Escaping the Kill Zone

by Ed Lovette

This is a dated article, however much if not all is still valid today. Excerpt below.

Read the entire article here:

Escaping the Kill Zone

I left law enforcement in 1982 to join the Central Intelligence Agency. During my early years with the CIA, we suddenly found ourselves having to deal with terrorist attacks against our officers planned for the express purpose of kidnapping or killing them. The majority of these assaults happened while our officers were in vehicles.

In the late 1980s, I did a tour of duty in one country with a very active terrorist threat where we averaged an attack a week. Probably my most valuable lesson from that experience was that there are actions that a lone officer in a vehicle can take to enhance his or her chances of surviving the direct assault vehicle ambush.

First let's take a look at those things you need to consider generally and then we'll get into the specifics. I would expect that most of you are already doing some of these things as part of your constant preparation to deal with "duty dangers."

At the top of the list you start with mindset. "You need to prepare your mind, for where your body may have to go." That's what ambush survivor Officer Stacy Lim of the Los Angeles Police Department told Lt. Col Dave Grossman as reported in Grossman's acclaimed book "On Combat."

Next you need to be aware of current intelligence. Pay attention to the information you receive at a roll call briefing or on the street regarding the rumor of an attack on a police officer as well as lessons learned from the investigation results of police ambushes. Always look for something you can use to avoid an ambush or at least see it coming. Was the attacker known to the officer or was it a truly random assault?

Was the officer's vehicle followed by the attacker prior to the ambush? Did the officer have any patterns of activity that made him predictably vulnerable to attack?

You also need to make sure your awareness level is appropriate for the task at hand, in this case vehicle ambush. And you need training, with both classroom and practical exercises, on attack recognition and response, including evasion and counterattack.

And last but not least you need to consider the vehicle. The vehicle, the patrol car, the "shop," is obviously what distinguishes the vehicle ambush from other types of attacks. It also gives you instant mobility to get out of the kill zone. In keeping with the suggested tactics for lethal force encounters the vehicle helps you move and create distance. It gives you some protection from small arms fire. And it gives you a 4,000-pound weapon that you can use against your attackers.

Room to Move

As discussed earlier, an ambush is characterized by suddenness, surprise, and lack of provocation. That means it has much in common with other types of attacks on officers and even hostile contacts and situations you face on a daily basis. You manage those situations by controlling them. And that's what the vehicle does for you, it gives you control in a vehicle ambush. Most often you can take that control just by stepping on the gas.

To make the vehicle's advantages work for you during a vehicle ambush, you need to recognize an attack, have the engine running, and have room to move. Consider what you are doing when you shut the engine off. You are losing the biggest advantage your vehicle can offer you, instant mobility. Once you turn the engine off, you are more vulnerable to an attack because you have made it more difficult to escape.

The less time you spend sitting in a parked car the better. Unfortunately, this is simply not always possible. So you need to have a plan if you have to park your vehicle, shut it off, and sit there for a while.

If you are stopped at a light, you need to pay attention to what is going on around you. Keep your eyes moving and watch your mirrors.

Be aware of people who approach your car on foot. Watch their eyes, their hands, and their demeanor for pre-assault cues. Observe their clothing where they can hide weapons. And if someone approaches your car and raises your suspicions, do a quick 360-degree check to see if there are others with the person.

On a roadway with multiple lanes, stay in the far left lane if possible. This permits vehicles going in your direction to only approach you on the right. This also makes it a little easier for you to watch them.