I think you've made a pretty good summation of events.
In future what do you think LE can do to minimise the risk of getting shot
@Twistinginthewind ?
Dezi was on a hiding to nothing. If he went outside he would have been arrested IMO on some charge such as resisting arrest or obstruction, or child assault or illegal weapons.
When police went into Porepunkah in the days following and arrested people their tactic was one using a much higher cautionary approach. Loud speaker, no door knocks, bright lights, late evening arrests, that sort of thing.
LE should make a major note of what happened as there will be another Dezi Freeman somewhere.
They obviously didn't take note of another occasion when police officers were shot attending a regional property now called the Wieambilla shootings and they should have because this is what they need to expect could happen.
If Mali was a gun owner and Dezi had a penchant for guns, then police should have expected him to be armed.
If LE expected the worse then they would know how to handle the situation and that is not to arrive with a crowbar and enter via a window while negotiations are taking place.
IMO if police want to keep safe then the worst possible scenario should be taken into account.
To reduce the risk factor, LE could start by taking guns out of the possession of people who are mentally unhinged. JMO
Thank you,
@Lucy.D!
Both for your thoughts on this case in this context, and asking me what I think in future LE could do to minimise their risk of being shot at.
In this and other cases, in AU particularly, where I have spent time recently.
When LEOs were not only shot at on their approach to trying serve a warrant or make an arrest, but were killed.
I'm not anyone with inside knowledge or LE experience to have a right to give anything other than my armchair opinion first off.
I only have work experience over 3 plus decades in a far offsides related field.
Wherein it was essential for everyone on a team & concentric circles of supporting teams & decision makers to have a sound grasp of potential risk & legal ramifications of taking one approach versus another, with always the health & safety of everyone & particularly clear communications at the forefront of everyone's minds.
That said, sometimes lack of information and/or well managed clear communication on priorities and/or personal agendas and/or personalities & emotions of all involved would get the better of them, and there was nothing to be done about it in the heat of the moment but to react in their best way possible based on their training and professionalism and underlying mission or thrust.
They (collectively speaking of a team of workers and managers/supervisors) could be understaffed, overwhelmed, dealing with a new threat of more widespread proportions, etc., and not had enough time to let things sink in or regroup on lessons learned with new support and directives before the next crisis takes hold of them in their day to day jobs and how to respond appropriately. It can be a moving target, and the boots on the ground workers just soldiering on and doing what they're told and makes sense to them to get to the end of the day or resolution of a situation that needs everything thrown at it no matter what in terms of following protocols when under duress.
Now, after all this gobbledeygook about possible overarching factors and such, IMO, in this kind of situation, I would suggest, if LE has the resources available there in AU in future...
They could form a new elite task force, or something like that, with experts in the field of LE in dealing with unknown but potentially violent threats from the public when serving warrants or making arrests or going into a crisis situation, such as hostage negotiation, level of force, appropriate backup teams, etc.
With that elite unit being available to all LE forces, whom develops specific criteria and triggers for kicking a situation up the chain for review and approval of plans by LE dealing quickly with situations like this one.
Still may be gobbledeygook on my part, but aside from the good suggestions made here by OP, IMO, "it takes a village" and the necessary resources at hand and valued enough by decision makers to effect change.
And it can still sometimes be like trying to push the proverbial boulder up the hill with a coupla guys by the sweat of their brows with no tools or equipment.
MOO, and not at all sure if my thoughts or ideas could be of any help to LE in potentially mitigating future tragedies like this.
Cuz, IMO, there are always going to be situations like this when things go wrong, even when the pros are totally on top of it all and doing their best at assessing risk and being prepared for any eventuality. The wild card factors are impossible to predict sometimes.
JMHO, thanks for listening (if you got this far)!!
