Barricaded and High on Drugs

It is a common theme among barricaded suspects. It could happen before the suspect takes hostages or throughout the incident. The suspect uses drugs, including alcohol. A majority of barricaded incidents involve the use of drugs by the suspect.

A survey of post-critical incident reports submitted to the NTOA during 2005 shows that the primary suspect was under the influence of drugs or alcohol in 80 percent of submitted incidents. Alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana were the drugs most commonly used.

When a suspect sparks up a crack pipe and is holding a gun to the head of a hostage, a SWAT officer should know how that drug may affect the suspect’s actions and decision-making. Since many states do not have an internal possession law, SWAT officers are not required to know how the human body reacts to these substances, but having a good working knowledge of drug physiology will help the officer anticipate how the incident may unfold and make decisions accordingly.