By Lt. Kelly DeVoll (ret.), Calibre Press Instructor
“Hands kill!” This mantra has been repeated time and time again in the law enforcement industry. Many times, this statement has been made when the conversation is broached about why we tell someone to take their hands out of their pockets. When someone we are in contact with puts their hands in their pockets we almost instinctively and with little thought give the command, “Take your hands out of your pockets.” Often, this command is given while we are in a tactically disadvantaged position, like standing directly in front of the individual. If that person decides to attack us with a weapon concealed in one of the pockets while we are in this position, we have little to no chance of defending ourselves against that attack. The action vs. reaction advantage the suspect has is almost insurmountable. Dozens of case studies verify that officers are at a tremendous disadvantage in that moment, yet the practice of blindly giving verbal commands while being poorly positioned is common practice and almost an “industry standard” and officers are being seriously injured or killed because of it.
So, let’s ask ourselves this question: “Is there a better way?”
We live and work in a world of probabilities. Officers are significantly more likely to be injured or killed NOT wearing a seatbelt, so we mandate that officers routinely wear their seatbelts (PLEASE put your seatbelt on if you’re not wearing it!) The counter argument to wearing your seatbelt is, “Well, I don’t want to have to take the time to remove my seatbelt if I get ambushed.” I even had an officer tell me he would rather be thrown clear of his vehicle in a rollover crash!
Well…um…NO! The law of probabilities tells us that you are significantly more likely to be injured or killed while NOT wearing a seatbelt versus wearing a seatbelt. The same level of probability exists regarding wearing a ballistic vest. Far more officers are injured or killed because they DID NOT wear body armor than have been injured or have died because they DID wear body armor.
It is the same principal that applies when discussing, “Take your hands out of your pockets.” Far more officers have been hurt and killed when the hands come OUT of the pockets than have been injured by hands IN the pockets. So, what is a “better way”?
For starters, I encourage all of you to evaluate the processes you use. Why do you use the methods you use and are they the most tactically sound? I would also encourage you to have someone else you trust and who is a technical expert regarding tactics to evaluate your tactics and help you improve. Building tactical competence is a never-ending process and continuing to learn this craft is vital to success in the law enforcement industry.
Regarding addressing the hands, giving thought to the concept of safely dealing with someone’s hands takes thoughtfulness and flexibility. A person who is armed with a gun can remove the firearm from their pocket, point, and shoot in less than half a second. Even if the officer has his or her weapon drawn and on target and finger on the trigger, that officer will, at best, shoot simultaneously with the suspect. That is a best-case scenario. The more likely occurrence is that the officer has their firearm holstered and is standing directly in front of the suspect while haphazardly instructing the suspect to take their hands out of their pockets. This gives the suspect a complete tactical advantage over the officer and the action that appears to be compliance in removing the hands from the pockets leaves the officer completely vulnerable to an attack. To avoid such a situation officers must get out of the habit of immediately giving the command to take the hands out of the pockets.
Officers should get into the habit of controlling these movements. If a suspect has successfully placed their hands inside their pockets, consider verbal commands designed to limit the movement of the suspect in a very deliberate manner. For instance, telling a suspect to leave their hands in their pockets and do not remove them until given instructions to remove them. You can begin a pat down of a suspect while the hands remain in the pockets. After putting the suspect in a position that puts them off-balance, like with the feet spread wide apart, the officer can take up a position of safety, usually behind the suspect and begin the pat down at the pockets. Firmly grasping the hand inside the pocket gives a good indication of the presence of a weapon in that pocket.
The pat down should be very deliberate and methodical. Once the officer determines there are no weapons in the pockets, maintain physical control of the arm and hand. Instruct the subject to remove that hand from the pocket and control the movement until that hand is clear of the pocket and visual confirmation is made that there is no weapon in the hand. A cursory feel of the pocket is final confirmation that pocket is safe.
The same method can be used to remove the second hand from the pocket and the officer is now certain there are no weapons in either pocket, giving the officer an added measure of security for the duration of the contact.
This is one technique to consider. There are multiple ways to conduct the removal of the hands from the pockets. Practice varying methods and find a couple of ways that you are comfortable with so you can choose the best method for that contact, and everyone involved in that contact is safer. Simply telling someone to take their hands out of their pockets while in a position of vulnerability is dangerous and potentially deadly.
Question your tactics. All of them! Constantly evaluate your methods to ensure they are the most effective for accomplishing the purpose at hand. “That’s the way I was trained” is NOT a tactical consideration. Understanding the concepts behind the task at hand is crucial to proper application of tactics. Understand the concepts first. Then apply those concepts to actions you choose to initiate with thoughtfulness and a tactical mindset. Be prepared, not paranoid!
What are your thoughts? E-mail us at: editor@calibrepress.com
