Clothing:
"Super baggy, inappropriate for the weather conditions, and so on. Weapons are only a surprise to us when they can be hidden."
Lack of cooperation:
"Doesn't follow commands, or complies and then repeats the negative behavior over and over again (such as continuing to place hands in the waist band or pockets, continuing to move away, refusing to stop moving)."
Zero reaction to anything you ask or say:
"Someone who shows no reaction to commands or questions is almost always a person that is about to assault you or flee."
Robert Drewry, a criminal investigator for the Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office in Battle Creek, Mich., made an exceptional observation as a veteran law enforcement officer:
The shoulder slump:
"I'd like to share with you what I call the shoulder slump. It's where during the course of escorting a suspect he suddenly slumps towards either shoulder. Sometimes it's accompanied by a groan, feigning an illness or injury. What he's doing is trying to draw the officer in close enough so he can explode forcefully from the low position and come up with a relatively strong blow to the officer's face or head. We had a regular 'customer' when I worked for the PD named Mickey who was well known for sucker-punching officers. He tried his technique on me one night when I was escorting him back to the jail. The best counter I know is to maintain your distance, let him know verbally that you aren't falling for it and be ready for him to come up. Once Mickey realized I knew what he was doing and that I wasn't falling for it, he straightened up and walked into his cell without incident."
Drewry makes another good point in his story: The observations made by a veteran officer and the communications signaled by that officer to the potential assailant can be crucial. Maintaining distance, good strong presence and eye contact, coupled with a command voice, will in most cases influence the thought process of an adversary. Communicate professionalism and confidence and you tell your would-be attacker that you are tactically sound and prepared. Communicate uncertainty and doubt and you may encourage an assault on your person.
As mentioned in the first of the series of articles: in most cases before someone attacks, he or she will communicate that intention, either by direct language ("I'm gonna kick your ass!") or through some type of body language or paralinguistic cue. The key for law enforcement officers is to recognize these cues on a conscious level. In order to do this we must educate ourselves, share our experiences, and practice reading people.
Read more articles by Lt. Jim Glennon
About the author
Along with his role as lead instructor for the Calibre Press Street Survival Seminar, Lt. Glennon instructs various courses for law enforcement and private industry. He specializes in teaching courses in two fields: communication (Arresting Communication), and leadership (The More Courageous Path: Finding the Leader in You). His private sector clients include prominent businesses, casinos, hospitals and restaurants.
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