This week's incidents serve as powerful but painful safety, vigilance reminders

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Topics & Tactics for Law Enforcement with Scott Buhrmaster

PoliceOne.com Report Alert
by columnist Scott Buhrmaster

Two serious incidents, one ending tragically, serve as painful but powerful reminders of the truth that regardless of how calm a subject may appear and how harmless a situation may seem, ANYTHING can happen. Reviewing and following sound tactical procedures, regardless of how mundane and seemingly unnecessary, is crucial to your safety -- and maintaining a constant and clear awareness that any situation on the job can quickly and unexpectedly turn critical may save your life.

Riverdale, Ill. Police Detective William Rolniak, a 39-year-old father of two, was shot in the head and killed by his own service weapon Wednesday by Adrian Humes, 27, a convicted felon who had a criminal record dating back to 1996.

The incident began when Humes, who was arrested several days earlier on a kidnapping charge, was escorted from the department's interview room to a holding cell by Detective Rolniak. The detective, a 14-year veteran, chose to forego handcuffs after deciding that Humes, who was being calm and cooperative, did not pose a threat.

Before they reached the cell, Humes grabbed the detective's firearm, pointed it at him and marched him outside the station. He then walked the detective to the back of a nearby tavern and shot him in the head, killing him.

Humes then tried to force his way into a 72-year-old man's passing car but when he met resistance, he shot the man in the side and proceeded to try to overtake two other vehicles. When one of the cars knocked Humes down, officers surrounded him and told him to drop the weapon. Instead, the suspect pointed the gun at the officers; they shot and killed him.

In another incident, on Tueday, two Omaha, Neb. corrections officers were taken hostage by a prisoner who relied on the officers' trust and a pre-staged plan to escape during medical tests at a local hospital. The prisoner, Michael McGuire, was serving a 193-year sentence for robbery, sexual assault and kidnapping at Tecumseh State Prison, a maximum security facility known to hold the state's most dangerous criminals.

According to reports, McGuire was being housed in the facility's segregation unit following an escape attempt in a Lincoln, Omaha facility in 2001.

Before undergoing the tests, McGuire asked to use a hospital restroom which he was allowed to do under guard escort. After the tests, McGuire again asked to use the bathroom. This time the officers, who by departmental policy were unarmed at the time of the transport, decided to let him go inside alone while they stood outside the open restroom door. Once inside the restroom, the prisoner retrieved two handguns, one believed to be a .22-caliber semiautomatic with up to 10 rounds of ammunition; he walked out the door armed and took both officers hostage.

After directing the officers out of the hospital at gunpoint, McGuire loading them into a state van waiting outside and drove away. After driving for more than one hour, McGuire handcuffed the officers to a tree and fled. Prison officials were alerted to the escape and kidnapping after the officers were found by a passerby, more than two hours after leaving the hospital.

As of Friday, McGuire was still on the loose.

PoliceOne extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Detective William Rolniak and to the officers of Riverdale, Illinois Police Department. Our thoughts and the thoughts of officers across the country are with you. Rest in peace, brother.

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