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Got to help with SWAT training

trevorthebusdriver

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Censored by "The Man"

"Thank you all for participating in the SWAT exercise on 9/11/08. It was a valuable training event for everyone. Please do not share any of your impressions, pictures, observations or thoughts about this event with anyone. The tactics used by the police are not to be widely shared with anyone. Doing so jeopardizes the safety of the officers, your fellow employees, and our riding public."
 

deanf

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Did this once a few years ago with Valley SRT (SWAT). Managed to get all the way to their command post with a concealed Sig P226. This was after they searched me twice. There were some officers pissed with me. My Sig looked/felt exactly like the real thing, was loaded with simunitions.
 

deanf

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Here is my story from this thread:

Well it wasn't as much fun as I expected (I didn't get into any active shooting situations, but it was fun.)

I did manage to get a concealed simu-gun all the way to the command post, where I could have done some real damage. I and my partner were hiding behind a customs kiosk (we were in a cruise ship terminal). On the way in the instructor handed me a simu-gun (Sig P226) and told me that I was a Concealed Pistol License holder, but to not draw the gun. Just hide and wait for SWAT to contact. (we were victims in this situation). Later instructor told me to try to make my way out of the building, which I did, and SWAT spotted me and motioned me to them, and 1 of them took me out of the building.

He had me kneel and put my hands on my head. He asked if I had a gun. I said no. He searched me and didn't find it! I had it just tucked in my waistband on the right. He simulated cuffing me. He transfered custody to 2 SWAT officers and they searched me. I thought sure they'd find it. They didn't! They took me a short distance away to the command post, in another building. I was taken upstairs to the command post to be debriefed. The lady cop who was to question me asked them if I'd been searched. They said yes and head back down the stairs. At this point I drew the pistol and laid it down hard on the table. Her eyes got real big. She picked it up and showed it to the two SWAT guys who were now heading back down the stairs. She said "hey, you guys are dead." I didn't get a chance to see their faces because of their gear.

Later after a scenario all the SWAT guys marched through an area where we actors were milling about. One of them starting talking trash about some guy who got past him with a gun to the ICP. I said "yeah that was me." He got a real mean look on his face and said something like "i've got your number." He seemed serious to me.

Funny, huh?
 

deanf

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I just put my elbow over the butt of the pistol (imagine my hands behind my back and moving my elbows forward) while they were searching me. Of course I also lied!

Everyone else got searched very thoroughly for the rest of the drill.
 

deanf

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It is just too bad you weren't allowed too shoot

I had the drop on one of the SWAT guys while his partner was elsewhere inquiring on what to do with me. I could have drawn and seized his rifle and sidearm and taken him hostage. Trouble was both he and I had our eye protection off and were outside the "action area" at that point. Also, the people in the CP had REAL GUNS WITH REAL BULLETS.
 

deanf

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The action area was where simunitions were authorized to be fired. I would have been breaking the (safety) rules of the game if I had drawn on the guy.

The action area had very controlled entry and exit points. All persons entering the action area were searched for hidden weapons and their ammo was verified to be simunitions. They made it as safe as they could.
 

Johnny Law

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kparker wrote:
Also, the people in the CP had REAL GUNS WITH REAL BULLETS

You have got to be kidding me! Who approved that for a training exercise? That's how people get killed...
This is s.o.p. for any training exercise. A "control group" is always armed, but not actually participating in the exercise. This is because you have a whole bunch of cops (training) who aren't armed, and could be vulnerable during the training. The armed Officers are the security for the exercise.

Btw, Valley SWAT is not considered the pinnacle of SWAT teams and is generally looked down upon by local single Dept. teams. They are a hodge podge of members from various Dept's that don't train nearly enough together to form a top notch team.
 

kparker

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Johnny,

Yes, I understand, but it sounds to me like the folks in the CP were taking part in the exercise. He was lead by some of the SWAT folks who were in the exercise right up into the command post. Where's the firebreak in that setup?
 

deanf

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He was lead by some of the SWAT folks who were in the exercise right up into the command post.

Correct, and had I known that the CP people were really armed, I may not have drawn the gun and laid it on the table in such a dramatic fashion.
 

kparker

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had I known that the CP people were really armed

See, that's the part that I look at and ask, "Isn't this a flaw in the design of the exercise?"

Mind you, I've never been involved in such an exercise, much less design one, but it just seems odd that there isn't a better separation between the place(s) you have sim-arms and the place(s) you have real-arms. I'm more anal than that when I'm just doing practice with snapcaps at home.
 

just_a_car

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Honestly, at the comment "I have your number", I would have asked who his supervisor was and made a formal complaint that I was just threatened and that I wanted a public apology right there in front of everyone or I'd be filing formal charges.
 
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