Unlike those who see the soft-sell as a perishable skillset and therefore practice it 24/7, they don't check for wind direction or perform any other litmus test before articulating their true feelings. Not surprisingly, their comments can make for memorable soundbites.

At a press conference after one of his deputies was killed and another wounded, Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff Grady Judd was asked why their assailant had been shot 68 times when cornered.

"I suspect the only reason 110 rounds was all that was fired was that's all the ammunition they had," Judd responded. "We were not going to take any chance of him shooting back."

Addressing the media after the recent shooting death of Jason Ellis, a mourning Bardstown, Ky., Police Chief Rick McCubbin said, "It's a very sad day for us. This is the first police officer in the history of the Bardstown Police Department to be shot and killed in the line of duty, and our police department dates back well over a hundred and fifty years."

But Chief McCubbin did not stop there:

"I can assure you, we won't give up on this person or persons until we have them either in our custody, or in the sights of one of our weapons. And I personally hope the latter is the choice," he said.

In both cases, some expressed outrage at the perceived heartlessness of the speakers in question. As far as I am concerned, these are the kind of leaders that law enforcement could use more of.

I didn't always feel that way. When I was younger, I initially held that Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block provided a nice, avuncular contrast to LAPD's irascible Darryl Gates. But as time went by I noticed that whereas Gates was, for better or worse, always shooting from the hip and lip, Block was invariably more of a considered tactician. So consciously incapable of offending anyone, he was simultaneously incapable of placating anyone, either. And whatever else, Gates could be counted upon to speak up assertively on behalf of his personnel, repercussions be damned. Meanwhile, just about any deputy who found himself in a shooting that got controverted was getting terminated on Block's watch.

In the aftermath of Rodney King, Rampart, and so much else, it became increasingly fashionable for law enforcement administrators to rein in their tongues—in Gates' case, to reevaluate his support of some officers— and wait for all manner of formal and informal inquiries to be completed before tendering an opinion on pretty much anything. Today, what comes forth from them in the press is often so sanitized as to leave no more of an impression than the babble spoken by an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon. Much is left to department spokespersons to run interference on, with more than a few media liaisons looking like how that poor bespectacled bastard Jay Carney does every time he's squirming behind the podium on behalf of his boss, Obama.

True, there have been others such as the grandstanding Mike Carmona who loved the limelight and milked every opportunity they could. Which made the former Orange County, Calif., sheriff’s fall from power all the more public and terrible. And some say Joe Arpaio grandstands…maybe he does, but his Italian lineage excuses the theatrical bent, and I'd be happy as hell to see him as my sheriff. Such men, such women, constitute the conspicuous exceptions.

I'm not advocating that law enforcement leaders behave in a provocative manner on every little thing that comes on the media radar. Certainly there are times when tact and discretion are warranted.

But when it comes to cop killers—those lowest forms of vermin that deprive spouses, parents, children, and siblings of their cherished loved ones—I think that our administrators can afford to drop the damn stoicism a little and wear their humanity (yes, I dare to use that word within this context) on their sleeve.

I would hope that they occasionally remember that some things are not said to appease Joe Citizen.

They're said for the benefit of the troops that are still with us.

And for those who aren't.

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Grim-faced jurors, after deliberating for about 15 hours over three days, told Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway Tuesday afternoon they were unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Weekley, who was charged with manslaughter for fatally shooting Aiyana during a May 16, 2010, search for a murder suspect.

Weekley testified last week he didn't realize at first that his gun went off — which was a point of contention in the deliberations, according to a juror who didn't want to be identified.

Read the full Detroit News story.

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A man was shot and killed by a Midwest City (Okla.) Police officer Monday afternoon after holding a toddler hostage for more than half an hour inside a grocery store, authorities said.

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Jaran stopped at The Squealing Pig pub that night for the post-election party of Selectman-elect Thomas Donegan. After speaking with Donegan, Jaran said Friday, he and a friend sat at the bar for a drink. A song by N.W.A. began to play. Jaran said he was not familiar with the song, but as he listened he became uncomfortable and offended. The song is called, "F**k tha Police."

He said he told a restaurant employee to shut the song off and added that the person should be ashamed. Jaran said he and his friend regularly go to The Squealing Pig and he called the owner the next day and the issue was resolved.

Read the full Cape Cod Times story.

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Tennis Maynard, who pleaded not guilty in May, appeared in a Cabell County courtroom Monday, reports the Williamson Daily News.

On April 3, Maynard allegedly shot Sheriff Crum in broad daylight in a public parking lot, made threatening gestures to a witness and proceeded to flee. Mingo County Sheriff's Deputy Norman Mines located Maynard later in Delbarton. Maynard pointed a pistol at the deputy who shot him and took him into custody.

Maynard is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 21.

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But that may be changing. There are positive steps being taken to help law enforcement organizations see that an addicted officer as not a throwaway employee but a valuable human resource who can be treated and redeemed. With the help of strategic partnerships and programs aimed at treating addicted officers, treatment centers are opening their doors to first responders, helping them get better and return to work.

The Addicted Officer

Statistics show that 20% to 25% of working police officers are chemically dependent on either alcohol or drugs.

Addiction tends to manifest itself differently in officers than in the rest of society simply by the nature of law enforcement work and societal expectations. Officers most likely won't resort to petty theft or drug dealing to feed their addictions, but that doesn't mean that their addictions aren't destructive and dangerous to their careers, families, and even their lives.

Friends, family, and co-workers are most likely to see an addicted officer gradually slip into dysfunction and despair. If left unchecked, the addiction will do damage to the officer's career. Co-workers of an addicted officer may say that the officer is moody, lazy, or a pain in the ass.

It's usually not long before command takes notice of the addicted officer, and not in a good way. "Supervisors may see an officer who is a poor performer, late for his or her shift, or who just looks bad in the uniform," says Sgt. Andy Callaghan, director of the Peer Support Program of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5.

Callaghan has 24 years of police experience and believes that addiction among law enforcement officers is closely related to post-traumatic stress disorder. "Many officers who have PTSD turn to alcohol or prescription drugs to self-medicate," says Callaghan.

Off duty, addicted officers' lives will most likely be wrecked. They may spend their days off struggling to keep it together with their families and trying to hang onto their health. But when the weekend is over, it's back to work where they try to keep their careers from falling apart. It's a spin cycle that will end in either loss of job, freedom, or life.

Drug of Choice

Up until a few years ago alcoholism was by far the most common chemical dependency problem faced by officers. Today, the most common monkey on the back of officers is the painkiller.

Officers get injured, and with the injury can come prescribed pain medications to bring relief. And that's where the addiction often starts.

Callaghan has seen a marked increase in officers addicted to painkillers and sleeping medications over the past few years. He says that it is common to have support groups made up of half or more officers in the group addicted to prescription drugs.

Seeking Help

Not only has the drug of choice changed for officers, so have the ways the profession looks at addicted brother and sisters.

That means the options available to officers who need help with drug addiction are ever increasing. Thanks to strategic partnerships with law enforcement executive organizations, department bosses are being taught to accept the fact that some officers become addicted and need help.

Sean Riley, founder and executive director of SafeCallNow.org, has seen encouraging signs for addicted officers. His organization lives by the golden law of self-disclosure as the first and best step for an officer who needs help. "Getting the problem out front and dealing with it, is the best hope for an officer to get better and return to full duty," says Riley.

SafeCallNow.org has partnered with the FBI National Academy Associates to help educate its members, police executives who have attended the FBI National Academy, on how best to work with addicted officers seeking treatment. Police executives are learning that an officer's self-disclosure of the problem is a good thing. It's better for officers to seek help before getting into situations that jeopardize their careers or lives. In doing so, federal HIPAA and FMLA laws kick in to guarantee their privacy and their jobs after they get treated and are able to return to work.

So what is a chemically dependent officer to do when faced with a crumbling life, career, and health? The first step is to admit the problem and realize that it's not a sign of weakness but a necessary step to getting better. Once they choose to self-disclose, the officers' primary concern is that they are allowed to keep their treatment private and to keep their job when they're better.

Many officers now realize they don't necessarily need to ask their departments for help. A better option may be to seek help through peer support groups, unions, and employee organizations. These groups may be just enough of a buffer between the addicted officers and their departments to get them comfortable with the idea of seeking help.

Treatment Programs

Preserving their privacy is the number one concern for most officers seeking help for chemical dependency. And that is the primary mission of SafeCallNow.org, a confidential, comprehensive, 24-hour crisis referral service for public safety employees, all emergency services personnel, and their family members nationwide.

Safe Call Now is not connected with a specific treatment facility. It offers a trained counselor and fellow public safety employee for the officer to talk to. They assess the situation and assist the officer in getting help.

Having someone to call can be a lifeline for an officer in crisis. Addicted officers can hit a wall where they don't know what to do and don't want to be found out by their departments. Safe Call Now is completely confidential; no one on the other end of the line will ask for a name or department. According to Safe Call Now's founder and executive director Riley, the officer's identity is not important; identifying the crisis and getting help is the only important thing.

One treatment option for the chemically dependent officer is the First Responders Addiction Treatment (FRAT) Program sponsored by Livengrin Foundation in Bensalem, Pa. The FRAT program is finely tuned for first responders seeking chemical dependency help.

Keith Mason, spokesman for Livengrin, says the FRAT program offers help from counselors who have a personal experience in law enforcement and with addiction. Many of the FRAT counselors such as Andy Callaghan are working police officers who are able to understand the unique circumstances faced by an addicted officer. The program offers inpatient and outpatient treatment as well as peer support groups to fit any level of care needed. It is one of the few programs aimed specifically at first responders.

Safe Call Now and Livengrin are financed by donations and through training conferences. Safe Call Now does not get paid for referrals to treatment centers and finds that treatment is usually paid through the officer's insurance carrier. According to Mason, intervention services through Livengrin's FRAT program are available free of charge. They do not want to turn away any officer because he or she can't afford to get into the program.

Thankfully, officers needing help with chemical dependency, PTSD, or mental health crises now have resources to help them get better. There are fellow officers who have survived addiction and are offering their time and experience to help officers end their dependency. These peer counselors and treatment centers can also help the treated officer return to work and maintain a healthy career, family, and life.

Mark W. Clark is a 27-year veteran police sergeant. He has served as public information officer, training officer, and as supervisor for various detective and patrol squads.

For More Information

Badge of Life (Suicide Prevention)

(800) 273-TALK/8255

Livengrin Foundation/FRAT

(855) 372-8435

SafeCallNow.org

(206) 459-3020

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The city's mayor and safety service director notified Chief David Slusser of his termination in a co-signed letter delivered on Friday, reports Lima News.

Chief Slusser was fired for after he allegedly violated various departmental policies, including neglect in the performance of his duties, insubordination, making false statements, being dishonest, and practicing conduct unbecoming of a city employee.

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The Border Patrol instituted the changes after the across-the-board government spending cuts known as sequestration. The constraints come as Congress moves deeper into the debate over comprehensive immigration reform and Republican legislators push for stronger border security components as a precursor to any path to citizenship for immigrants who have entered the country illegally.

The Rio Grande Valley sector—a stretch of border from Brownsville to Laredo on the southernmost tip of Texas—has become the agency's hottest area along the border. The Border Patrol’s arrests of people trying to cross the border illegally jumped 65 percent in that area last year. At the end of May, sector Chief Patrol Agent Rosendo Hinojosa said agents had already made more than 90,000 apprehensions in the first eight months of the fiscal year, a 50 percent increase over the same period last year.

Read the full Associated Press story.

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Sgt. Barry Donelan, president of the Oakland Police Officers Association, urged two council committees this week against approving more than $3 million for the radio system, reports the Oakland Tribune.

"I have no confidence in the system," he said. "I have no confidence that a $3 million expenditure will make it better."

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Vanessa Aguilar is seeking unspecified damages in a lawsuit that accuses Officer Juan Rangel of grabbing her by the neck, slamming her to the ground and punching her before attempting to place her in handcuffs, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The incident occurred after Aguilar's father called police because he smelled alcohol on her breath when she came to pick up her 2-year-old son. The city attorney has called the lawsuit frivolous.

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In May, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow concluded that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office has systematically singled out Latinos in its immigration patrols and that deputies unreasonably prolonged the detentions of people who were pulled over, marking the first finding by a court that the agency engages in racial profiling.

Snow delayed issuing any orders in the case Friday after parties on both sides indicated they wanted time to work toward an agreement that could be approved by the court. He set an Aug. 30 hearing to revisit the issue.

Read the full Associated Press story.

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Officer Rodney Gray claims he and other officers were directed to go behind a window inside a closed psychiatric facility where instructor William Scott Kern "intentionally and negligently" fired his weapon at the trainees. Gray was struck in the head and is continuing his rehabilitation after losing an eye.

Kern faces an August trial after he was charged with second-degree assault and reckless endangerment in March.

The lawsuit also names Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts and Officer Efren Edwards, a member of Batts' executive protection team who was a training instructor on site at the time of the shooting. Maj. Eric Russell, the head of the training academy at the time, is also named.

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Officer William Sprague, 30, had responded to a disturbance involving about 100 people at 12:30 a.m. Friday at Grady Wallace Park. The officer was being treated at Christus St. Michael Hospital.

Police arrested Justin Sanders, 21, on Friday and charged him with aggravated assault on a public servant. Police believe Sanders was driving the silver SUV that struck the officer. Bail was set at $1.5 million.

Officer Sprague had been a member of the Texarkana Texas Police Department since January of 2012. Previously, he worked for the Grant County (Ark.) Sheriff's Department and the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Police Department, according to the agency.

Officer Sprague leaves behind his wife, Stephanie, and 4-year-old son, Caden. A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church Moores Lane.

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The military has long relied on the highly-trained sniper calculating his shot with minimal tools to keep it real for field work. Law enforcement agencies have also invested many hours of training so their snipers can master mil dots or other reticle-ranging systems to make accurate shots with minimal use of electronic aids.

A technology company based in Austin, Texas, hopes to change this status quo.

Tracking Point Innovations has mounted "smart" aiming technology to a custom rifle that includes a computerized 6-35X telescopic scope with heads-up display (HUD) linked to a "guided trigger," Wi-Fi server, microphone, compass, laser range finder, inertial measurement, ballistic calculator, tracking engine, and environmental sensors.

The technology enables operators to lock on a target and record a video of everything on the display with the help of an iPad or smart phone. The company boasts hits out to 1,200 yards every time. The complete package including a rifle and custom precision ammunition starts at $22,500!

Does the highly technical "smart" Tracking Point system mark a milestone breakthrough for LE and the avid hunter? When I questioned county and city SWAT operators, they responded with, "Maybe" and "We'll see."

Today's SWAT operator is highly technical and cross-trained in different operational areas that require many hours of training to maintain their certifications and proficiency. Their initial concerns about a "smart" rifle system fell into a few areas. First, will it hold up under hard use and then work as designed when they need it?  So it can improve the hit-to-miss ratio. Great, but is it worth it at that price tag? A SWAT sniper rifle dressed out typically costs between $5,000 and $7,000, and most LE agencies work on a fairly tight budget these days.

While a SWAT sniper's typical engagement distance is less than 100 yards, there is always the chance of a miss during a critical moment. A missed shot in a critical police operation can result in several disastrous outcomes, especially when hostages are involved. This "smart" optic will not let you break the shot until the threat is aligned with the system's optics technology unless manually switched off.  Again these are issues to weigh out before a "smart" rifle moves into the "got to have it" column.

Would a complete video of the shot be something beneficial to police personnel?  In today's environment, a video of almost any police action is typically captured from different media sources including the public's many cell phones that often don't accurately represent the officer's point of view. In-car police video has been a double-edged sword that's mostly benefitted law enforcement.  The graphic nature of a sniper shot could be disconcerting for the viewing public regardless of the circumstances.

If the $22,500 staring price is too high for police agencies, perhaps they would consider the less-expensive Inteliscope Tactical Rifle Adapter that turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a heads-up display with many of the same features as the Xact System. The Inteliscope app costs less than $100. You may not get the same long-range target lock accuracy but you can experience a similar smart-rifle system without the hefty price tag.

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The event will provide financial assistance to victims of the recent Boston Marathon bombing, including MBTA Officer Richard Donohue and the family of slain MIT Officer Sean Collier.

The company has pledged $2,600 to the SWAT team. KDH will also be donating an Active Shooter Response Kit to the team, which they will be raffling during the event. All proceeds from the Workout Marathon will be donated to The One Fund, according to Paul Larkin, KDH's national sales director.

The Workout Marathon will be held at Gillette Stadium at 2:50 p.m. on June 22 and will be led by cross-fit and fitness coaches. The event will conclude at 5 p.m. on June 23. The Workout Marathon is open to military and first responders, including police, fire, EMS and hospital emergency staff. The workout marathon will consist of 26 separate workout stations in and around Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place.

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The majority of the grants distributed will help K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of needs are also considered, the foundation announced.

The foundation will be distributing grants in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers during the 2013-14 season. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invites police and fire departments in these eight cities to submit proposals detailing their needs. Also, for each Steelers' playoff game, a grant will be awarded to a city anywhere in the United States that would not otherwise be eligible to apply. In addition, the foundation will continue to make grants to several police and fire department K-9 units in the Pittsburgh area following Super Bowl XLVIII.

As part of the NFL International Series, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to meet the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sept. 29. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will mark the inaugural occasion of the Steelers playing a regular-season game overseas with its first international grant to support law enforcement in the London area.

The foundation distributed more than $135,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2012 NFL season and has distributed in excess of $950,000 since 2007.

Eligible departments must apply to The Giving Back Fund by Aug. 15. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. To view the full grant requirements, eligibility and evaluation process, click here.

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Lenco Industries, Inc., has introduced the BearCat EOD "BombCat" armored response vehicle for EOD and IEDD first responders.

The Lenco BombCat has been designed with input from veteran explosive ordinance disposal experts, according to the company.

In addition to technicians, the BombCat accommodates a large tactical robot like the Andros F6A that can be readily accessed using a fold-down ramp at the curb side door or deployed from a hydraulically controlled platform at the front of the vehicle.

The BombCat's spool storage reel manages the robot's fiber-optic cable while technicians monitor progress via computer monitors from the safety of the vehicle's interior. Secure radio signals can also be utilized to transmit robot audio and video feeds.

The BombCat also comes equipped with an optional roof-mounted, 24X zoom camera with high-intensity scene lighting that can be raised up to 10 feet for enhanced visibility. A thermal image camera, CBRNE equipment, and advanced communications sensors are also available to meet operator needs.

The BombCat models are built on heavy-duty commercial truck platforms, which allow up keep and repairs to be performed at OEM dealers and truck centers greatly reducing maintenance costs versus other specialized vehicles, according to Lenco.

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The facility, which is built on seven acres of paved land, will create 50 jobs. Located 18 miles west of Detroit, the new plant is geographically and strategically advantageous due to the OEM supply base and other suppliers in close proximity, according to the company.

The Armored Group procured new laser cutting, brake press, welding, and machining equipment that functions with state-of-the-art software to allow every part to be maintained within the engineering library for future use in production or after-sales service parts.

To ensure the working environment is maintained and verified to preserve robust processing and high-quality products, TAG has obtained ISO 9001 certification as well as VPAM certification on two vehicles that were tested at Beschussamt in Ulm, Germany—the top ballistic and testing facility in the world. Following the VPAM testing certifications, the vehicles were then tested for static rollover and demonstrated the capability to support over 13,000 pounds, without any roof deformation being observed.

TAG specializes in armored personnel carriers, personal protection vehicles, and cash-in-transit vehicles.

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The iDryfire laser training system can utilize a variety of available laser training inserts, cartridges or handguns. The iMarksman dry fire lasers fit handguns and rifles from .22-caliber to .50-caliber. It fit 12-, 16-, and 20-gauge shotguns. Airsoft and paintball guns also work as laser simulators with the iMarksman dry laser inserts. Other options available are iMarksman simulators for the S&W M&P, Glock and the SIRT simulator handgun and LaserLyte laser training cartridges.

The iDryfire system and phone app are easy to use. Place a target of your choice on a no-glare background such as a wall. Insert your dry fire laser device or prepare your SIRT training handgun. Set up your smart device facing the target at up to 4 yards.

Press the "start" button and get ready. As soon as you hear the sound, shoot at the target. Review your shot placement and reaction time. Save your result and go again. Create exercises such as holstering and presenting the firearm, dry fire, and re-holstering.

The iDryfire laser training system is compatible with the iPhone 3G, 4, 4S, and 5. It's also compatible with iPod Touch 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th generation. It's compatible with iPad. It requires iOS 6.0 or later. The app is available via iTunes for $12.99.

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The portable lantern uses six C4 LEDs and six wide pattern reflectors to produce a broad, uniform beam of light for illuminating large areas such as a plant floor or rescue scene. The lantern also allows users to select from two beam widths and three light intensity modes.     

On high, the light provides a flood beam of 3,600 lumens and 31,000 candela peak beam intensity. On medium, it delivers 2,400 lumens and 20,000 candela. On low, it provides 1,200 lumens and 11,000 candela.  Beam distances are 352, 283 and 210 meters respectively. Run times range from two hours on high to eight hours on low.

The lantern uses a 12-volt 7.2Ah sealed lead acid battery that is rechargeable up to 500 times; red and green LEDs provide charge status feedback. The battery will continue to charge while operating directly from an external 12-volt DC power source when using the included remote cord. The light fits existing LiteBox chargers.

The E-Flood LiteBox HL measures 12.3 inches and weighs 10.4 pounds. The light features a high-impact ABS thermoplastic housing with an elastomer impact bumper and lens ring, and a cushioned handle that facilitates glove-gripping. 

Available in international safety orange, the E-Flood LiteBox HL is available in either a standard or vehicle-mount system. The standard option features AC and DC chargers/rack, and the vehicle-mount option features a vehicle-mountable hard-wire rack that meets the requirements of NFPA 1901-14.1.11.2 (2003) mounted in any position. Both systems include integral D-rings that allow for attachment of an included shoulder strap.

The E-Flood LiteBox HL retails for $600.

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Earlier this year, the LAPD ordered 100 Dodge Charger Pursuit patrol cars, 50 Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, and 38 Ford P.I. sedans. For the first time in four years, the city provided the agency funding to purchase new vehicles. The $6.5 million in funding came from the fiscal year ending June 30.

The new vehicles will replace aging Ford Crown Vics in the agency's fleet. The Dodge Chargers are expected to be on patrol by the end of July. The Ford P.I. vehicles will be on the street in October, LAPD's fleet manager, Vartan Yegiyan, told POLICE Magazine.

"While the funding was not available, personnel were diligently testing the new police vehicles in the market from Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford," Yegiyan said. "There is a chance we may get more money for next year."

In its purchase order for the Chargers, the LAPD acquired rear-wheel-drive marked units powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine. The LAPD also bought all-wheel Ford P.I.s powered by a 3.7-liter V-6 power plant.

Choosing a V-6 Charger over the V-8 version wasn't a difficult decision, because it gives officers sufficient performance while giving the agency good fuel economy, Yegiyan said.

"There is no real advantage for us to have more horsepower or speed because these cars go fast enough to do the job," Yegiyan added. "They have equivalent performance and speed compared to the Crown Vics."

The department is now equipping the vehicles to make them patrol-ready. Some of the vehicles will get a vinyl wrap rather than two-tone paint. The agency has also hired an outfitter to add generic hardware, emergency lights, and sirens.

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Officer Robert Mitchell, a fire division chief, and a journeyman electrician showed up at at 6:30 a.m. at an eight-unit apartment complex in the 100 block of Glorieta NE as the building began to catch fire.

By the time the firetrucks arrived, the three men had removed eight to 10 people from the building, including a mother and her baby, reports the Albuquerque Journal.

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Officer Richard Donohue of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority left Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on crutches with his wife to applause from his fellow MBTA officers.

Officer Donohue can take a few steps now and uses a cane to walk. He said he's looking forward to getting home to spend more time with his infant son and family beagle, reports CBS Boston.

In May, Donohue told CBS News he plans to return to duty once he recovers from a shooting that caused severe nerve damage. The shooting is still under investigation, and Officer Donohue has said it doesn't matter if he was hit by friendly fire. He has praised the officers who provided life-saving trauma care at the scene.

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But on this day, neither officer knew just how out of control things had gotten before their arrival and how bad things were about to get. At the scene, they contacted an uninvolved third party who led them through the rental property to a locked door.

"That's it."

Usually, the officers would have taken their time to announce their presence; maybe ask for someone to open the door. But the sounds coming from the other side of the door were of such a horrifying nature that such formalities were abandoned in favor of Doogan's partner booting open the door.

On the Other Side

The sight that greeted the officers as the door swung open was a chaotic one: A bloody and distraught man stumbling back across the bedroom in a bid to get some distance between himself and a second man wielding a large kitchen knife. Both officers yelled at the attacker to drop the knife. Instead, the suspect propelled himself at the victim and tackled him onto the bed.

Doogan had participated in role play situations and simulation drills, all designed to afford him the opportunity to instantaneously size up a situation and take appropriate action. But with each situation he'd been given some skeletal context, a thumbnail sketch of the characters involved, their relationships to one another, and the crux of the problem. It'd all been valuable—invaluable, even. What he was being presented with today was something entirely different. He'd just been dumped into a life-or-death situation with next to zero preparation. And unlike the simulator shoot/don't-shoot scenarios, this one was being played out for real.

The sight of the knife's edge as the suspect slashed wildly with it at his screaming victim brought things instantaneously into focus, effectively sealing the deal and the man's fate. With his .40 caliber Smith & Wesson Sigma already in his hand, Doogan leveled it at the threat and fired.

Doogan's intended double-tap was only half-realized. The Sigma jammed after the first shot.

Doogan's training kicked in and he racked the slide back, clearing the stovepipe jam and prepared to line up his next shot. That was when he realized that there would be no need for a second shot.

Dealing With It

For the victim, the nightmare had ended.

For his rescuer, it had just begun.

Intellectually, Doogan was able to process the event fine. He'd been summoned to the location and reacted in accordance with his training and the needs of the situation. The sight of the slashed victim...the momentum and ferocity of his attacker's assault...all this was at one level easily reconciled with his decision to use deadly force against the attacker.

But Doogan also found himself wondering what the suspect had been thinking in the seconds when the two officers' presence became known in the room. Had the 22-year-old Lawrence Wirth even been thinking? Or had Wirth been all too aware of what he was setting into motion the moment he leaped upon the victim in their presence?

"Suicide by cop had crossed my mind because he looked right at us," Doogan reflects. "He knew we were there. I have no doubt in my mind that he understood the situation and then continued on with his course of action."

Doogan says the man never said a word to the officers, and the only sign of acknowledgment of their presence was in his renewed determination to finish off his victim. For their part, Doogan and his partner had at least tried to dissuade the man verbally, telling him in no uncertain terms to drop the knife, then responding with tactics appropriate to the situation.

"I covered the other officer as he was kicking in the door," Doogan says. "It took one or two kicks and the door came open. I was the first through the door. As soon as the door kicked in, we announced ourselves. He immediately went toward the victim. The bed was off to the left of the doorway. As I entered, I fired the shot. The suspect tackled the victim onto the bed. When I took the shot, the suspect was on top of the victim with the knife. He had the knife in his hand and was attempting to stab the victim, but the victim was fending him off. It wasn't like your classical hand in the air and struggling with the knife."

Explaining the stovepiped round, Doogan observes that it wasn't a common problem with their .40 caliber Sigmas. "But our Sigmas were getting kind of old at the time. Shortly thereafter, our department replaced our weapons with Glocks. I just had a duty shirt on, so the slide didn't hit anything on the recoil."

Despite the disconnect between what Doogan had at some level been conditioned to expect and the reality that he experienced during the incident, he objectively appraises his ability to process the scene and react to it as appropriate.

"I've been in some high-stress situations in the military. I remember things going through my head: front sight posts as I was bringing the weapon up. I was conscious the victim was there, which is why I aimed high on his body instead of center mass. I knew that was the only way to stop his aggression at the time and that I had to take the shot. I knew that was the safest shot to take because the victim wasn't in correlation to the suspect," Doogan explains.

Bad Nights

Still, the six-and-a-half-year law enforcement veteran found himself mentally revisiting that scene throughout the days and weeks that followed, the incident embedding itself in his mind so as to eclipse the reality that was often right before him. And still he was expected to perform, to go out and face the new challenges confronting him every day.

"The department had me meet with the department psychologist, and he's the one that I wasn't impressed with at all," Doogan says. "But at the time I was meeting with him, it wasn't quite as evident as it became later on."

Doogan says that later on his nights got really long and difficult. "After several weeks, I started to have some anxiety issues, bad dreams, trouble sleeping. When you're not sleeping and having anxiety, it kind of affects everything. So it was several months before I actually sought psychological help on my own. I was still confused with what I was going to do and how I was handling the situation. Possibly, if I had more time to sort things out, it would have been easier to stay. But you can't not work for a certain period of time before they expect you to come back. They expected me to come back while I was going through the deepest part of that; I wasn't ready."

Despite his belief that the agency's expectations that he would return to duty shortly after the incident made his anxiety even worse, Doogan is quick to distinguish the attitude of the agency and that of his fellow officers.

"The guys supported me, definitely. It was more the upper echelon types. They seemed more interested in the prospective litigation," he says. "There were no lawsuits filed. I got a minor settlement when I left the department. I think that was kind of the standoffishness from the upper echelon side of it. The officers always supported me. If it would have been some kind of group that specialized in a PTSD environment, there's a pretty good chance I'd still be an officer. I regret leaving the department. I miss the officers I worked with. I miss the work."

Leaving the Force

Doogan never had the occasion to speak with the victim directly. But state police investigators were good enough to pass on something that the man shared with them. "That officer saved my life," the victim said.

"That officer" is appreciative that state investigators took the time to pass along the man's sentiments.

"It's a great help. All along, I knew that I acted correctly. There was no way to stop the situation. I fired one shot and it was over," Doogan says.

As good as it was to hear that the victim was grateful, however, it wasn't enough to keep the nightmares at bay. Doogan had long recognized the potential for his having to take another's life, and at some level reconciled himself to it. Certainly, he'd done more than an adequate job when it came time for him to do what he had to do. But he was ill-prepared to deal with its aftermath.

"The thoughts go through your head over and over again," Doogan says "They're not as bad now, but on occasion I still have them. I don't think it's the kind of thing that ever really goes away. Probably one of the best things I've done is talk to my grandfather who is a Korean War veteran. He went through some pretty horrible stuff. Some of the ways he's coped have helped me. The best thing was talking about it with somebody who's been there and who understands what you're going through and doesn't give you the whole psychobabble crap. We've been through this, we're here to help you kind of thing."

And sometimes the aftermath of a situation can in its own way prove fatal, as well. It proved fatal to Doogan's career in law enforcement.

"I'm not with the department any longer," Doogan says. "I was diagnosed with PTSD and decided not to continue a career with the department."

In keeping with his life-long desire to help people, Doogan gravitated to nursing. "I'm a student, working toward finishing my degree. I'm currently a certified nursing assistant and working toward my RN," he says.

Still, he misses his law enforcement career, and believes that, had he been given adequate psychological support, it could have been salvaged.

Doogan hopes other officers who may be experiencing PTSD in the aftermath of their own shootings recognize as much and seek out appropriate assistance in dealing with it. And he hopes their agencies are conscientious in retaining qualified interventionists to that end. "I know I wish mine had," he says.

Editor's note: Read other "Shots Fired" features here.

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Deputies will use the vehicle for patrol in a non-urban area, and a school resource officer will use it when providing security to a school, Bob Mossing, the county's fleet manager, told Government Fleet magazine.

"We've been trying to green our fleet for a long time, but the problem is the majority of vehicles in the fleet that create the largest carbon footprint are police vehicles," Mossing said. "We have done a good job of putting vehicles on the road that get better mileage, but we still use a lot of gas. We still drive a lot of miles. This is an opportunity to see what the Volt can do for us."

Deputies have begun driving the vehicle in a county that contains Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, and will provide feedback before it gets fitted with emergency equipment. Mossing said he doesn't want to "jeopardize deputy safety" by rushing it into service.

"We're testing new-vehicle technology and new equipment on the vehicle," he added. "Instead of putting a large laptop in the vehicle, we're going to put an iPad in there. The iPad will connect through 4G connectivity and the virtual network to get into all the police software they need."

Mossing said the sheriff's office is considering the Volt to replace its Ford Crown Victoria sedans and Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. The sheriff's office purchased the Volt from a local dealer for about half the price of a new vehicle, because it has 50,000 miles on it.

The Washtenaw County SO upfitters will add police equipment despite the vehicle's space constraints. Mossing said he expects the vehicle to be ready for service in about two weeks.

"We're going to provide equipment and work around the limited space we have," Mossing said. In addition to the iPad, upfitters will install a customized cage and a hand-held light and siren controller instead of a console-mounted one. It will also get radios and in-car video equipment.

Test drives are already underway, and deputies have reported getting about 60 miles on the battery alone. With no charging stations available yet, deputies are charging the vehicle, which takes more than eight hours, during the night shift on a 110-volt outlet.

Mossing said he hopes to work closer with General Motors to provide a more upfit-ready version of the vehicle that arrives with fewer civilian items and more room for police equipment.

Thi Dao is the managing editor of Government Fleet magazine.

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With the scenario presented, you face two types of threats—immediate and imminent. Your task is to prioritize your responses and save lives.

You've heard the explosions. The pressure cooker in the library is a possible IED, and you've got reports of two shooters and a possible vehicle-borne IED (VBIED) parked in the street. As is the nature of these events, you'll be presented with numerous other distractions.  The injured and wounded are always a concern.

You've taken command, but you'll have to deal with other commanders who aren't at the scene giving counter-productive orders and instructions. To take care of business and complete the mission, you'll have to get past the clutter, drive down range, and get it done.

The shooter engages your team in the library, presenting the first obvious, immediate threat.  He needs to be neutralized now. Is the pressure-cooker device on the library counter an immediate threat? Possibly, but it's more likely imminent.  Should your team enter the library in the face of imminent dangers? If that and other unknowns stop you, we can assume the worst for the six innocents we know are still alive in the library. What if the IEDs are armed and ready to blow? What if the other shooter has taken up an ambush position? If we think for too long, we can sometimes "what if" the innocents to death.  Imminent is pending, but it's still in the future.

Now that you've put down both shooter bombers and located the innocents in the library, your next course of action should be clear. Get out, now! If there's another route out of the library and away from the suspected IED, find it and use it. There's no guarantee your alternate egress is safe either, but you're getting away from a known danger. Remember to use distance and shielding when dealing with IEDs. You just might want to avoid exiting the building on the side where the 20-foot box truck is parked.

Mistakes will be made when you're making quick decisions on the fly, so don't expect a perfect plan. Not even close. Perfect plans fall apart on first contact.  Remember to "think long, think wrong." Alert other personnel to stay out of the school. Seal off the area, and call in the bomb response personnel.

You may encounter phony IEDs at crime scenes. I was involved in a bank robbery investigation where the suspect used several, well-constructed, bogus IEDs in the bank. It slowed the investigation at the crime scene by several hours. He also planted phony devices at a gasoline tank farm several miles away to divert the attention of law enforcement resources during the robbery. Of course, we can't take a chance that the IEDs are phony. Nor can we let devices stop us from saving innocent lives.

The suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing murdered MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, a 27-year old who had barely started his law enforcement career. He was truly one of the good guys. Let's not forget him.

Bob Parker is the Patrol Section chair for the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA).

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The controversial shooting's external investigation, standard procedure for the Vallejo Police Department and district attorney's office, was given priority over a string of other officer-involved shootings, at the urging of the Vallejo City Council.

Wednesday's report to Vallejo Police Chief Joseph Kreins sheds new light on some of the details of the shooting. It notes, for instance, that Mario Romero's toxicology report indicated he was under the influence of both alcohol and methamphetamines. It also reported that one of the officers apparently handled the bloodied replica gun after the shooting without wearing gloves.

Romero, 23, was reportedly shot and killed in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, when he allegedly got out of his car and police believed he was reaching for a weapon that they said later turned out to be a pellet gun.

Read the full Times-Herald story.

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The shooter is among the four dead, police say. Officers recovered a gun.

Shots were fired at a home health-care business inside the Cherokee Place Business Incubator at 2715 Cherokee Street, police say. Capt. Michael Sack said surveillance video showed the shooter opened fire after having a brief argument with people inside the business.

Read the full Post-Dispatch story.

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Jerry "J.D." Roth was found dead in his back yard with a self-inflicted wound from a shotgun, reports the Post-Dispatch.

Roth was charged May 9 for felony misconduct involving the sale of an agency Dodge Ram truck that he later purchased from a used-vehicle dealer.

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Law enforcement agencies can now choose from five different powertrains when purchasing Dodge Chargers from Chrysler. The automaker has submitted the all-wheel Charger to the Michigan State Police for its annual police vehicle testing in September, the agency has confirmed.

The Michigan State Police, which issues its troopers Chargers, will likely incorporate the vehicle into its own fleet, Sgt. Ron Gromak told Police Magazine.

"That all-wheel-drive platform is something we're really interested it," Gromak said. "We would have the maneuverability to reach inclement areas without a truck platform or SUV."

The state police's Precision Driving Unit will test five versions of the Charger in September, including two versions of the 3.6-liter, V-6 Charger (with axle ratios of 2.65 and 3.07) and three versions of the 5.7-liter, V-8 powered Charger. The rear-wheel V-8 Charger will be offered in the two axle ratios, while the all-wheel model will arrive with a 3.06 axle ratio.

The move gives Chrysler an all-wheel patrol car to compete with Ford's Police Interceptor Utility and sedan, which are offered in all-wheel versions. The turbo-charged Ford P.I. sedan is powered by a 3.5-liter all-wheel configuration. The sedan is also offered with a front-wheel powertrain.

By Paul Clinton

Related:

PHOTOS: Classic Chrysler Patrol Cars

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Major Joseph Spiess was wearing his uniform and patrolling in an unmarked Chevy Impala by himself at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, when the suspect ambushed him. The suspect looked at the officer, raised his pistol, and fired, Spiess tells the Post-Dispatch.

The suspect fired at least two shots, before the officer accellerated his vehicle away from the threat. The officer was not hit by the gunfire. "He know who he was shooting at," Spiess said. "He absolutely knew I was a policeman."

Police later arrested Robert Simmons, 19, in connection with the shooting. Police charged Simmons with first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and armed criminal action. Demetrius Vanarsdale, 24, was also arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and resisting arrest.

Spiess had gone out on patrol as part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's increased presence following a violent Monday that counted 18 people injured in eight separate incidents, reports the Riverfront Times.

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The two sergeants were escorting Obama back to Miami International Airport from a Miami Beach fund-raiser at 9 p.m. Wednesday when the crash occurred.

Sgt. Rufus Devane, III, a 19-year veteran, and Sgt. Santiago Cruz, a 22-year veteran, were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, reports the Miami Herald.

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Police stopped a vehicle leaving the Windsor Gardens apartments at 11:15 p.m. As the officer brought his dog near the car to scan it, the vehicle's passenger, identified as Lavander Rakheen Disney, rolled down his window and began harassing the dog.

Disney resisted an officer's attempt to get him to leave the vehicle and eventually submitted when the officer threated to TASER him, reports the News-Post.

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Willian Van Poyck was declared dead at 7:24 p.m. at the Florida State Prison in Starke. His final words were, "set me free."

Van Poyck, 58, and accomplice Frank Valdes had planned to free inmate James O'Brien on June 24, 1987, while a prisoner transport van driven by Fred Griffis took O'Brien to a West Palm Beach dermatologist.

When the two men ambushed the van, Griffis defiantly tossed the keys into a bush. Van Poyck claimed Valdes, who was later beaten to death in prison, fired the three shots that killed Griifis, reports the Sun-Sentinel.

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VIDEO: Detroit Cop Testifies About Fatal Raid

The Detroit Police tactical operator accused of negligently causing a 7-year-old's death testified Thursday that he constantly thinks about a shooting he said was accidental.

Joseph Weekley said he wasn't negligent in handling his MP5 subgun when he entered the lower flat of a residence on May 16, 2010 while searching for murder suspect, Chauncey Owens. During the dynamic entry, a flash-bang went off and Weekley encountered Mertilla Jones, who was sleeping on the couch with her granddaughter, Aiyana.

Weekley noticed movement under what he thought was laundry on the couch and pointed his weapon at it. That's when he testified that Mertilla Jones hit and pushed down his weapon and he heard a shot, reports the Detroit News.

"I replay this every day in my head," Weekley said. "There's nothing else I could have done differently."

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Functional fitness is all the rage these days in the civilian gyms, and it has recently found some acceptance by various branches of the military as well as law enforcement. Everyone and his mother has jumped on the functional fitness or "functional training" bandwagon, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

In your 20s, you can beat the snot out of yourself in training and come back for more. By your 30s, however, there's a price to be paid for it. And by your 40s, you can have almost total incapacitation due to an accumulation of injuries from all your years of high-intensity training.

What SWAT fitness experts are discovering is that some of this wear and tear and incapacitation can be avoided with "smart" training instead of "hard" training. Smart training is real-world oriented and job applicable. It's not just training for the sake of training.

Functional SWAT Training

Functional SWAT training is training that prepares the operator to work as a tactical officer. It emphasizes an improved strength-to-body-weight ratio, carrying unbalanced loads, and performing a variety of tasks against the resistance an operator faces on duty such as carrying a wounded comrade who is wearing full tac gear, climbing over walls, or pushing stalled vehicles out of the way and then returning effective fire on target. It's one thing to be a crack shot on the range under no stress and another to shoot accurately under combat stress. When you have to push a car that won't start out of the line of fire or drag a wounded comrade or civilian out of the kill zone and then return effective fire on target, the musculature responsible for providing a steady shooting platform is much less stable due to the adrenaline dump that you are experiencing.

As a general rule, a correctly designed training program for tactical officers yields improved job-specific general physical preparedness. Specifically, such a program includes a balance of strength and endurance training and simulated job-specific movement patterns. Functional SWAT fitness programs are designed to achieve results without producing injuries or weakening the officers through overtraining.

There are two major benefits of functional SWAT training over traditional SWAT training:

• An improvement in job-specific general physical preparedness and overall physical performance.
• Reduced injury rates, which can lead to an increased operational longevity of the SWAT operator.

Following the Military

From the earliest days of SWAT, tactical law enforcement units have drawn the inspiration for their fitness regimens from the training conducted by elite military units such as the U.S. Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs. But today even Spec Ops units are starting to rethink their training.

A 2008 article titled "Clinical Diagnoses in a Special Forces Group: The Musculoskeletal Burden" published in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine by James H. Lynch and Mark P. Pallis examined the training-related injury patterns in the 5th Special Forces Group and came to some useful conclusions. The study revealed that physical training caused 50% of all injuries experienced by the members of this elite military unit. Such injuries resulted in 10 times the number of lost work days as illnesses. Further, the leading reason for outpatient visits to the base hospital by the members of this unit was musculoskeletal disorders caused by overtraining.

Lynch and Pallis argue that Special Forces training is out of date and needs to change to a more functional model. "To focus more on prevention, Special Forces Groups should modify unit physical training programs to incorporate the fitness and performance fundamentals used in today's top athletic programs. Military researchers have shown that modified physical training programs can result in lower injury rates with improvements in physical fitness. Training regimens that emphasize core strength and cross-training would likely increase physical readiness while decreasing the incidence of spine and lower extremity injuries," they wrote.

In short, training hard and training smart are not always interchangeable concepts. Smart training leads to superior performance and reduced injury rates, with improved operational readiness and greater operational longevity for the SWAT operator or Spec Ops commando. The alternative results in days off and trips to the hospital.

Lynch and Pallis conclude, "By making these changes to training and resourcing, Special Forces Groups will be investing in our most lethal weapon—the individual Special Forces Soldier."

The Marine Corps was one of the first branches of the military to recognize the need for a more functional fitness model. It has since developed and implemented the Combat Fitness Test, an exercise that all Marines must pass in addition to the standard Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test. The Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test assesses the physical strength, endurance, and agility of the Marine in battle.

The P.A.S.T Program

A general discussion of functional SWAT training brings us to a discussion of Practical Applied Stress Training (P.A.S.T) concepts. P.A.S.T is not specifically a general physical preparedness program for tactical law enforcement, but more an adjunct to it.

It's common practice for SWAT teams to train diligently in their firearms skills and tactics, while hitting the gym or the road as a separate training rotation. P.A.S.T attempts to bridge that reality and parallel what a real incident may demand, which is a combination of shooting proficiency, as well as anaerobic and aerobic fitness. The only way to perform in such a situation is to have experienced the effects of physical and mental stress on marksmanship skills and test whether or not your job-specific fitness and shooting skills are up to the task.

Even the most advanced shooter in great physical condition will find his or her marksmanship severely degraded when forced to shoot under intense physical stress. As expected, the operator who is not in adequate physical condition to begin with can expect to see his or her marksmanship go completely to hell when put under physical and mental stress.

P.A.S.T focuses on functional strength, improving body-weight-to-strength ratios, dealing with unbalanced loads, and overall fitness and conditioning combined with shooting rotations. P.A.S.T prepares SWAT operators to perform efficiently under worst case scenarios.

Unfortunately, it's often the case that PT-related training and marksmanship don't come together until the officer is in the middle of a life-and-death situation, where his or her ability to perform is tested as never before and the outcome is unsure. Thus the trend toward more functional style training in the tactical community should be encouraged, and P.A.S.T adds a dimension to the training of tactical law enforcement not duplicated by other programs.

Training in Stages

Functional SWAT training programs should have a logical progression. The training day is usually split into two stages:

• Stage One is individual testing where a single operator is run through the stage and scored. This gives feedback on both the individual's fitness levels and shooting abilities under physical stress.
• Stage Two is basically the same as Stage One except it is run in two-officer teams in parallel, making for a highly competitive environment. The stage may contain sections that require two people to complete. Examples of Stage Two drills include a fireman's carry of a partner 100 yards up a hill, getting over an 8- to 10-foot wall, scaling mock buildings, or flipping 800-pound tires. Shooting drills within the stage may require an individual to complete the shooting stage before the other can move on. Trainers can be committed to the stage to add additional physical essentials training within the stage such as hands-on weapons retention training.

Shooting drills within the stages are always based on essential shooting skills required by the SWAT operator such as shooting on the move, shooting from cover, engaging multiple targets, and shoot/no-shoot scenarios.

You can think of this functional training as job-specific cross-training with guns that yields improvement in physical conditioning and enhances firearms proficiency under real-world stress conditions.

Additional benefits include whole body conditioning, team building, and the ability to employ this type of training on your own range with a variety of tools. The system is dynamic and flexible, so it is not limited to high-tech, specialized equipment.

Sample Drills

A sample drill in the Stage One category of functional SWAT training may be a half-mile run to a barrier, from which a target at 60 yards is engaged using an M4 carbine. From there, the operator must scale a 9-foot wall, climb a 40-foot rope, then transport a comrade 50 yards fireman carry style. Once the transport is completed the operator must engage targets with his or her secondary weapon.

Common target drills immediately following the physical stress exercises could include a popper at 20 yards standing freestyle, a popper that activates a swinger at 12 yards, and a classic Mozambique Drill from 7 yards on a graded scoring target such as an IDPA target that allows graded scoring for head shots, center mass shots, and anything outside those two desired points of impact.

Stages usually include shoot/no-shoot scenarios and shooting drills from different positions—including standing, prone, and kneeling using cover—that challenges the shooters' skills. These drills are made even more difficult because the operators' muscles are tired and heart rates are up. Add full tac gear and a gas mask, and you have a real challenging day.

The benefits of functional SWAT training when implemented correctly to meet the specific requirements of the community will be improvements in physical preparedness and job-specific general physical preparedness combined with reduced injury rates. Adopting such methods vs. the current methods may lead to an increased operational longevity of the SWAT operator.

Will Brink has been an adjunct trainer for Smith & Wesson Training Academy, and runs the Website OptimalSWAT.com. He is the designer of the Practical Applied Stress Training (P.A.S.T) program.

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We've been producing monthly (and sometimes more frequently) for several years now, and it's never been easier to listen on your favorite mobile device. Of course, if you'd rather just listen to them on the PoliceMag.com Web site here, we won't complain.

We've made it easier for you to find our podcasts in recent weeks by adding them to all the top podcast directories. Of course, we've been in iTunes for some time. Subscribe here to view in a browser or here to launch iTunes. Be sure to give us a review or rating.

If you're a Blackberry user, we've also added the podcast feed to the Rim Podcast directory.  The Zune player didn't quite catch on, but Microsoft kept around its Zune Marketplace and incorporated it into Windows mobile. You'll need to search us out from your smartphone for these two.

The Stitcher radio app has also become popular for in-app listening. You can find us here.

We've also added our podcasts to BluBrry, DoubleTwist (software needed), and Miro Guide if those platforms fit your preference.

We consider podcasting a form of social media. Click here to find us on your favorite social sites.

Thanks for listening, and feel free to email feedback to Web Editor Paul Clinton at paul.clinton@policemag.com.

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Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) toured a federal law enforcement training center in May and noticed federal agents training with AR-15s. The agents identified themselves as IRS enforcement agents.

"I think Americans raise eyebrows when you tell them that IRS agents are training with a type of weapon that has stand-off capability. It's not like they're carrying a sidearm and they knock on someone's door and say, 'You're evading your taxes,'" Duncan told the Web site.

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Coons said Congress let the program expire last summer and a U.S. senator put an anonymous "hold" on reauthorizing it, potentially ending a federal subsidy that pays for up to 50 percent of the costs of body armor for local police officers.

Coons said the program is "a life-saver, and we need to save it to keep saving lives."

Read the full News Journal story.

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A six-person jury convicted Drew Ryser of official oppression, a misdemeanor.

Ryser will serve two years' probation and pay a $1,000 fine as part of a separate agreement worked out between defense attorneys and prosecutors. A jury could have sentenced Ryser to up to a year in jail.

Ryser, 32, is the last of four fired and indicted police officers to have their cases resolved in court for their roles in the beating of then-15-year-old Chad Holley.

Read the full Associated Press story here.

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VIDEO: Rough Arrest In Knoxville

Three Knoxville (Tenn.) Police Department officers resigned and four others face disciplinary measures stemming from the rough arrest of a mentally ill homeless man in February.

Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch played exerpts of the audio and dash-cam video from four responding units at a press conference Monday, saying the officers mishandled the arrest and used inappropriate language.

"Quite frankly, I cannot even comprehend why some of those comments were made," Chief Rausch said, reports the News Sentinel. "We train them to do extraordinary things under very extraordinary circumstances. They're not perfect, and this is one of those instances where we saw that. Unfortunately, their training did not kick in."

Meanwhile, former officers Jeremy Jinnett, Ty Compton, and Chris Whitfield appeared in Knox County Criminal Court Monday to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and felony oppression in connection with the Feb. 9 incident.

The rough arrest of Michael Allen Mallicoat began when Officers Haley Starr and Cynthia LeeAnn DeMarcus responded to the intersection of Grainger and Luttrell avenues. They encountered Mallicoat, who was intoxicated, yelling, waiving his arms. The attempted to handcuff Mallicoat, who resisted, and called for backup.

Jinnett, Compton, Whitfield, and other officers responded. 

The three former officers slammed Mallicoat against a car hood several times. An officer kicked him and an officer stood on him. A fourth officer hogtied Mallicoat, and a fifth officer applied a knee to him, reports the News Sentinel.

Two other officers—Richard Derrick White and Nicholas Ferro—were also found at fault in an internal affairs review that found officers Starr and DeMarcus "willfully blind and deceitful" to the use of force.

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The agency revamped its policy so officers may not fire at a moving vehicle in situations where the suspect is using the vehicle as the only weapon, Police Chief Mark Mew said in a statement on the agency's Web site. If the suspect is also armed, officers can use deadly force, Mew said in a Tuesday press conference, reports the Alaska Dispatch.

An officer firing at a moving vehicle creates a high risk for public safety as well as the officers involved, Chief Mew said.

"More often than not, these types of events are on roadways, in neighborhoods, and places where other bystanders are around," Mew said in the statement. "There may also be passengers in the subject vehicles that may or may not be willing participants in the driver's criminal behavior."

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My doubts began when I read "The Production of Knowledge" by William Starbuck. He argues that soft sciences need more rigor since researchers could eventually prove whatever they wanted by manipulation of data or the instrument used to measure the data. In fact, Starbuck was approaching the end of his illustrious career doubting nearly everything he had thought were solid maxims in organizational behavior and other soft sciences.

It seems more and more distinguished scientists, especially research psychologists, have been fudging their data to prove whatever they want to prove. Many of these studies are based on the various prejudices or expectations of the researcher. Other "false" studies have been based on the premise that "other primates act as ethically as humans" and other such nonsense, often to discredit our species, our faith, or our values.

Cops should be most concerned about flaws in studies involving PTSD. Post-traumatic stress wasn't even recognized as a disorder until 1980, and then suddenly it was everywhere, caused by everything and happening to everyone. By the mid-'80s some articles were saying 80% of cops suffered PTSD after a shooting and 40% would experience ED...yep, erectile dysfunction.

I did a reference check and discovered the author of that statement had found a survey where the men who had been involved in a shooting reported that 40 percent of them had had a time when they had suffered a mission failure. Then I went to the general literature on the topic and found 75% of average males who hadn't shot anybody had reported that at least twice they had suffered an equipment failure.

So what should we infer? Does shooting someone improve male sexual performance by 35%? Nonsense. But then so much of psychology is just that: nonsense, conjecture, or fraud.

When anyone tells you how you will react to anything step back and ask yourself, better yet ask them, how do they know? No creature is more unpredictable than a human: Look how the "science" of profiling has failed us in such high-profile cases as the Beltway Snipers.

Today, research tells us only about 2% of cops actually suffer PTSD. That is the disorder, not the effect of extreme trauma on human beings, such as a nightmare or two or a couple of weeks of being pretty tense during the activity that precipitated your crisis. I once had a tree fall on me when I was working in the Forest Service, and it knocked the heck out of me. The next tree I felled caused me to shake like a leaf, then scream in victory when that big bugger fell...joyous! Much of the research tells us we can even inoculate ourselves against PTSD by training, by faith in our cause, and by strong camaraderie.

So what should you think about the soft sciences? Well, I think you should look at them with something of a jaundiced eye, especially if they are telling us something our anecdotal life experiences say isn't true. Much of our training insight comes from the harder science of cognitive psychology and will often be easier to verify. Such things as how well mental rehearsal works, or the fact that tactical breathing controls stress responses, have true scientific method behind them; but whether you will suffer this or that ailment, and what the cure for it will be, often involves more art than science. A brief review of some of the horrors psychology has used as treatment over the years would truly give you PTSD.

The word "psychology" dates from 1653 and originally meant "study of the soul." Perhaps we should reclaim that terminology since treating mental issues is truly as much art as science. For us the challenge is to find ways to take the best of sports and performance psychology, adding ways to flourish from the rest of psychology, and using our intuition and caring to help make each other safer, stronger, and healthier.

Dave Smith is an internationally recognized law enforcement trainer and is the creator of "JD Buck Savage." You can follow Buck on Twitter at @thebucksavage.

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According to Enforcement Motors' vice president Andy Hartin, the Yamaha FJR1300P—which has been on the market for more than a decade—has key attributes that make it very suitable for law enforcement duty, including a proven platform and many years of reliable police operation in European markets.

Comfort and speed is another reason why Hartin believes Enforcement Motors' new FJR1300P will be very popular with officers. "What I hear from the motor officers is that the bike is very rider-friendly," he says.

The primary reason that Hartin believes the FJR1300P will be so comfortable for motor officers is that it allows them to ride upright in more of a touring bike position with adjustable seat heights. "Some police motorcycles force riders to lean forward, causing them to constantly have to raise their heads to look for violators. In an eight- to 10-hour shift, that can cause fatigue to the officer's back and neck," he says. "For motor officers, the bike is their office chair, their desk, and a mode of transportation. Any time you can achieve a more comfortable, relaxed position, you will have a more relaxed officer."

To make it suitable for American law enforcement duty the FJ1300P required modification, including a stronger electrical system to support emergency equipment such as radios, emergency lighting, and sirens. Devising such a secondary electrical system involved more than just strapping a second battery on the bike. Enforcement Motors engineered a secondary wiring system to support such electronics and emergency equipment.

Hartin also decided to change the way the siren has been mounted. "Most of the police motors on the road have the siren system on the crash bar," he says. "That adds the weight to one side or the other. Our siren system is dead center of the bike, and it does not affect the volume, nor is it affected by the wind." Hartin adds that Enforcement Motors has made weight distribution a priority. "Equipment mounting design equates to proper weight distribution and handling," he explains.

Enforcement Motors has been working on adapting the FJR1300P for American law enforcement duty for a little more than two years. Earlier versions of the bike did not have some of the features that agencies demanded, Hartin says. The 2013 model FJR added those features, including electronic cruise control, digital gauges, and a speedometer with 1-mph increments.

Hartin believes the 2013 model will be very popular with law enforcement agencies. "It's a great law enforcement bike," he says. "I've been on several sales demonstrations in the last month and have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. The officers love it. One officer jumped on it for the first time and ran his agency's cone pattern fast enough to qualify. That's a testimony to the balance and handling of this bike and how easy it is to ride."

The FJR1300P is also easy to maintain and economical to service, according to installer and former motorcycle racer Jim Evans. "The valve adjustment service intervals are 26,000 miles, and the Yamaha product is exemplary for clutch, drive train, and general durability. The FJR1300P will handle the stress of police duty very well," Evans says.

Enforcement Motors is now taking orders for the Yamaha FJR1300P. Base models start at less than $21,000.

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On June 10, 2011, the officers requested that Akbar Amir-Akbari, 66, drive home Dustin Christopher Rowden, who had been kicked out of a bar for fighting.

Rowden began punching the cabbie, who pulled into a convenience store. Rowden continued the assault until several bystanders helped out Amir-Akbari, who has driven a cab in the city for 30 years.

On Monday, he and the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) filed a federal lawsuit against officers Craig Smith, Joseph Brown, Russell Smith, Noel Guerin, and Brandon Bullock. The lawsuit also names the city.

A city ordinance says cab drivers can only refuse to transport a person if that person is disorderly, engaged in unlawful conduct, has no ability to pay the fare or puts the safety of the driver or cab at risk, reports KVUE.

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Dwayne Burke, 34, was shot during a physical struggle, reports the Augusta True Citizen.

Burke had resigned from the department in 2009, after he was investigated for texting nude photos of himself while in the Sardis PD locker room. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

In July 2010, he was arrested at a traffic stop in Georgia’s McIntosh County, when he impersonated a military police officer and active-duty Screven County Sheriff's deputy. In July 2012, he was arrested in connection with a residential burglary in Sylvania.

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State Sen. James Holzapfel, a Republican and former prosecutor, introduced the bill allowing the warrantless search if officers have "reasonable grounds" to believe the law was broken.

"Think about it: The chances of the cop witnessing the accident are slim to none," Holzapfel told the Star-Ledger. "He’s dispatched, and by the time he gets there — unless they’re unconscious and the phone is in their hands, or some passenger says they were on the phone — then he’s got to do what? Subpoena the service to see if the phone was actively used or not?"

The bill has drawn fire from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, which has called it problematic and "susceptible to a constitutional challenge" as violating a driver's Fourth Amendment privacy rights.

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