LPSS3 aids Irving SWAT
1/5/12
This testimony was presented by Irving, Texas SWAT and explains how they used the Long Pole Camera System with thermal option to find a suspect in an attic.
“It was a burglary in progress. Patrol officers responded to the location and set up a perimeter. Officers saw the suspect attempt to flee out the back door, but they retreated when seeing the officers.
Patrol officers believed that the suspects were barricaded. SWAT officers responded to the scene along with K-9. K-9 was sent in first and attempted to locate the suspects. K-9 was unsuccessfully.
SWAT officers made entry to do a slow search. It was determined that the suspects were in the attic in the garage. The Tactical Electronics pole camera was used with the thermal head. As officers were checking the attic they were monitoring the temperature on the (Wrist Mounted) monitor.
At one point the temperature was close to 98 degrees and believed it was a person behind some storage in the attic. Shortly after, we saw body movement and confirmed we had suspects in the attic.
We saw one suspect move away from the attic entry and then fall through the sheet rock and placed into custody. The other suspect made it to the attic entry and was pulled down and placed into custody. While that suspect was crawling toward the attic entry we were able to watch his hands the entire time without officers having to go up in the attic and being exposed.”
–Irving Texas SWAT