K9 SWAT Deployments: CS Gas Environments

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SERIOUS HANDLERS. SERIOUS TRAINING.

K9 SWAT Deployment CS GAS ENVIRONMENTS: JOPLIN (MO) DEBRIEF This debrief is the collaborative effort of K9 Officer Adam Brannin and Sergeant Nick Jimenez from the Joplin Police Department in Missouri. The Joplin Police Department has a 29-man SWAT team (including snipers and negotiators) and the K9 unit has five dual purpose patrol dogs.

O

n December 14, 2017, at 1736 hours, the Joplin (MO) Police Department SWAT team responded to an armed and barricaded homicide suspect from Ohio. Members of the Joplin Police Department Investigations Bureau and the United States Marshals had found the suspect within a residence in the city of Joplin, but he refused to exit.

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Upon arrival, members of the Joplin SWAT team set a perimeter around the residence and negotiations began. Patrol officers stated they had stopped a car leaving the residence, and occupants confirmed the homicide suspect was inside. The SWAT team conducted a “contain and call out” of the residence and two more occupants exited, but none were the homicide suspect.

After several hours of failed negotiations, chemical munitions were introduced into the residence. Operator Phil Beckham was deployed with a 12-gauge Amtec CS barricade penetrator.

Beckham deployed approximately sixteen 12-gauge penetrator rounds in the lower and

upper floors on the one, two, and three side of the residence in an attempt to drive the suspect out of the residence to the arrest team on the one side of the residence.

There was no response from the suspect after waiting several hours. Another gas team was formed with Beckham preparing a “hotbox” with a canister of ALS CS. Sgt. Nick Jimenez, Sgt. Luke Stahl, and Beckham deployed the hotbox through a large window on the two side of the residence. After continued negotiations attempts failed, a RoboteX robot was deployed through the same window through which the hotbox was thrown. The robot cleared several areas with no sight of the suspect.

Officer Brannin provides lethal cover for K9 Officer Brown and K9 Pax as they prepare for an attic insertion.

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Entry After several hours of no response by the suspect to the negotiator or the chemical munitions deployment, and no sight of the suspect using the robot, the SWAT commander, Captain Joe Moore, gave the entry team the order to clear the residence. During this time, K9 Officer Adam Brannin and his partner Belgon had been with the quick reaction team using the armored personnel carrier for cover. Before making entry, second SWAT dog Pax and his handler, Officer Bobby Brown, were deployed to relieve K9 Belgon and Brannin.

K9 Pax and Brown deployed with the entry team. One strategy employed was having a former SWAT dog handler who is now a team leader on the SWAT team, run point to communicate to the handler what behavior the K9 is displaying. All operators made entry in protective masks due to the level of CS that had been deployed into the residence. There were no concerns on how K9 Pax would perform in a chemical environment due to past exposure and training in that environment.

Due to training in full kit with the K9 on a regular basis, and attending a SWAT and K9 Interacting During Deployment School, Pax and entry team members were comfortable using the K9 to clear the gas environment.

Over the years, Pax has trained in a chemical environment several times and deployed in a chemical environment multiple times. One initial training strategy employed to acclimate the dogs to gas environments was to use smoke with safety precautions due to smoke displacing oxygen.

Pax quickly adapted to the chemical environment and cleared the initial entry point. After no changes of behavior were observed in Pax, a slow and methodical clearing of the lower level was made with no suspect located. Pax searched multiple rooms while utilizing a long line to allow for better control and limited penetration into the search area.

NFDDs were utilized throughout the lower level when entry was made into rooms. Entry announcements and K9 announcements were given multiple times throughout this operation and entry.

After the lower level had been cleared, a crawl space opening into a finished attic was located. The small attic opening was accessible by a ladder. A pole camera was deployed to clear the immediate opening. A robot was then deployed to clear the attic as much as possible. After the robot observed no sight of the suspect in the crawl space, another CS hotbox was deployed to the attic. No reaction was heard from the attic.

It was originally thought an officer may have seen the suspect look out the attic window at the beginning of the operation. At this time Brown, Pax, Jimenez, and Stahl formed an entry team for the attic. A lethal cover officer stood at the base of the ladder while Brown placed Pax on his shoulders.

Brown then climbed to a point where Pax deployed off Brown’s back, through the small attic opening and into the CS-gased attic. After hearing no apprehension or alert, an entry team of Jimenez, Stahl, and Brown/K9 Pax entered the attic, with Pax holding in place. Entry members cleared the attic; no suspect was located.

K9 Officer Brannin sits with K9 Belgon giving announcements to a crawl space while Officer Brown holds lethal cover.

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“Monthly training must take place with the SWAT team entry operators and the K9 handlers. Think of scenarios that may take place and train for them.”

This attic had been finished with thin walls that led to covered portions above the front and back porches.

The west and south walls were breached, then cleared by the K9. After an extensive search of the attic, the suspect was not located. By this time, K9 Pax was fatigued due to clearing the lower level and attic.

Brannin and K9 Belgon replaced Pax at this time.

As we can all attest, after an extended barricade operation with no suspect being located, disappointment and complacency can start to set it. Sgt. Brian Henderson reminded Jimenez and Brannin that Operator Kent Shouse had been holding a crawl space entrance to the residence for several hours that still needed to be cleared.

At this time, Jimenez, Brannin, and K9 Belgon deployed to the opening of the crawl space. Jimenez held lethal cover at the opening while Brannin gave announcements. At this time, Jimenez observed the suspect attempting to hide and cover himself in the crawl space. The suspect failed to comply with commands to show his hands and come toward the opening. The suspect tucked both hands under his body and was attempting to hide in the space.

Jimenez advised Brannin of his observations since Brannin couldn’t see the suspect due to Belgon being in the opening with Jimenez.

After the suspect failed to follow several commands, Brannin deployed K9 Belgon into the crawl space.

Belgon bit the suspect on the shoulder. Using his long line, Brannin pulled the suspect toward the opening while Jimenez kept lethal cover on him. Once at the opening, Jimenez grabbed the suspect who was still resisting the dog.

The suspect still would not give up his hands so Jimenez grabbed the suspect’s hair and pulled him from the crawl space. The suspect still resisted the K9, who stayed on the bite. Once outside of the crawl space, Brannin and Jimenez placed handcuffs on the suspect, then Belgon was outed from the bite. The homicide suspect was treated for his injuries and transported to jail without incident.

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Lessons Learned • There is a place for K9 on a SWAT team.

It took several years before we had buyin from not only the K9 side, but also the SWAT side.

• Monthly training must take place with the SWAT team entry operators and the K9 handlers. Think of scenarios that may take place and train for them.

• Officer Shouse stood at that crawl space for several hours while gas, robots, and pole cams were deployed, and never asked for relief or to leave. He did his job. It was not glamorous at the time, but ended up being the most important job of the operation.

• Train in gas environments and in your mask. Brown, Stahl, and Jimenez were in kit and mask while making entry into the attic. This was physically taxing, but they were able to operate due to the familiarity of working in a mask.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of The Tactical Edge, the official publication of the National Tactical Officers Association, and is reprinted with permission.

Officer Adam Brannin has been in law enforcement for 16 years and worked a dual-purpose K9 for 10 years. He has served on the Joplin Police Department SWAT team for eight years.

Sergeant Nick Jimenez has been a police officer for over 10 years and worked a dual-purpose K9 for almost seven years. He has served on the Joplin Police Department SWAT team for eight years.

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