ABSTRACT
Police offi cers and crisis response teams make risk assessments every day with every call. The incident above illustrates the importance of making accurate risk assessments and what might happen when
offi cers make faulty assessments. Every offi cer that responded made assessments. The patrol offi cers made an assessment that (1) this was an older man, (2) with no criminal record. Included in their assessment was the assumption that elderly people and people with no criminal record do not pose a threat to police. The CRT made assessments based upon police offi cers having been fi red upon. Tactical formed a perimeter, and negotiators tried to call the actor. When they received no answer, they moved forward in an armored vehicle and tried to loud-hail. When gunfi re was directed at them, the tactical commander prepared for a measured assault. When later informed about the chief’s comments, everyone on the Midville Crisis Response Team said that information would have drastically altered their plans from the outset and went on to specifi cally state what they would have done differently.
