KNOXVILLE OFFICER HIT

Transcription

1 Volume 9 Program 7 KNOXVILLE OFFICER HIT BACKUP TROOPER TRAP DUTY SHEET AND LESSON PLAN Total Program Length 42:31 IN THE LINE OF DUTY is produced exclusively as an interactive sharing resource for the law enforcement community. No commercial use or access to the public at large is permitted without the authorization of L.O.D., Inc. This program contains actual video of real police incidents with no reenactments or simulations. The program is protected by copyright. Reproduction in any form is strictly prohibited without authorization from L.O.D., Inc. The material The material included in this program is designed for informational purposes only. OF IN THE LINE OF DUTY makes representation regarding the effectiveness or appropriateness of any action or technique depicted herein. It is not intended to replace or supersede existing training policies or guidelines of individual law enforcement agencies. In the Line of Duty Training videos have received POST approval for continuing education credit for training in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

2 THE INCIDENT It was 3:15 A.M. in Knoxville, Tennessee. A special unit of more than 20 Knoxville Police Department officers were just wrapping up a nighttime patrol of a section of town know as the Cumberland Avenue Strip. Every Friday night prior to University of Tennessee football games, thousands of university students would gather on the strip to party. Lots of drinking. Lots of drunks. By 3:15, most had left the area. Sgt. Lisa Green, a veteran Knoxville officer, was ending her shift. She was about to release fellow officers. She waited at a light on Cumberland. When it turned green, she began crossing. Half way across, she was struck by a small car, tossed up over the windshield, and then fell to the pavement in front of the car which had struck her. It had stopped immediately. Green was badly injured but conscious. Because of the large number of officers at the scene, help arrived immediately. Immediately taken into custody was driver, 18 year old Vickie Renee Johnson, a local stripper, who was admittedly intoxicated at the time of the accident Among the first on the scene was Officer Jeremy Maupin. He had the presence of mind to attend to Green who was conscious. His primary reaction was to perform basic first aid and secure her neck, and also to repeatedly reassure Sgt. Green. He explained to her what had happened, that she was okay, and that medical help was on the way. Sgt. Green remembers the importance of such reassurance. She was in code white and uncertain as to what had happened. She had fought to remain calm for she did not know if there was further danger. Sgt. Green s husband, Sgt. Ron Green, who is also with the Knoxville Police Department was just ending his shift and was in the driveway at their home when he was notified of his wife s accident. He remembers that because an officer had been involved in the incident, radio traffic was less than calm. IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith (Retired in August, 2004) calls the response to Sgt. Green s accident textbook. The reason is many-fold. First and foremost, the officers who converged on the scene were extremely disciplined in keeping emotions in check and taking up necessary assignments from helping Sgt. Green, to directing traffic, to handling the drunk driver who had hit Sgt. Green, to giving other officers assignments. Training was cited as a principal reason for the discipline and effectiveness of the response. Officer David Wilson gave the field sobriety test to Johnson. She was very chatty during the process and subsequent trip to the hospital for a blood alcohol test. She blew a.11 which was.01 over the legal limit in Tennessee. She repeatedly told Wilson that she was drunk, that she was 18, that she was sorry, and that she had been set up to drink at a local pub by the owner who knew she was underage. Wilson transported her to the hospital handcuffed in front. He did so to make her

3 comfortable and cooperative but admits he would cuff in back if he had it to do over again. SGT. GREEN Sgt. Green showed remarkable compassion following the incident in spite of injuries to her head, neck, back, and knees. She credits her body armor for helping her to survive the impact. After an initial fury over the incident and the fact an underage woman had been served at a local bar, she began to think in terms of the future of Johnson. She decided not to recommend full prosecution in order not to taint the woman with a felony conviction. She favored a much lesser charge so Johnson would have a chance to become a productive member of society rather than a convicted felon with limited opportunities following prison. LESSONS LEARNED 1 Always be aware of conditions: Officers should be conscious of their environment whenever on duty. In this case, heavy drinking was a big part of the conditions that existed that night. 2 Remain calm when injured: The danger may not be over when an officer is injured. Remaining calm can be a defense. 3 First aid training: Keep up to date on first aid procedures. The need can come into play any time. 4 Train for stressful situations: Thoughtfulness and calming techniques can be trained for. 5 Contain emotions: Especially when a fellow officer is involved. 6 Wear your vest: The vest can be protective against more than bullets. 7 Communicate clearly: Clear, calm and precise communications are vital. Panic is contagious. 8 Supervisors must supervise: Supervisors on scene should take over to ensure maximum effectiveness. 9 Maximize camera use: Knoxville recommends keeping car cameras rolling any time the vehicle is in motion. They can be used for more than recording traffic stops. Questions 1. Do you see any means whereby this accident might have been prevented? 2. In this situation, officers were well aware that a lot of drinking had been going on. Do you take any special precautions during such situations? Discuss it. 3. Sgt. Green credits her vest with saving her life. Do you wear your vest at all times? If not, why not? 4. Discuss Officer Maupin s techniques for reassuring Sgt. Green after she was hit.

4 5. Have you ever given any thought to what needs to be said and done when a fellow officer lies before you wounded or injured? Discuss it. 6. Sgt. Green credits her training with helping her keep a clear head even when badly injured. Do you believe you have been trained to react as well? If so, why? If not, why not? 7. Discuss Sgt. Green s decision to give the driver of the car that hit her a second chance? Would you do the same. If so, why? If not, why not? 8. Discuss the role of the supervisor, Lt. Hoskins, in this incident. 9. Discuss Officer Wilson s handling of the subject both in terms of the field sobriety test and conversations with her. 10. Discuss the way the Knoxville P.D. uses its cruiser cameras for situations other than traffic stops. 11. Discuss Officer Wilson s decision to handcuff the petite but intoxicated subject in the front. Epilog As of this taping, almost two years after the incident, Sgt. Green has still been unable to return to duty because of her injuries. A civil suit filed by Sgt. Green in this case was still pending almost two years after the incident. Vickie Renee Johnson did no jail time for hitting Sgt. Green. She was charged with drunk driving and aggravated assault. She pled guilty to reckless endangerment and was given two years probation and 200 hours of community service, following Sgt. Green s request for leniency. Her passenger, and car owner, Tabatha Conner, received a 30 day suspended sentence for allowing Johnson to drive her car while intoxicated. The bar in question closed shortly after the incident. The building has since been razed for a parking lot. Sgt. Green has become an outspoken advocate for legislation to get tough on those who provide alcohol to underage drinkers and repeat DUI offenders. All officers interviewed for this program are still with the Knoxville Police Department, with the exception of Officer David Wilson. He is now a special agent with D.E.A. BACKUP This segment focuses on the invention of Oklahoma State Trooper Alan Beaty called Trooper Trap. It is a device affixed to the seat belt in a cruiser which sets off an alarm if a subject in custody tries to get out of the seat belt when the officer is preoccupied. This invention was born of necessity after a woman in Trooper Beaty s custody slipped out of her cuffs and seat belt in h is cruiser while he was taking inventory of her vehicle. More information on Trooper Trap can be found at or in the July, 2004 issue of Police Magazine. In the Line of Duty has no proprietary interest in Trooper Trap.

5 LESSON PLAN SYNOPSIS: Time: Objectives: Obj. A. Obj. B This course focuses on an officer struck by a car driver by a drunk driver; her response, and the response of fellow officers. It is designed to heighten awareness that officers must have over their environment at all times and how to respond to emergencies. 1 Hour Upon completion of this course, officers should have a better understanding of how to react to a sudden emergency involving a fellow officer or civilian. Understanding the environment in which an officer is working. Understand how to deal with a sudden, unexpected crisis. INSTRUCTOR S NOTES LESSON PLAN GUIDE Obj. A. 1. Understanding the environment in which an officer is working. a) Heavy drinking was a key element of this environment b) Officers need to be more aware of the potential for danger when there are large numbers of people, drinking, and driving. c) Officers are not invincible d) The officer struck went by the book, looked both ways, waited for the

6 light, and even so, she was struck by a drunk driver. e) Fellow officers responded immediately f) Officers respond to need and deploy accordingly g) Injured officer, in Code White, worked to maintain calm to determine if there was further danger. h) Attending officer used basic first aid on injured officer. i) Most important to the injured officer, were the words of reassurance offered by the attending officer. j) Officers recognize the need for calm and precise communications when an incident is being reported, especially to relatives of the person who is injured Obj. B 1. Understand how to deal with a sudden, unexpected crisis. a) Need to keep emotions in check no matter how dramatic the situation. b) Maintain discipline c) Assume assigned or necessary roles d) Supervisor should see to it that all roles are filled and that extraneous personnel are kept out of the way. e) Isolate the subject and conduct field sobriety test (if necessary). f) Conduct the test the same way every time. g) Handcuff according to policy. h) Counseling. i) Wider use of cameras? NAME DATE VIEWED VOLUME 9 PROGRAM 7