Gordon Graham
Category: Law Enforcement

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s tip is for law enforcement and it deals with people who attack law enforcement officers.  

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Not too long ago, the FBI released a report titled, “The Assailant Study – Mindsets and Behaviors.”  Researchers looked at the motives and characteristics of the adults who murdered officers in 2016. The FBI identified some similarities among the attackers. This information can be valuable as we train and prepare for future attacks. So, what did the analysis uncover? 

For starters, the data suggests that you might know the guy who attacks you. Well, maybe not you personally. But officers in your department or nearby agencies will probably know him. According to the study, 86% percent of the assailants had criminal histories. 56% were known by local officers. And yes, I said, “him.” It’s not because a woman can’t attack an officer. It’s because, according to the study, every person who killed an officer in 2016 was a male. 

Second, many of the attackers were affected by drugs, alcohol, or mental illness. Shocking, I know.  

But why did they do it? Most of the attackers were motivated by one of two things. They either wanted to kill an officer for social or political reasons. Or they didn’t want to go back to jail.  

Were there any warning signs? Many who killed because of social or political reasons shared their intent ahead of time. Some posted on social media. Some told friends and family. They said they wanted to kill an officer or “shoot it out with the cops.”  

It was less common, but some of the people who killed to avoid going to jail still told others. 25% of them said things like, “I’ll do ANYTHING to stay out of jail.”  

There’s a lot more information in the report, and I encourage each of you to read it, study it, and learn from it. “The Assailant Study — Mindsets and Behaviors.”   

And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham, signing off