Officer killed by stray buckshot pellet

[Rex G]

For my LEO friends how do you guys usually handle this scenario so you don’t have more of these incidents?

1. As a general practice, rather than in reference to this particular incident, well, I was normally the only shotgunner on any given scene, so, I often self-nominated myself to be the one in the front. Or, if the environment allowed, I might well flank the suspect’s/opponent’s position, or, at least move laterally, as situation permitted. (Of course, a suspect seeing himself being flanked, by an officer with a shotgun, can be very persuasive. Shotguns are not called “The Persuader” for nothin’.) For much of my career, was normally the highest-seniority officer on the scene, so, my colleagues generally went along with what I was doing.

2. For quite some time, I had a Vang Comp-ed barrel on my duty 870 and then 870P shotguns. If FFC was unavailable, no problem; all patterns were small. Actually, this particular barrel shot tighter patterns with the Remington 8-pellet load, anyway; there were never any fliers, during my quals, and other times I was firing this load.

3. Late in my career, when I transitioned to a Benelli M2, I loaded the tube with slugs, and would manually chamber 00 if I felt a need. (The Benelli M2 makes it very easy to quickly select-load the chamber, without wasting a shell onto the ground.) If I remember, FFC, and the Remington 8-pellet, were very scarce, during that time. (I had to buy my own duty ammo, and my own duty firearms, within PD policy/guidelines.)

4. As needed, I never hesitated to remove one hand from my shotgun, and draw the duty pistol. Carrying the duty pistol on my right hip, and tending to use the shotgun lefty, facilitated this. (Left Eye Dominant, and, largely ambidextrous, thankfully.)

Regarding the OP’s incident, I noticed that a shield was involved. I never worked with a shield, and if a shield was ever at a scene, it was being used by SWAT or another special team, so, I had, by that point, been relegated to perimeter duty. I wonder whether that errant pellet deflected/ricocheted off that shield, and where the shotgunner was, in relation to the shield?

I do not claim to be any kind of expert. I retired from LEO-ing more than seven years ago.

[jnc36rcpd]

Without watching a video it sounds like a situation where crossfire wasn’t fully considered. For my LEO friends how do you guys usually handle this scenario so you don’t have more of these incidents? I’m my limited experience in wheel house we always tried to form a “L Shape” when ever possible.

The "tactical L" is one technique. Training officers to stay on-line and not to fire from the "back of the bus" is also emphasized (or should be). The problem, of course, is situations are dynamic with officers, suspects, and other parties moving unpredictably.

In a fast-breaking situation like this I would have taken the shot with my issue shotgun loaded with FFC buckshot, That said, if time allowed and I were deploying with the 870, I would have transitioned to slugs.

[JRB]

1. As a general practice, rather than in reference to this particular incident, well, I was normally the only shotgunner on any given scene, so, I often self-nominated myself to be the one in the front. Or, if the environment allowed, I might well flank the suspect’s/opponent’s position, or, at least move laterally, as situation permitted. (Of course, a suspect seeing himself being flanked, by an officer with a shotgun, can be very persuasive. Shotguns are not called “The Persuader” for nothin’.) For much of my career, was normally the highest-seniority officer on the scene, so, my colleagues generally went along with what I was doing.

2. For quite some time, I had a Vang Comp-ed barrel on my duty 870 and then 870P shotguns. If FFC was unavailable, no problem; all patterns were small. Actually, this particular barrel shot tighter patterns with the Remington 8-pellet load, anyway; there were never any fliers, during my quals, and other times I was firing this load.

3. Late in my career, when I transitioned to a Benelli M2, I loaded the tube with slugs, and would manually chamber 00 if I felt a need. (The Benelli M2 makes it very easy to quickly select-load the chamber, without wasting a shell onto the ground.) If I remember, FFC, and the Remington 8-pellet, were very scarce, during that time. (I had to buy my own duty ammo, and my own duty firearms, within PD policy/guidelines.)

4. As needed, I never hesitated to remove one hand from my shotgun, and draw the duty pistol. Carrying the duty pistol on my right hip, and tending to use the shotgun lefty, facilitated this. (Left Eye Dominant, and, largely ambidextrous, thankfully.)

Regarding the OP’s incident, I noticed that a shield was involved. I never worked with a shield, and if a shield was ever at a scene, it was being used by SWAT or another special team, so, I had, by that point, been relegated to perimeter duty. I wonder whether that errant pellet deflected/ricocheted off that shield, and where the shotgunner was, in relation to the shield?

I do not claim to be any kind of expert. I retired from LEO-ing more than seven years ago.

You don't need to claim anything, Rex. It speaks to your character that you constantly acknowledge 'always someone better/faster/smarter' but the experience and knowledge you share from your long years carrying a heavy badge does indicate, in fact, that you are a knowledgeable expert in many things related to LE practices & TTPs, UOF with a variety of LE weapons, and dealing with poor LE management/hostile branches of local gov/etc.

My green-suit military dumbass is very grateful for the long years of LE experience you continue to share here. Particularly on topics like this one, where LE input is overwhelmingly more experienced on the subject matter.

[Hambo]

https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsyl...-fire/64633599

"At 11:13 and 45 seconds, (Archangel-Ortiz), while holding the healthcare worker hostage at gunpoint, exited the main door of the ICU. The officers, in their tactical positions, immediately created a reactionary gap and backed up in order to take full recognition, and to make full determinations of the hostage situation that was in front of them," Barker said. "Officers from both sides of the doorway begin to fire."

One of the officers on the right side shot Archangel-Ortiz in the upper back and shoulder with a shotgun. Some of the pellets also hit the wall, but the hostage was not struck.

Barker said that one projectile also hit an officer, who was holding a shield, in the hand.

At that point, Duarte, who was diagonal and slightly behind the officer with the shield, was aiming at Archangel-Ortiz. Two shots hit Duarte. One hit him in the left arm and went across his chest. The other hit him in the left side chest area, where his protective vest did not cover. Duarte was fatally wounded.

Another shot hit a third officer in the leg, injuring that individual.

The gunman, Archangel-Ortiz, was shot 15 to 20 times. Barker said it was difficult to be precise given the nature of the injuries.”

The bold sections seem pertinent to me. There are very, very few SWAT teams in the US that I want trying to rescue me. It's asking a lot for a pickup team of officers to perform an in extremis hostage rescue. Officers will use the experience and tools they have, and bad things can happen.