Class Details

 

This course teaches law enforcement officers and supervisors the best way to respond to mentally ill persons who are armed, barricaded, and in crisis. Students will leave the course with an understanding of modern disengagement and re-engagement tactics, the specific ways to avoid liability, and a collection of the best non-criminal barricade policies from police agencies all around the country.

If you are like a lot of law enforcement professionals you have considered these questions:

  1. What should officers do with a suicidal person alone in their own home who refuses to exit?
  2. Do officers have a legal duty to take action to try to save the subject from harming themselves?
  3. When is it appropriate to disengage from a non-criminal barricaded suspect and will officers be liable if the subject harms a third party?

The way law enforcement officers respond to a mentally ill person in crisis is a topic of intense debate. In this course, we’ll first answer each of those questions and discuss your state’s laws about liability and the “public duty doctrine” (that’s right, each training course is customized for the state we are presenting it in. Then we will examine several case studies, some which resulted in the agency being found liable and some where the agency was not. You will see real world videos from dramatic incidents when the police disengaged, and some when they should have. You’ll learn the modern tactics your agency can use to both limit liability and prevent a violent confrontation.

Each student will receive:

  1. An understanding of your state’s laws regarding the public duty doctrine, special relationships, liability, and duty
  2. A decision-making cheat sheet for disengagement
  3. Policies, a police report template, and a script to use to sever special relationships

Realistic De-escalation & Tactical Disengagement Training

Most every police agency is searching for de-escalation training for law enforcement. But the best agencies want training that isn’t just “check the box” training. This course delivers! Instead of vague philosophical notions about de-escalation, this course presents specific guidance that your officers can put to use immediately. Looking for meaningful tactical disengagement training or mental health crisis response training? This course will give your officers and supervisors specific tools they can use to save lives and prevent liability.

Target Audience

  • Patrol Officers and Field Supervisors – When it comes to de-escalation training for law enforcement, your front-line personnel need the best decision-making tools.
  • Hostage and Crisis Negotiators – There is huge need for advanced training courses for crisis and hostage negotiators and this course delivers.
  • SWAT Operators and Tactical Commanders – As a SWAT team member, make sure you are current on the latest tactics and liability laws governing non-criminal barricades.
  • Law Enforcement Policy Makers – Students in this course receive immediate access to our collection of the best non-criminal barricade policies from across the US.
  • Law Enforcement Dispatchers and Call Takers – Liability often attaches when promises are made to an individual. Communications staff need to know what to avoid saying to a caller before the police arrive. Without this training, your call takers may be triggering the “special relationships” doctrine and not even know it.

 

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Senior Instructor John Morris recently retired as a Lieutenant from the Winston-Salem Police Department, an agency of 500 officers located in North Carolina. His 27 years of service include over 20 years in SWAT as well as years in Patrol and Special Operations. He holds a National Instructor Certification through the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. John’s goal is to help officers throughout the country save lives through a superior command of the law and a proper application of tactics.

John was chosen to be a part of Savage Training Group not only because of his impressive resume but also because of his humility. Of course, John shares his successes with students but just as importantly he is quick to talk about the times he fell short. Our students get to benefit from an instructor who possesses all the right technical skills to teach but also one who isn’t full of himself.

John began his career with the 500-officer Winston-Salem Police Department in 1997 after serving his country as an U.S. Army Paratrooper. During his law enforcement career, he spent 21 years assigned to SWAT in roles ranging from entry team member to assistant team commander. He also routinely served as the Incident Commander for large scale events.

John first began teaching in the military and continued teaching in a variety of capacities throughout his police career. In addition to his assignment as a Basic Academy Sergeant, he holds a National Instructor Certification through the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. He is also certified in North Carolina in Subject Control and Arrest Techniques and Rapid Deployment. John brings years of instructional experience to the Savage Training Group cadre.

As a seasoned law enforcement practitioner, John understands the tremendous scrutiny that law enforcement officers face. Early on, John surmised that the skill (or lack thereof) of first line supervisors was a key factor in the outcome of incidents. Unsatisfied with the paltry training that existed, he developed a customized training program for newly promoted sergeants in his agency, one focused on helping them prepare for high-liability incidents. John detailed that experience in an article published in Police Chief Magazine. He served on his Agency’s Use of Force Review Committee for over 10 years. He shares lessons learned from reviewing countless use of force incidents with our students to help them develop a rich understanding of use of force decision-making. He also shares personal experiences including the time John was shot in the line of duty during a barricaded suspect incident.

After 27 years of service in a profession he loved, John finished his career in 2024 as a Lieutenant serving as a Patrol Watch Commander and in Special Operations. John has now shifted his focus to helping officers and supervisors succeed by teaching them the tactical and legal principles required to do so.

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State Certified Course?

  • MPOETC: #CLE02044

Registration

  • Fee: $299

Prerequisites

You must be a sworn law enforcement officer or otherwise employed by a governmental public safety agency to register.

Student Needs

Note-taking material