Police Ready Challenge #8

August 21, 2009

You are chasing a robbery suspect carrying a gun around a building and see him jump into a car and take off. The car is heading in your direction and you think you could get off a shot before it gets to you. You need to hit the tires and make sure it stops the car cold.

What would you do in this situation?

1) Jump on the hood of the car as it passes close to you?
2) Take aim at the front tires and fire off several rounds?
3) Take cover and call for help?

Based on your selected option, here are brief descriptions that explains the outcome of each option.

1) Bad idea, this could only wind up in either a very serious or fatal accident with the good likelihood that the suspect would get away.
2) Another bad idea because you are in the downtown core and there are lots of other people around. The bullets could ricochet off the buildings and seriously harm innocent people. Also, firing into the tires while the car is traveling at high speed towards you means it could go out of control and hit you or someone else.
3) This is your best option and protects you and others from being shot at and wounded. You will have a chance to see the license plate number as well, and it also means help is on the way. The pursuit vehicles disable the car when they get a bead on where it is headed.

For some reason the car gets to the end of the street, spins a U turn and heads back in your direction. You hear the wail of sirens heading your way. Obviously the driver saw other police vehicles coming to assist you.

What would you do in this situation?

1) Draw your gun and take a shot at the vehicle because there’s more room to fire?
2) Hop into your cruiser and drive it right in front of the oncoming car?
3) Keep track of where the vehicle is headed and radio the information to dispatch?

Based on your selected option, here are brief descriptions that explains the outcome of each option.

1) Not a good option. While you may well have more room to fire, you also have more potential chances to miss a moving target and wound or kill other people or drivers on the street.
2) Not a good option. There would be no time for you to bail out of the car and the impact might kill you and the suspect, not to mention other innocent people. You can’t assume that the driver of the speeding car will swerve to avoid your vehicle. You can’t risk the lives of others, or yourself in this scenario.
3) This is your best option, as this may allow a spike belt to be set up in a different location.

Joshua Mok
Police Ready
www.PoliceReady.com