cers as well as the offi cer himself. Always keep your dispatcher updated on your exact location.
Return to Question 4
Support Hand Draws and Backup Guns
Deputy Schoen displayed commendable persis- tence and adaptability in drawing his gun. T is problem was made worse by the fact that his gun hand (i.e., his right) was in worse shape than his left. One pellet had torn through its pinky and ring fi ngers before lodging inside the middle fi nger, mangling all three and making them useless. It would have been virtually im- possible to draw with that hand, especially from his level III retention holster.
However, it is interesting to note that Schoen was carrying a backup gun and believes he could have drawn it with his less-mangled left
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