2025

Bank Robbery and Police Ambush: Insights and Lessons from The Debrief

Jon B. Becker This case deeply impacted me, not only because it involved a deliberate ambush on police officers which left six injured, but also because of the remarkable response from everyone involved, both during and after the incident. I have the honor of hosting a podcast called The Debrief with Jon Becker. The show, which is available on YouTube and all other major podcast platforms, is now entering its fifth season. The format of the presentation is a long…


12 Tenets of Training           

One necessary component of planning and preparation for an active assailant and mass violence incident is giving personnel the necessary skills and equipment to manage their roles and responsibilities effectively – skills in areas such as incident command, leadership and active assailant response. The 12 Tenets of Training checklist is meant to provide leaders and training personnel with key considerations to help select training which has been vetted; has proven to be effective; and is taught by qualified, certified, and…


“The Debrief with Jon Becker” Announces Launch of Season Five

“The Debrief with Jon Becker,” the acclaimed podcast that takes an in-depth look at incidents, practices, and lessons learned of elite tactical units, announces the launch of its highly anticipated fifth season. Featured episodes this season include critical incident reviews of the Greater Victoria ERT Police Ambush, the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, and the Uvalde school shooting, among others.  This season will also include the well-received Decision-Making Exercises (DMEs) that began in Season 4, allowing Debrief listeners and…


Busted! Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity January/February 2025

James L. McClinton, Ph.D. This might make a real good “Mayhem” commercial… On a recent morning, Philadelphia police responded to an unusual incident on the Schuylkill River. An amorous couple parked in a vehicle on Kelly Drive had accidentally plunged into the river near the Columbia Bridge around 4:30 a.m. Police say a man and woman were engaging in sexual activity in the backseat when the woman accidentally disengaged the gear, causing the vehicle to roll right into the water….


…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH January/February 2025

Ramesh NybergHeroes and Villains A recent online news article bears the headline, “Why You Shouldn’t Shoot Down a Drone.” Isn’t it astonishing that people have to be informed that shooting at objects in the sky is dangerous? I’m seriously thinking of this for the plot of a novel: A man is found dead in his backyard with a bullet wound to the head. He was outside smoking because he and his wife had agreed there was no smoking in the…