A suspected fatal shooting New Year's Eve in New York state that killed an off-duty federal agent has sparked reflection by a top Abilene law enforcement official on situations where first-responders are out of uniform.
"This situation weighs heavily on us," Abilene Police Department Chief Stan Standridge said.
The shooting took place during a robbery in a pharmacy in Seaford, N.Y. An off-duty NYPD officer, who formerly served as a Nassau County lieutenant, and an off-duty Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent were alerted to the holdup and went to the pharmacy.
John Capano, a 51-year-old ATF agent, arrived first and was struggling with the suspect when shots were fired. On Tuesday, a law enforcement official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press the retired officer likely shot Capano. Nassau County police have not commented on details, citing the ongoing investigation According to a followup report by The Associated Press, off-duty and retired law enforcement officers appear to have few protocols to follow when confronting a crime out of uniform.
The incident prompted review of these types of situations, the AP report said.
"First, if we are on duty and responding, how do we differentiate suspect from off-duty officer?" Standridge said. "Secondly, if we are off duty, how do we respond to a life-threatening situation while also alerting first responders to our presence?"
APD has a policy in place that requires officers to have weapons available when off duty. There is an expectation that an officer intervene when lives are threatened, Standridge said.
Standridge said off-duty officers are taught to take necessary actions to lessen a life-threatening situation when on-duty officers also are present. It is APD's policy to immediately have an off-duty police officer secure their weapons and ensure their hands are visible to first-responders, he said. "Doing this in a fluid environment is incredibly difficult, hence our grave concerns about off-duty response," Standridge said. "So they are asked to respond accordingly."
Kim Vickers, executive director with Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education, or TCLE-OSE, said the topic isn't just a police issue.
Standridge agreed, saying armed members of the public need to be mindful that first-responders have to be able to identify a suspect. Currently, Abilene has 323 licensed peace officers. Retired Texas law enforcement officers are exempt from taking a handgun proficiency course to obtain a concealed handgun license. Vickers, a retired Abilene police officer, said Texas doesn't have a set protocol for police-onpolice encounters.
"That's so difficult to put a finger on," he said. "There are a lot of issues that come into play that make it almost impossible to have one policy or guidelines that fits all these scenarios. A lot of it deals with an officer following common sense."