Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit Sergeant Marc Thomas

1
Vermont State PoliceTactical Services
UnitSergeant Marc Thomas
2
MISSION

• It is the policy of the Department to expend all
  reasonable efforts to bring about a peaceful
  solution to all incidents. Four distinct areas
  of action may be used to solve most hazardous
  situations Isolation, Containment, negotiation
  and various forms of tactical intervention to
  include but not limited to employment of entry
  squads, less lethal/chemical munitions and the
  use of selected marksmen

3
Team Leadership

• Team Leader SGT Marc Thomas, Middlesex Barracks
• Team Leader SGT Mike Aamodt, ST Albans Barracks
• Sniper Coordinator SGT Bill Jenkins, Royalton
  Barracks

4
Team Concept

• Members stationed from around the state
• Carry assigned gear with them at all times
• On call 24 hours a day
• TSU considered an additional duty
• Extensive individual and team tactical training
• Must possess the right stuff

5
Team Composition

• 18 members
• All trained for tactical entry
• 7 snipers
• 2 primary firearms instructors
• 1 chemical/less lethal munitions instructor
• 2 tactical breachers
• 2 sniper instructors
• 2 Taser instructors

6
Team Capabilities

• Hostage rescue
• High risk warrant service
• High risk felony car stop
• Barricades
• Suicidal suspects
• Surveillance
• Dignitary protection
• Tactical training support for local/state law
  enforcement, critical infrastructure security
  personnel, VT National Guard and federal law
  enforcement agencies

7
Entry Team Equipment

• MP-5, 9mm sub-machine gun
• M-4 and M-16 assault rifle
• 40 caliber handgun with lighting systems and
  laser sights
• Modular tactical assault vest and helmet
• Tasers

8
Entry Team Equipment (cont)

• Night vision capability
• Hydraulic breaching equipment
• Ballistic shields
• Ballistic blankets
• Fiber optic imaging equipment
• Thermal imaging camera
• Tactical response vehicle
• WMD protective equipment

9
Sniper Team Equipment

• Remington 700 sniper rifles w/ hybrid McMillan
  stocks, Harris bipods and Leupold tactical scopes
• Laser range finders
• Ghillie suits
• Extreme cold weather gear
• Specialty ammunition for limited penetration and
  glass penetration

10
Less Lethal Capability

• Shotgun deployed drag stabilized bean bag rounds
• PepperBall launcher with chemical munitions and
  kinetic energy impact munitions
• 37 mm chemical and less lethal munition systems
• Crowd control munitions to include stingball
  grenades, 12 gauge and 37 mm chemical less lethal
  munitions rounds
• Tasers

11
Chemical Munitions

• Shotgun deployed barricade/penetrator CS liquid
  (NON BURNING)
• Shotgun deployed barricade/penetrator OC powder
  (NON BURNING)
• Tri Chamber (flameless) CS liquid gas grenade
• 37mm barricade/penetrator CS
• Crowd control CS gas grenades (burning)
• Pepperball launchers

12
Team Training

• Basic and Advanced tactical entry training
  (NESPAC), LAPD and NTOA
• Basic and Advanced sniper training (NESPAC) and
  OPTAC
• Tactical breaching (NESPAC) and OPTAC
• Sniper Instructor (NESPAC and OPTAC)
• Chemical/less lethal instructor (NTOA)
• Bomb awareness New Mexico Tech
• WMD (live agent training) Anniston, Alabama
• Tactical Command Training (NTOA/Operational
  Tactics)
• Rapid deployment/Active shooter
• Clan Lab training (DEA)

13
Team Selection

• Must obtain at least a good on physical fitness
  test
• TSU specific agility test
• Panel interview with team leadership
• Weapons qualification and familiarity
• Command approval
• Peer review

14
Initial Response Considerations

• Isolate separate it from all other things
  around it
• Contain it Keep it from getting any bigger
• Negotiate it establish communications for
  anticipated positive resolution
• NOT for Active Shooter Situations!!!

15
Initial Response Considerations (cont)

• First responding tactical units should coordinate
  with negotiations unit to establish coordination
  of initial contact if not already done (must be
  well orchestrated and timed appropriately)
• Immediate Action Plan (tactical team resources)
  should be in place prior to formal negotiations
  taking place.
• Attempts should be made to gather all available
  intelligence information on suspect(s) involved
  (BCI resources and Fusion Center) should be
  shared with tactical resources.
• Tactical resources can be utilized to facilitate
  delivery of communications equipment if normal
  methods are unavailable

16
When negotiations begin

• Tactical Operations Center contains HNU
  representative to assist in sharing of
  information gained during negotiations
• Looking to confirm
• Numbers of hostages (if any)
• State of mind of suspect involved
• Weapons present
• Demands of suspect involved
• Degree of intoxication
• When on and off the phone
• Location of suspect inside structure

17
As Negotiations are taking place

• Tactical Resources are
• Developing deliberate action plan
• Locking in the perimeter
• Rehearsing deliberate action plan
• Gathering intelligence
• Formulating chemical Munitions plan
• Confirming routines of suspect inside structure
• Confirming location of suspect inside structure
• Informing Incident Commander of Tactical Options
  available to them

18
Tactical Options Available

• Chemical Munitions
• Less Lethal Munitions
• Sniper Initiated Assault
• Selected Marksmen
• Assault (stealth or dynamic entries)
• Vehicle take downs outside the barricaded
  structure
• (all of these are discussed at the Tactical
  Operations Center with the Incident Commander)

19
Suicidal/Barricades

• Very dangerous situations and are not to be taken
  lightly
• Old School go in after them
• Isolate, Contain and Negotiate
• Chemical munitions deployed to degrade combat
  effectiveness of suspect, decrease their will to
  resist and bring them to us!!
• After all other options exhausted, there may come
  a time where resources deployed to come to
  resolution

20
Assistance to Negotiators

• Perimeter personnel able to confirm what suspect
  is telling negotiators
• Tactical personnel can be used as ploy, move the
  cops back to gain respect from suspect
• Delivery of communications equipment, food and
  other items (will need to be well orchestrated
  in concert with negotiators (where it is placed
  and when will need to be on our terms!
• (when phones go in, tactical personnel will be
  controlling length of cord that goes in)

21
How Decision Made to Enter

• Tactical Assessment on status of negotiations
  (all options exhausted)
• Degrading of tactical advantage (transitioning
  from night time to day time)
• Loss of cover positions for perimeter personnel
• Escalation in aggressiveness of suspect (firing
  outside the structure, threats of violence, state
  of mind)

22
Surrender Sequences

• Well planned out between tactical resources and
  negotiators
• prep the suspect for what they will see
• Where and when it happens will need to be though
  through and timed to perfection
• Plan for the worst and hope for the best!
• If it goes bad or the suspect gets scared
  negotiators will need to be prepared to deal with
  outcomes

23
During Entry for Barricades

• The last and least desirable option!!!
• May request negotiations continue during breach
  and hold or stealth entry
• May request specific movement on behalf of
  suspect to gain tactical advantage
• Will want to know when on and off phone
  immediately

24
Hostage situations

• Quick assessment of what is taking place, of
  suspects involved and of hostages
• Need to slow things down we need some time!!!
• Tactical resources are
• Establishing perimeter
• Isolating and Containing
• Establishing immediate action plan

25
Hostage Situations (cont)

• Deliberate action planning
• Rehearsing all actions for specific contingencies
• Options available for tactical units
• Sniper option
• Sniper initiated assault
• Vehicle Assault outside of structure
• Stealth or Dynamic Entries
• ANY OF THE ABOVE WILL NOT BE PRETTY!!!

26
Hostage Situations (cont)

• Must have had conversations with Incident Command
  re what to do if shots fired???
• Immediate assault
• Wait for status of negotiations
• Time can be deadly..

27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29

• Requesting TSU Assistance
• Request through local station commander
• Contact team leaders (Sgt Marc Thomas and Sgt
  Mike Aamodt)
• Assistant Field Force Commander (Cpt Rob Evans)
• Assistant Field Force Commander authorizes all
  TSU missions

30
Questions???