Critical Incident Review:

1. Key Concepts and Themes

This study guide focuses on critical incident reviews, particularly concerning law enforcement tactics, decision-making under stress, and the concept of “trade-offs” in high-stakes situations. It emphasizes learning from past events to improve future officer safety and effectiveness.

1. The Purpose of Critical Incident Critiques:

• To identify actions to replicate, change, or avoid.
• To provide learning points for officers moving forward.
• Not to degrade or criticize officers’ actions in the moment, but to analyze and evaluate.
• To understand the “why” behind decisions, rather than just the “what.”

1. Contacting High-Risk Suspects:

• The importance of treating high-risk suspects as genuinely high-risk.
• The dangers of complacency or overconfidence from experience, leading to skipping safety procedures.
• The necessity of creating distance and issuing commands from a safe range.
• Avoiding “hands-on” contact too early or too closely, as it’s a highly dangerous moment.

1. Taser Use in “Unknown” Situations and Force Escalation:

• Tasers are effective in the right context but may not be the tool of choice when intentions are unknown.
• The difficulty of “scaling up” force (transitioning from taser to firearm) when focused on taser deployment.
• The risk of being “psychologically stuck” on the taser, delaying a higher force option.
• The argument for maintaining “hands-free” readiness during foot pursuits to allow for faster firearm deployment if a deadly threat emerges.

1. The Concept of Trade-Offs:

• No “perfect” answers or tactics; every decision has a cost or a trade-off.
• Understanding the potential consequences of choosing one action over another.
• The need for soul-searching and pre-planning to weigh these trade-offs.

1. Aspirational Tactics and Articulation:

• Tactics are aspirational – they are aims for the best outcome, but environments change rapidly.
• The importance of articulating the thought process, perceived threat, and limitations that drove decisions.
• “You’ll never rise to the occasion; you’ll drop to your lowest form of readiness.”
• The value of “what if” planning and discussing scenarios in briefings.

1. Complacency vs. Lack of Experience:

• Distinguishing between complacency (skipping steps due to comfort/expertise) and lack of experience (not having the resources to handle a scenario safely).
• Both lead to undesirable outcomes, but the underlying causes differ.

1. Operating Alone / Without Backup:

• The reality that many officers (especially troopers or those in rural areas) often work alone.
• Assumptions about backup availability should not be made in critiques.
• Increased attention to tactics is crucial when working solo.

1. Learning, Not Blame:

• Critiques are for learning and improving, not for “eating our own” or personal attacks.
• Encouragement for officers to embrace learning points and share experiences.

1. Case Studies and Examples
2. Danny King’s 2018 Incident:

• Scenario: Chasing an intoxicated driver who shoved his hand in baggy shorts.
• Initial Action: Drew taser, but subject was too far. Holstered it.
• Second Contact: Re-drew taser. Subject turned 180 degrees, jammed hand in pocket, and came towards King.
• Key Learning: King was “mentally unprepared” and “physically unprepared” because all attention was on the taser. Realized the danger of being “psychologically stuck” on a less-lethal option when a deadly threat emerged. “By the grace of God,” the subject didn’t have a weapon.

1. The Killingly, Connecticut Shooting Incident (Trooper):

• Scenario: Trooper contacted a robbery suspect at a gas station, leading to a foot pursuit.
• Officer’s Action: Trooper pursued with taser drawn. When the suspect turned and drew a gun, the trooper transitioned to his firearm and fired.
• Key Learning: Highlighted the rapid, split-second transition from taser to firearm. Raised questions about initial contact distance, taser deployment in “unknown” situations, and the difficulty of scaling force. The taser ended up in the suspect’s lap as the officer rapidly transitioned.

1. Danny King’s K-9 Handler Experience:

• Scenario: Contacting a high-risk individual, had backup, but approached too closely.
• Officer’s Action: Asked suspect to put hands on the car, then stepped up to control from “feet” away instead of distance.
• Key Learning: Complacency due to extensive experience (contacting hundreds of high-risk individuals) led to skipping safety procedures. Believed he could “read the situation” and ended up in a dangerous encounter. Should have controlled from a distance (prone him out, etc.).

III. Quiz

Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

1. What is the primary goal of a critical incident critique, according to Jamie Borden?
2. Describe Danny King’s personal experience in 2018 that paralleled the Killingly shooting incident.
3. Why is it generally recommended to maintain distance when making contact with a high-risk suspect?
4. Explain the concept of being “psychologically stuck” on a taser, as described by Danny King.
5. What distinction does Jamie Borden draw between “complacency” and a “lack of experience” in officer performance?
6. Why might a taser not be the ideal “tool of choice” when dealing with an “unknown” threat, particularly when alone?
7. What does Jamie Borden mean when he states that “tactics are aspirational”?
8. According to the discussion, what is one major assumption commonly made in online critiques about officer conduct that Jamie Borden refutes?
9. What crucial step did Danny King admit to skipping in his K-9 handler experience, despite knowing it was wrong?
10. What final advice do Jamie Borden and Danny King offer officers regarding critical incidents and public perception?

Quiz Answer Key

1. The primary goal of a critical incident critique is to identify actions that officers should replicate, change, or avoid, serving as learning points. It aims to analyze and evaluate incidents, not to degrade or condemn the officers’ actions in the moment.
2. In 2018, Danny King pursued a driver who put his hand in his pocket. King drew his taser but felt “mentally and physically unprepared” when the suspect turned towards him with his hand still in his pocket, realizing his focus on the taser prevented him from quickly transitioning to a higher threat response.
3. Maintaining distance when contacting a high-risk suspect allows officers to assess non-compliance and take action from a safer range. It prevents the highly dangerous “hands-on” moment where an officer is too close to react if the suspect becomes aggressive or draws a weapon.
4. Being “psychologically stuck” on a taser refers to an officer’s focus and commitment to deploying a taser, which can make it difficult to rapidly transition to a higher level of force, such as drawing a firearm, if a deadly threat suddenly emerges. This can delay critical decision-making under stress.
5. Jamie Borden distinguishes that complacency involves an experienced officer skipping steps due to comfort and repeated successful outcomes. A lack of experience, conversely, means an officer genuinely lacks exposure or training resources to handle a scenario safely, not that they are intentionally overlooking procedures.
6. A taser may not be the ideal “tool of choice” in an “unknown” situation because it is a lower level of force and not designed for deadly threats. Focusing on taser deployment can hinder an officer’s ability to quickly scale up to a firearm if the threat level escalates rapidly, potentially leaving them vulnerable.
7. When Jamie Borden states that “tactics are aspirational,” he means that they are ideal aims for the best outcome, but real-world environments are constantly changing. No single tactic can guarantee a perfect outcome in every rapidly evolving, unpredictable situation.
8. One major assumption commonly made in online critiques is that officers should always wait for backup before contacting a suspect. Jamie Borden refutes this by explaining that many officers, especially troopers in rural areas, often work alone and backup may be hours away or non-existent.
9. Danny King admitted that in his K-9 handler experience, he approached a high-risk suspect too closely (only feet away) when he should have maintained distance and controlled the situation from afar. He knew this was wrong but relied on his experience to “read” the situation, which then “blew up in his face.”
10. Jamie Borden and Danny King advise officers not to take critiques personally, even if incidents go viral. They emphasize that critiques are for collective learning, survival, and improving safety within the profession, encouraging officers to embrace learning points and share experiences to help others.

1. Essay Format Questions

1. Analyze the concept of “trade-offs” in the context of law enforcement decision-making during critical incidents. How do both Danny King’s personal account and the Killingly incident illustrate the costs and benefits of different tactical choices, particularly regarding taser deployment versus maintaining hands-free readiness?
2. Discuss the critical distinction between “complacency” and a “lack of experience” as factors influencing officer performance, according to Jamie Borden. How might understanding this difference impact how critical incident reviews are conducted and how training programs are designed?
3. Evaluate the recommendations made regarding contacting high-risk suspects. Using examples from the sources, explain why creating distance and avoiding premature “hands-on” engagement are considered crucial safety procedures, and what the potential consequences are if these steps are skipped.
4. “You’ll never rise to the occasion; you’ll drop to your lowest form of readiness.” Elaborate on this statement from the perspective of human factors and performance under stress, as discussed in the sources. How does this principle underscore the importance of continuous training, “what if” planning, and the ability to articulate one’s actions and thought processes?
5. Consider the challenges faced by officers working alone, particularly in rural or isolated areas, as highlighted in the discussion. How does this reality challenge common assumptions made in public and online critiques of police actions, and what implications does it have for tactical training and operational planning?

1. Glossary of Key Terms

• Aspirational Tactics: Tactics that aim for the best possible outcome but are not guaranteed to succeed due to the unpredictable and rapidly changing nature of critical incidents. They represent an ideal rather than a foolproof solution.
• Articulation: The ability of an officer to clearly and comprehensively explain their thought process, perceived threat, and the limitations that drove their decisions during a critical incident. Crucial for understanding and reviewing actions.
• Bifurcated Attention: A divided focus, where an officer’s attention is split between two or more elements, such as attempting to deploy a taser while also needing to assess for a deadly threat. This can hinder effective decision-making and rapid transitions.
• BOLO (Be On the Lookout): An alert issued by law enforcement to make other officers aware of a suspect, vehicle, or item of interest, often related to a crime.
• Complacency: A state of uncritical self-satisfaction or contentment, especially when accompanied by an unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. In law enforcement, it can lead experienced officers to skip safety procedures due to overconfidence or repeated successful outcomes.
• Critical Incident Critique: A structured review and analysis of a high-stakes or potentially life-threatening event involving law enforcement. The goal is to identify learning points, best practices, and areas for improvement, rather than to assign blame.
• De-escalation: The process of reducing the intensity of a conflict or potentially violent situation through communication and tactical positioning, aiming to resolve the situation without the use of force or with the minimum necessary force.
• Experiential Treatment: A method of critique that draws on the personal experiences of officers to provide deeper insight and relatability to the analysis of an incident, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of decision-making under stress.
• Force Escalation / Scaling Up: The process of increasing the level of force used by an officer in response to a rising threat level from a suspect. This includes transitioning from a lower-level force option (like a taser) to a higher-level option (like a firearm).
• Hands-Free (readiness): The tactical recommendation for officers to keep their hands unencumbered during certain situations (e.g., foot pursuits) to allow for the fastest possible deployment of a firearm if a deadly threat suddenly emerges.
• High-Risk Suspect: An individual believed to have committed serious crimes, known to resist, or otherwise presents a significant threat to officers or the public.
• Human Factors: The study of how humans interact with systems, tools, and environments. In law enforcement, it examines how psychological, physiological, and environmental elements affect officer performance and decision-making during critical incidents.
• Mechanistic Thinking / Normative Thought Process: The tendency to analyze past events by applying one’s own filters, experiences, and assumptions about what “should have, could have, or would have been done,” often without full consideration of the dynamic, real-time environment the officer faced.
• Psychologically Stuck: A mental state where an officer becomes overly committed or fixated on a particular tool or action (e.g., a taser), making it difficult to shift focus or transition to a different response when the situation rapidly changes.
• Procedural Justice: The idea that perceptions of fairness and respect in interactions with authorities are critical to fostering public trust and cooperation, regardless of the outcome.
• Trade-Offs: The recognition that in complex, rapidly evolving situations, there are rarely perfect choices. Every decision involves a cost or a benefit, and choosing one course of action often means foregoing another, with associated consequences.
• Unknown (Threat): A situation where an officer has limited or incomplete information about a suspect’s intentions, capabilities, or whether they pose a deadly threat. This ambiguity makes decision-making more challenging.
• X26P: A specific model of Taser brand electronic control device.