The good folks at the Police Activity channel at YouTube are hitting some homeruns with their officer-involved shooting videos. Just a day or two ago, they posted a video from Winnebago County. The lessons we as regular people can learn from this video are many for those willing to discern them.
Basically, the suspect is an immigrant from the Central African Republic who got into a domestic dispute with his wife where he bloodied her. When police arrived, he was combative and non-compliant. Faustin Guetigo thought he was calling the shots after the cop placed him under arrest.
Wisely, the deputy tried to de-escalate and called for backup.
After pushing the cop around two or three times, the alleged wife-beater barricaded himself in the house.
Cops got the keys from the wife and made entry. Here’s where things get interesting: Faustin Guetigo met them at the base of the basement stairs with a 3′ long pipe in his hand. Despite multiple cops yelling at him and pointing their guns at him, he charged up the stairs.
He made it up the stairs, despite taking at least six or seven rounds to the chest on the way up. Still like that 5-shot revolver or 6-shot .380 in your pocket because carrying a full-size gun is too much of a pain in the butt?
Continuing the attack, as shots nine, ten and eleven break (along with another deputy shooting his meager Taser at the ban), Mr. Guetigo scored a direct hit on the deputy sergeant’s head with the pipe, knocking the veteran cop out cold before the other officers fired up on the would-be cop killer, ending his attack. The photo at the top of this post shows the neon yellow jacket-clad bad guy just after he connected his pipe with the cop’s grape.
The speed with which this man charged up stairs and landed a potentially lethal blow to the deputy’s head should go into your toolbox. Bad guys, particularly when highly motivated, can do some astounding things even after soaking up a gunshot or two. Or six or seven.
De-escalation and distance are your friends. Obstacles are also your friend against bad guys without guns.
And nothing beats a shotgun against even a motivated or drug-addled aggressor.
From the description:
Rockford, Illinois — Winnebago County sheriff’s office released body camera footage that showed Faustin Guetigo’s final moments before the 27-year-old was fatally shot. The Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office says the situation began Saturday afternoon, after Faustin’s wife, Rose Ndoroum called police after an argument led to a fight. A deputy arrived at the residence and confronted Guetigo outside of the home. Guetigo is seen repeatedly pulling away from the deputy to avoid being arrested. Guetigo then ran inside the home. Two deputies entered the house using a key, one held a taser and the other with a firearm. The pair located Guetigo in the basement holding a metal pipe. The officers say they asked the suspect to drop the pipe at least three times. Investigators say the man ran up the stairs and a deputy identified as Sergeant Broullard fired his gun. Guetigo continued charging and hit Broullard on the head with the pipe, knocking him unconscious. Another deputy fired, and provided emergency care. Guetigo died at the hospital. Sgt. Broullard was treated and released.
And the video. Not safe for work.