Lt. Dan Marcou - Blue Knights

Blue Knights
with Lt. Dan Marcou

Lt. Dan Marcou is an active, nationally-recognized, police trainer, who was a highly-decorated police officer with 33 years of full time law enforcement experience. In November 2006, Lt. Dan Marcou retired from the La Crosse, Wisconsin Police Department, where he had achieved the rank of Lieutenant, Director of Training. He served in the capacity of patrol his entire career, insisting on personally assisting in the field training of all new recruits.

"Lt. Dan" served as a Tactical Operator, Team Leader, and Officer in Charge of the La Crosse Police Department Emergency Response Team. He was also commander of the nationally recognized La Crosse Police Department Emergency Response Team, which developed what some call the “La Crosse Method,” of Crowd Control. He also is a trained negotiator and served in this capacity, which led him to be presented with the Distinguished Service Award from the City of Oak Creek, for assisting them effectively with an Active Shooter on November 5, 2004. This episode has been documented in Charles Remsberg’s book Blood Lessons.

Highly-decorated by the La Crosse Police Department, Dan proudly served there for 29 and one half years, receiving 15 departmental citations, three Chief’s Superior Achievement Awards, Police Officer of the Year, SWAT Officer of the Year, and Domestic Abuse Law Enforcement Officer of the year as well as Humanitarian of the Year.

Dan has achieved national recognition as a trainer for his innovations in Crowd Control, Defensive Tactics, Live Interactive Firearms Training, and his Five Phases of the Active Shooter. Marcou is a Master Trainer for the State of Wisconsin and he trains all levels of police officers from entry level to upper management in Defensive Tactics, Firearms, SWAT, Ethics, Supervisory Excellence and many other topics. Dan is also a graduate of the 175 FBI National Academy.

His first novel, The Calling the Making of a Veteran Cop was published by Thunder Bay Press in 2007 and is being lauded as not only an excellent training aid for Criminal Justice Classes and Academies, but a good read. It is being read by cops world wide and made the best seller list at Barnes and Noble as well as achieving a five star rating.

Lt. Marcou’s second novel, S.W.A.T. Blue Knights in Black Armor has been acclaimed for its depiction of police as they really are, modern knights. Marcou's third novel, Nobody's Heroes, has just been released and is already being met with critical praise. The reality he breathes into his police novels comes from having lived the life. All three of Dan's novels are are available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. For additional information check out his website.

Contact Dan Marcou

Confessions of a one-eyed shooter - 05/30/2013 Comments

9 rounds spent, 4 suspects down: The heroics of Deputy Frank Pobjecky - 05/29/2013 Comments

“No one picks the time when bad s--- happens": Great quotes from ILEETA 2013 - 05/14/2013 Comments

A poem for Police Week: Messages from a fallen officer - 05/13/2013 Comments

5 types of 'hider' to know and search for - 05/07/2013 Comments

20 years after Waco: The lessons we learned - 04/26/2013 Comments

20 years after Waco: Like a scene from “Apocalypse Now” - 04/19/2013 Video

Police Gun Control Survey: Why a closed-minded approach won't work - 04/08/2013 Comments

Why we need "Murder-Free Zones" - 04/03/2013 Comments

20 years after Waco: The standoff, the negotiations, and ill-fated plan - 03/27/2013 Comments

A lesson in leadership: "The creek knows where it's going" - 03/14/2013 Comments

20 years after Waco: The precursors, the investigation, and the raid - 02/27/2013 Video

12 tips to help you see 'everything' - 02/25/2013 Comments

Why cops should be dangerous - 02/14/2013 Comments

"Zero Dark Thirty" is a must-see cop movie - 01/25/2013 Comments

Killed in the line of duty: An officer and a wife - 01/07/2013 Comments

Newtown shooting: 'In Loco Parentis' and the protection of our children - 12/21/2012 Comments

Newtown shooting: Stopping the active shooter - 12/14/2012 Comments

15 signs you're 'Retired on Duty' - 12/13/2012 Comments

2012 in Review: The ‘12 Knights of Christmas’ 2012 - 12/10/2012 Comments

Police History: Was this the most difficult shot ever made? - 12/03/2012 Comments

Prepare your training for all types of learners - 11/20/2012 Comments

Law Enforcement History: The Earps of Tombstone - 10/26/2012 Comments

Body-worn cameras: The truth now has backup - 10/23/2012 Comments

Professional courtesy: The badge on the uniform trumps the badge in the wallet - 10/12/2012 Comments

Courage under fire: Officer Conway's amazing survival story - 10/01/2012 Comments

Cops tell the truth - 09/13/2012 Comments

Delf A. 'Jelly' Bryce was possibly the fastest gunfighter ever - 09/04/2012 Comments

Why I didn't shoot: Two dads at a domestic - 08/31/2012 Comments

Guess what? Criminals come in all colors - 08/13/2012 Comments

Never underestimate the value of SWAT debriefs, even when all goes to plan - 08/07/2012 Comments

Bill Tilghman may be 'the best of us all' - 08/06/2012 Comments

Colo. massacre: Educating the public on the five phases of the active shooter - 07/23/2012 Comments

Don't fall prey to 'False Alarm Syndrome' - 07/19/2012 Comments

Frank Hamer, Texas Ranger: Legendary LEO was a hard man to kill - 07/09/2012 Comments

Rodney King: A cop's perspective - 06/25/2012 Comments

3 training villains: How to avoid being one - 06/06/2012 Comments

The NATO Conference: 'A job well done!' - 05/28/2012 Comments

Law mandates fitness for police officers - 05/24/2012 Comments

Observe Occupy: Watch the tactical evolution of their 'revolution' - 05/20/2012 Comments

Officer override: 'Partner, they're calling you on the radio' - 05/17/2012 Comments

Police Week 2012: Hallelujah for a fallen officer - 05/13/2012 Video

Are you a thoroughbred or a war horse? - 05/01/2012 Comments

Policing an unruly crowd: Is your PD prepared? - 04/17/2012 Comments

Blue on Blue: Lessons from a tragic 2007 shooting - 04/06/2012 Comments

Video: ACLU approves new force option for police - 04/01/2012 Video

Words to live by when you're out on patrol - 03/12/2012 Comments

Officer John Carter: A story of overcoming - 03/05/2012 Comments

Training SWAT for three speeds of operation - 02/28/2012 Comments

A 'Cop's Chief' pulls the pin after 47 years on the job - 02/16/2012 Comments

Somewhere, someone is training hard - 01/19/2012 Comments

Foot pursuits: Strategies and tactics for winning - 01/03/2012

2011 in Review: Celebrating police heroes and the '12 Knights of Christmas' - 12/12/2011 Comments

Crowd control in 2012: Are you prepared to face the great noise? - 12/08/2011 Comments

Are TASERs 'overused' or just plain used? - 11/28/2011 Comments

Sergeant Ken Espenes: Marine, police officer, hero - 11/11/2011 Comments

Domestics: Why don’t they just leave? - 11/07/2011 Comments

One off duty deputy’s incredibly heroic act - 10/24/2011 Comments

IACP 2011: The value of boss-involved survival training - 10/21/2011 Comments

Lessons learned from the 'Fast and Furious' fiasco - 10/14/2011 Comments

DUI arrests: A pain now to prevent tragedy later - 09/30/2011 Comments

Videotape never tells the whole story - 09/28/2011 Comments

10 years after 9/11: That day in September - 09/09/2011 Comments

Outrage in Carthage: The day Ambien let a murderer live - 09/06/2011 Comments

7 training tips to survive your technology - 09/01/2011 Comments

Crowd Control: Preventing a deadly human tsunami - 08/29/2011 Comments

How martial arts training can improve officer safety - 08/17/2011 Comments

A vehicle pursuit is actually an unlawful flight - 08/10/2011 Comments

Multi-agency SWAT callouts: Who's In charge? - 08/02/2011 Comments

Active shooters: The killing will not stop until we stop it - 07/25/2011 Comments

A survival exercise to recognize you always have 'something in reserve' - 07/07/2011 Comments

Suicidal suspect turns homicidal: Iraq veteran killed in the line of duty - 06/13/2011 Comments

Concealed carry, HR 218, and the retired police officer - 06/08/2011 Comments

Winning the fight: Conn. cop thanks fellow-LEOs who brought him to safety - 05/23/2011 Comments

National Police Week: Each of the fallen has a story to tell - 05/17/2011 Comments

Hostage rescue: Police in Colo. take decisive action - 05/09/2011 Comments

SWAT takes on explosives-laden 22-year-old gunman (SWAT wins) - 05/05/2011 Comments

Seattle woodcarver shooting case ends in $1.5M settlement - 05/04/2011 Comments

I had a lot of fun, but it wasn't a riot - 04/27/2011 Comments

Whistle-blowing journalist leaks internal memos about reporting on police matters - 04/01/2011 Comments

The 'S' Generation: A new breed of LEOs enters our ranks - 03/31/2011 Comments

Update on accidental flash bang death of Fred Thornton - 03/18/2011 Comments

10 years after 9/11: Good versus evil on September 11th - 03/11/2011 Comments

Fugitives prove to be deadly - 03/10/2011 Comments

Triumph and tragedy: Lesson of one great cop's life - 03/04/2011 Comments

Safety checks made safer - 03/04/2011

The ‘Madison Method’ for crowd control - 02/22/2011 Comments

Survival bargaining: A new mindset for getting training - 02/16/2011 Comments

Helping a wounded SWAT officer on their road to recovery - 02/01/2011

The active shooter assassin - 01/21/2011 Comments

Arm yourself for an active shooter incident off duty - 01/10/2011 Comments

Justice preserved: 'Billy the Kid' denied a pardon - 01/03/2011 Comments

They shall return: Suspects returning to crime scenes - 01/03/2011 Comments

Ode to a wounded warrior - 12/30/2010 Comments

Drills and technique: The importance of handcuffing - 12/22/2010

The 12 'Knights' of Christmas - 12/06/2010

SRO: An important job you can love - 12/01/2010 Comments

P1 Book Review: Building a Better Gunfighter by Richard Fairburn - 11/24/2010 Comments

Wisc. SWAT resolves standoff with armed man - 11/17/2010 Comments

Illegitimi non carborundum! - 11/15/2010 Comments

ALERT: A regional task force of SWAT operators - 11/02/2010 Comments

One cop's gunfight turns into a punch line on 'Saturday Night Live' - 10/04/2010 Comments

Preventing a career-ending mistake - 10/01/2010 Comments

Staying positive is a discipline - 09/22/2010 Comments

A lone ranger proves every field contact is "like a box of chocolates" - 09/08/2010 Comments

Work until the (paper) work is done - 09/07/2010 Comments

Know what to do when you hear, 'It's a bomb!' - 09/03/2010 Comments

Fatal Alaska ambush witnessed by one cop's family - 08/30/2010 Comments

Your duty gear does not include personal political opinion - 08/25/2010 Comments

"He went peacefully with the Lord" - 08/10/2010 Comments

Despite 'no-snitch' rule, cops clear cases - 08/06/2010 Comments

One SWAT cop on patrol, the first responding to an active shooter - 08/03/2010 Video

Would-be warriors in waiting: Getting help when you need it - 07/21/2010 Comments

The stop and frisk: A valuable tool - 07/17/2010

American terrorist Leo Burt still at large - 07/02/2010 Comments

SWAT teams are golden in the Golden State - 06/18/2010 Comments

Ariz. SB 1070: The true cost of political backlash - 05/28/2010 Comments

A poem for Police Week: "Killed in the Line of Duty" - 05/10/2010 Comments

Some of the best things in life are free - 05/04/2010 Comments

Preparing for the three dimensional response to the active shooter response - 04/22/2010

Policies put a choke hold on officer safety - 04/12/2010

In rural Wisconsin, a case study in mutual aid - 04/01/2010 Comments

"Don't Quit!" A simple poem to inspire - 03/30/2010 Comments

Police negotiators are black belts in dialog - 03/17/2010 Comments

Media strategies following use-of-force incidents - 02/24/2010 Comments

A Tennessee cop is "idolized" - 02/08/2010 Video

SWAT callout: The lone, barricaded, suicidal gunman - 02/02/2010 Comments

Staying professional despite provocation - 01/27/2010 Comments

Report: Shots fired, four Oakland officers down - 01/21/2010 Comments

Preparing for the words "I have a bomb!" - 01/11/2010 Comments

A Christmas greeting from a Santa named Steve - 12/23/2009

For one Cincinnati cop, a $200 purchase proves priceless - 12/17/2009 Comments

2009: The year of Hasans, Huckabees, and Heroes - 12/09/2009 Comments

Anything can happen, anytime: The non-routine traffic stop - 12/03/2009 Comments

Ambush in Lakewood: God bless these fallen peacekeepers - 11/30/2009 Comments

At Fort Hood, a classic battle of good versus evil - 11/09/2009 Comments

Analysis of new TASER recommendations: "Aim small to miss small" - 11/02/2009 Comments

A gun was to his head, but the fight was not over - 10/21/2009 Comments

Improving proactive criminal interdiction - 10/15/2009

Facing civil litigation with a winning mind - 09/23/2009 Comments

The magnificent seven components of power - 09/17/2009

Resolve to remember September 11th - 09/11/2009 Comments

Active shooter's release leaves community speechless - 08/12/2009 Comments

Officer of no color - 07/24/2009 Comments

American Policing: Born on July 4th - 07/01/2009 Comments

Book Excerpt: "Prologue" from Blue Knights in Black Armor - 07/01/2009

Legend of the Texas Ranger and the unruly crowd - 06/17/2009 Comments

The action is on the perimeter - 06/04/2009 Comments

Sun Tzu for 21st century cops - 06/01/2009 Comments

A poem in memoriam: "One Million Souls Lie Sleeping" - 05/25/2009 Comments

Justin Garner, the "Standing Hero" of Carthage - 05/13/2009 Comments

National Police Week: "The Call" — A poem from The Calling: The Making of a Veteran Cop - 05/11/2009 Comments

Counter-ambush tactics for patrol officers - 05/04/2009 Comments

Wisc. man who fired on police sentenced to 48 years - 04/22/2009

Three shots for freedom — now what? - 04/15/2009 Comments

It was like a "war zone" in Wisconsin - 04/01/2009 Comments

Parole is a national game of Russian Roulette - 03/23/2009 Comments

Building an agency’s first SWAT team - 03/04/2009 Comments

SWAT Officer James Gnew: The "war horse" - 03/03/2009 Comments

“Community Oriented” SWAT - 02/18/2009

SWAT as first responders - 02/04/2009

What draws us to SWAT? - 01/22/2009 Comments

To see and not be seen? Priceless… - 12/26/2008

Christmas call number three - 12/25/2008 Comments

Is Mumbai a call to arms for police around the world? - 12/10/2008

Book Excerpt: "Cease Fire!" from S.W.A.T.: Blue Knights in Black Armor - 12/09/2008 Comments

P1 Book Review: Blood Lessons: What Cops Learn From Life-Or-Death Encounters - 11/18/2008

A SWAT officer’s last debrief - 10/29/2008 Comments

Book Excerpt: "Perspective" from S.W.A.T.: Blue Knights in Black Armor - 10/20/2008

Book Excerpt: "No Prisoners" from S.W.A.T.: Blue Knights in Black Armor - 07/21/2008 Comments

5 phases of the "Active Shooter" - 04/16/2007

Tip: Response to an attempted gun grab - 05/31/2013

Tip: Video: Using your personal body weapons - 05/17/2013

Tip: Are you 'bingo' ready? - 04/10/2013

Tip: Video: Pressure point onto the nose - 11/09/2012

Tip: Video: The 'Boma' technique - 10/19/2012

Tip: Video: The tactical about-face - 09/14/2012

Tip: Video: The rollover to the leg lock - 07/27/2012

Tip: Video: The isolation exercise for sudden confrontation - 07/13/2012

Tip: Video: Getting a subject to comply with a simple 'bow' - 06/29/2012

Tip: Have an 'exit' strategy on vehicle stops - 02/29/2012

Tip: Video: Speed-cuffing tactic to keep you safe - 06/24/2011

Tip: An officer's discretion: To pursue or not pursue? - 10/13/2010

Tip: Maximizing the effective use of control holds - 08/13/2010

Tip: Suspect control and handcuffing - 07/30/2010

Tip: 5 keys to manning the perimeter - 06/28/2010

Tip: Video: Practice drawing your tools - 06/25/2010

Tip: Ambush survival tip: Scan and process - 12/14/2009

Tip: Drill that helps you keep your eyes on the suspect - 11/04/2009

Enjoy your career. Stay safe, stay strong, stay positive!

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