When we make an entry into a house, we ve got to worry about booby traps. Bogosian said that while on a raid of a methamphetamine lab, UNET encountered a 5-gallon gas drum into which an electrical cord had been placed. The meth makers could destroy the evidence, lab and all, simply by plugging the cord into a wall socket. Each time a SWAT team is deployed, what it will encounter is anyone s guess. Once on the scene, the situation must be evaluated and a plan developed quickly.
Uncertainty is the biggest enemy.
We train and train and train for situations, Bogosian said. And, he emphasized, using the team s vast weaponry is a last resort. The last thing on our mind is to go in there and be shot at, Bogosian said. We want to go home to them. They stood before us, a line abreast of six, resplendent and officious in their blue uniforms.