SWAT Training Kearney, Nebraska

BILL KELLY: Every month, officers assigned to the Kearney police department SWAT team train and drill. For this drill, we were there with 360 degree cameras. That's me in the orange vest shooting some additional video. It's a mix of city police offers and Buffalo County sheriff's deputies. They're practicing tactics to respond to a high-risk suspect inside of a building. SGT. KYLE HARHBARGER: SWAT just basically stands for Special Weapons And Tactics. We train as a team. We have special tools that a normal officer doesn't have. What it really comes down to is when deployed in a high risk situation, weather it be armed barricade subject, a high risk search warrant where they might possibly be armed, all the way to a hostage situation. BILL KELLY: This facility, designed for firefighters, also is able to run real life exercises for the SWAT team. OFFICER: Breacher! Banger! Breacher! Banger! BILLY KELLY: The team leader calls for a breacher to break open the door and a banger to be ready with a flash grenade. In this simulation, the volunteer bad guy waits in a back room. It's a dangerous scenario if the team must walk down that long hallway. OFFICER: Breach! (GLASS BREAKING) BILLY KELLY: Outside, officers will breach the doorway and pretend to throw down earsplitting explosive charges, hoping to disorientate the man inside. GREG BENSON: For the last seven to eight years we have used a tactic of dynamic entry. Speed, surprise, violence and action, that's the kind of verbiage that we use. Which, as soon as we hit that door, boom! We were coming in and trying to dominate the structure as quickly and safely as we could. OFFICER: I have contact! Contact! Back room over there! BILL KELLY: The SWAT unit secures the front of the house. Now the team leader coaxes the suspect down the hallway and into the open. OFFICER: Hands up! SUSPECT: I apologize. OFFICER: Stop! Hands up where I can see them, bud! Can you hear me? SUSPECT: Yeah. OFFICER: Hands higher! Walk towards me. Slowly. Slowly. BILL KELLY: Officer Greg Benson is the team leader. You can see him there reminding officers about the best way to position themselves and their weapons. The SWAT team now has a safe distance to watch the suspect's movements. There is more time for both sides to think through the risks. The goal is to eliminate risky split-second shoot or don't shoot instincts. OFICER: Stop! Turn to face me. To your right. Turn to your right, to your right. Get down on your knees. To your knees. Walk hands and knees to me. Hands to knees to me. Hands to knees to me. We have him. We have him. No problem. No problem. No problem. BILL KELLY: Instead of the explosive shock and awe you may have seen in TV or the movies the tactics are slower and more methodical, with an eye on safety. GREG BENSON: If I'm further away from you, let's say at the doorway calling you out, what advantage do I have there? I have time and space. I'm going to be able to communicate, and make a better decision versus the old way of diving into a room, what did I just give up there? BILL KELLY: The team member drill these tactics, often introducing unexpected plot twists. Trainers rethought over the years the run and gun method. GREG BENSON: They have realized that we're losing a lot of guys. What we're doing is not that safe. OFFICER: Go! Go! Open door right! Open door right! Police department! Search area! GREG BENSON: Let's not rush into a house of an unknown or a lone suspect and getting cops killed. Ok? Let's think about our tactics there's other things that we can do. OFFICER: Slowly stand up. Keep your hands up. Slowly stand up. Hands up! Slowly walk towards us. BILL KELLY: What happens in the field can never be predicted, but with these tactics SWAT teams can focus on keeping their officers and their suspects safe. For NET News, I'm Bill Kelly.

Channel: Nebraska Public Media

Views: 643,704

Keywords: PBS, Nebraska, NET Television, Police, Kearney, SWAT, Police Department, Buffalo County, military tactics, Guns, flash grenade, Sergeants, officers, Nebraska Public Media, 360 video, law enforcement, law enforcement training, cops, Kearney Nebraska, active shooter

Id: F-Z5n1tMF3Q

Length: 4min 42sec (282 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 26 2017