OFFICER DOWN CODE THREE

[Music] Friday April 22nd 12 noon this is the news today the city officially mourns the death of still another police officer the third man killed in the line of duty in the last 11 months channel 51 is on the scene for the third time in six months officers have gathered together to pay tribute to a fellow officer cut down in the line of duty officers from all over the state all over the country are here I'm sure many of them wondering am i next an officer killed by gunfire in the line of duty every year in the United States this scene is repeated over and over again Commissioner this is a sad day for the city could you comment we share the grief of this family we have lost a brave officer commissioner you're on record is favoring stiffer penalties for lawbreakers do you think that that can help prevent tragedies such as this I believe that will help what do you mean you want to know why he got killed because damn it he didn't follow the book hey come on you're always the one that's talking about throwing away the book some parts of it but not the part to keep you from getting killed [Laughter] [Music] 868 60 shift commander has requested your unit respond to accident scene take command of rescue a clearing problem qsl 860 rutgers crane and other emergency vehicles are enroute all units responding code 3 all units South District 1240 has intercepted one at 68 Chevy at Southwest 112th Street and 3rd Avenue 1330 and 14 31 proceed to 112th Street - 24 - 24 - 24 251 - 24 is not responding last call at fifth and orange alley behind Sherman drugstore check that location - 51 confirmed in the past ten years more than eight hundred police officers have died at the hands of law breakers 251 confirmed the death rate is rising and statistics offer a grim morning there is no safe time the cold fact is this over the past decade in some years most officers have died on Saturday nights or on Sunday mornings but in other years most deaths have been Tuesday or Wednesday or Monday or Friday and at all hours of the day our rural areas safer no deaths are almost evenly balanced ghetto suburbs country zone what about the safety factor of one and two man cars no significant statistical difference which kills policemen is there a stereotype can you pick out the cop killer again the answer is no who kills policemen officers have died at the hands of whites and blacks old men young boys housewives and hookers drunk drivers bank robbers shoplifters car thieves bad check artists moonshiners firefighters burglars vandals and hitchhikers policemen have even been killed by persons trying to commit suicide there is no typical killer there is no predictable time or place that an officer will die as a policeman your world can explode at any time the situations in which police officers are killed are well documented burglaries and robbery in progress calls result in the greatest number of police deaths every year arrest situations for all other offences usually lead to the second highest death toll then disturbance calls traffic stops and pursuits the investigation of suspicious circumstances assaults by snipers by the mentally deranged by suspects being transported when a policeman dies these facts how what where when are recorded documented discussed one point seldom discussed is why why did he die it's not easy to criticize an officer killed in the line of duty so officers die needlessly and because there is no criticism more officers die why a needless death usually traces to one or more of ten basic reasons number one lack of knowledge apathy or complacency if you don't know the rules or if you just don't give a damn sooner or later you're gonna foul out what are you doing here mistake number two taking a bad position making yourself vulnerable mistake number three ignoring danger sighs you're under arrest for burglary come on put your hands on the car number four a poor search or no search at all and number five failure to handcuff or improper handcuffing number six failure to the hands of the prisoner or suspect number seven relaxing too soon mistake number eight false assumptions taking for granted facts you really don't know mistake number nine taking unnecessary risks not getting the assistance you may need to Mon courage number ten being sleepy or asleep on the job when a police officer is killed almost always at least one and usually several of those fatal mistakes are present the incidents you are about to see all come from actual police experience they are not isolated they have happened before and they will probably happen again and only a few ever ask why in police work in the beginning there was no book [Music] over the years the book was compiled in it are the experiences the lessons the collective wisdom of a lot of cops the book isn't always right but it's not always wrong except to a few officers like Sam read every department has at least one tough cynical Sam read thanks for knocking Sam you're late again guilty honor the fact is Sam isn't much of a cop but he doesn't know it unfortunately for some of the young officers he breaks in they don't know it either the army just graduated from the police academy I want you to keep an eye on him hey all these guys are hairy straight airs it out of the Academy just leave it to me I'll take care of him the book according to Sam reads to it the easy way it all counts for 20 damn drivers laughing hey I was just on my way to have them fake let me see your driver's life it's upstate all right an F why are you checking them mr. counselor this gonna take a few minutes gonna chop in the back sit down and relax Shroff 7:56 thick once and warrants on Kessler Jonathan Arlington male Caucasian date of birth six 131 510 155 pounds license number one golf kilo three four one two nine officers Ted Blackmon and Don Carlson both young both broken in with the Sam read philosophy don't sweat it forget the book do it the easy way it all counts on 20 Blackmun and Carlson between them five years on the force they know how to make a stop they know how to make an approach they know how to make a protective frisk but sometimes when it's cold or rainy or late it's just too much trouble the suspect is dead officer Carlson is dead officer Blackman will survive at the inquiry which will follow will officer Blackman tell the story of these events somewhat differently then as they really happen we gather here today to mourn the loss of one of our dearly beloved a young man taken from us in the prime of his life taken from us through no fault of his own a young man willing to lay down his life for his community and greater love hath no man and he lay down his life but his brother eight-second National Bank damn that second National Bank I wish they fixed that lousy alarm gotta go back 827 again alright see you later bank robbery no it's a false alarm the bastard ring it all the time well I'll see you later every day a policeman makes assumptions sometimes when he's right he's just lucky when he's wrong he's dead twin fatal errors false assumptions and relaxing too soon mr. Jackson your wife assigned a complaint you're under arrest you're gonna have to come down with case history an officer responds to a family disturbance and makes an arrest he tells the subject to get his jacket on he's going to jail the officer assumes no danger exists sake don't post a bond with me gonna have to come to the sheriff's office case history a motorist under arrest for drunkenness asks if he can get his cigarettes from the glove compartment the officer assumes this is a reasonable request he relaxes too so one pound with my partner case history an officer shot after receiving a prisoner for transport the prisoner was improperly handcuffed the officer assumed he had already been thoroughly searched the officer relaxed no I leave them on there I'll pick them up later all right okay partner he's all yours okay this too is from case histories first officer at the bank sergeant Bruce Miller 20 years on the force and convinced that all arms are false hell this thing goes off all the time next to arrive the backup car officer George Boucher waiting for car 827 they engage in conversation outside the bank the subject fishing car a 27 two more good things experienced policeman normally cautious again yeah George asked me to go out fishing this weekend they can get away for officers all relaxing too soon each making his own false assumption to officers dead one crippled for life one slightly wounded the press calls sergeant Bruce Miller a hero after recovering from his minor wound he was transferred to a desk job the transfer pleased him so much he canceled plans for early retirement when a policeman dies in the line of duty we say he was brave because he is dead because of the family because it's too late because we're sentimental we seldom look too closely at the circumstances we don't say he was ill-advised he was reckless he was foolhardy we never call it what it may have been tombstone courage when a man dies senselessly there are usually exclamations sometimes he thought too slow he moved too quick almost always he misjudged the out but all too often it's much simpler he felt he had to prove himself case history a 27 year old sergeant youngest sergeant on the force assigned to a new district anxious to make his mark plate he's got a shotgun anybody with him I say you got two kids but I haven't seen him okay where's your partner he's having the rare where the hell you're going I'm going in for Christ's sake get out wait for SWAT Rickey's ask what about the people inside shouldn't you help them the reply is you are helping nobody if you set up a reckless gunfire situation this scene has been repeated many times what do we have on this guy the neighbors say his name's Martin all lieutenant SWAT is in position barn off barn off an officer is killed a few minutes later backup help arrives and the suspect surrender and other senseless death and they call it bravery death is ever-present in the police officers world sadness emotion the officer rarely permits himself [Music] I'm terribly sorry there's anything I can do please get in touch with me when a policeman dies there are few Stoics no one here is sadder than Sam Reid at this moment he knows he's finished as a cop then we clearing out the wake yeah all right good message don't worry off a crap but then I do it live I don't think that's the call right Nathan Winkle how do you handle ghosts off showdown Daniel no little pal be Owen go get down well new helmet it's good explants good way to break in for eight seven six one six Adams see the woman noisy party he's gonna handle it can't go ahead you take it for eight seven two six eight Lexington aren't you no argument 21:15 you go ahead have it you can ally sir oh Jesus how bad is it 487 emergency shots for my partner's bed headband send ambulance code 3 officer down shots fired officers need help car 487 what is your location for 87487 what is your location 47 what is your location for 87487 respond what is your location for 87487 what is your location no one enjoys second-guessing the death of a police officer but many deaths are avoidable to not admit that is a terrible mistake of those needless deaths almost all can be traced to one of the 10 fatal errors like of knowledge apathy or complacency not knowing what to do or not caring is the umbrella under which all other errors gather taking a bad position failing to recognize danger signs poor search or no search at all failure to handcuff or improper handcuffing failure to watch the hands of a suspect relaxing too soon when you believe the danger to be over false assumptions falsely assuming a situation contains no danger tombstone courage taking unnecessary risks trying to prove something being sleepy or asleep on the job it's a lot to think about but if you don't think about it now it may not matter later