High-Risk Traffic Stop

I continue my discussion on my first ride along with the Dunwoody Police Department by describing a high-risk traffic stop. A BOLO for a stolen white Ford Explorer was called in and the patrol supervisor stopped the vehicle and requested back up. Without hesitation, my host went code 3. With that said, when you see an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens activated behind you, you should either move to the right if you can or stay where you are so the vehicle can weave between you and other cars.




When we got there, I was told to stand by as my escort and the rest of the police department drew their weapons on the suspect. My escort made a point for me to notice the following things. One, every police officer has each others' backs and two, at least one police officer always keep a gun on the suspect while the other makes the arrest. The suspect turned out to be a repo man. Afterwards, a use of force report had to be filed. Such a report is filed whenever an officer draws or uses his or her weapon against a suspect.



The Marietta Police Department also have plenty weapons, a fact they state on their website. My escort carried a .40 cal. Glock with a tactical light, but he did not carry his back-up weapon, also a .40 cal. Glock. The back-up weapon doesn't have a tactical light. The fleet patrol vehicle has a gun rack in between the driver and rider's seats. However, my escort preferred not to use it because it malfunctioned at a critical time. He prefers to keep his 5.56 mm. S&W in the trunk. In my next post, I will turn my attention to other aspects of my ride along with the Marietta Police Department.