AM,The Annoyed Man wrote:I agree. ANYTHING that would have identified this officer as a good guy would have probably saved his life.Excaliber wrote:A fluorescent traffic vest with police markings is another viable option for carry in the vehicle.The Annoyed Man wrote:So why don't plain-clothes officers keep a "Raid Jacket" in their trunk - along with the AR15 - just for scenarios like this? Apparently, the poor guy who got shot had a rifle in his car, "just in case." He might still be alive if he also had a blue windbreaker with "POLICE" in big gold letters on the back, or something like that. To me, it isn't a training issue so much as it is a preparedness issue which falls more squarely on the chain of command than it does on the line officers - even the plain clothed ones. If they had expected an plain clothes officer to carry a rifle in his car, and if they had expected him to respond in his capacity as an LEO in such a situation, then shame on them for not also providing him with some kind of covering to identify him in a shooting scenario as friend, and not foe.
It's not stealthy, but stealth isn't your biggest concern when you're in plainclothes with uniformed officers responding to your location from multiple directions.
I can think of other situations too. What about if an off-duty LEO uses his gun in the apprehension and/or shooting of a suspect, and uniformed officers roll up while the off-duty guy still has his gun in hand? I think that among other things, the first order of business for this police department is to make sure that all officers are supplied with such a jacket or other identifying cover garment that they can keep in their vehicles for just such occasions.
Believe me, any officer with a modicum of common sense has ruminated on that scenario. As should any one with a CHL.
I know I have thought about it many times. The scenario, however unlikely to happen, that worries me most is a "Mexican Standoff" where the LEO is unable to see the BG upon arriving at the scene.