A line of Portage police SWAT officers broke through the rear door of a small, two-story house on Hamstrom Road igniting “flash bang” explosives and rushing upstairs to apprehend a suspect accused of holding his girlfriend hostage.
The action was only a drill Friday morning, capping off a two-week training session marking the department’s 20th anniversary. Master Patrolman Greg Coleman, a nine-year veteran and team leader, said training is critical to keeping the 12 police officers and six tactical medics at the top of their game.
“I think it went really smooth,” he said. “It’s been grueling. It’s been tough, but it’s been fun.”
The SWAT team undergoes monthly training session and, usually, an annual one-week training program. This year, in honor of its 20th year, the team underwent training on everything from leadership and mindset to extra firearms training, physical fitness and an obstacle course, Police Chief Troy Williams said.
“If we’re going to put our people in harm’s way, we want to be able to give them the tools do the job effectively,” he said after the mock scenario. “It also requires specialized training to be able to take down an armed suspect or a barricaded subject in the most effective and safest way for our officers and for the suspect.
“Anytime we can train, it just goes to sharpen our skills.”
The SWAT team became bolder after Williams, a former SWAT team member, became police chief. The team was called out three to seven times a year between its inception in 1996 and 2012, when Williams took command.
In 2012, the team was called out 20 times, 22 times in 2013 and 10 times in 2014. The number of times it’s been called out leveled off in 2015, Williams said.
Shortly before the exercise Friday, SWAT team commander Cpl. Chris Irsa, a 19-year veteran and new commander of the team, gave a job briefing at the police station, identifying potential problem spots and a “killing field,” a freshly cleared area directly adjacent to the house to be used for the training session.
Soon, three heavily armored vehicles were off-road, trudging over debris, mulch, in and out of holes on the property and setting up on the west side of the house, near a detached garage.
Inside the “peacekeeper,” an armored vehicle with a padded bench and no other amenities, Capt. Mike Candiano tried to negotiate with “Scott,” the alleged suspect inside of the house holding his girlfriend, “Jenny,” hostage.
As the temperature inside the vehicle steadily rose, Candiano tried to keep Scott talking, trying to defuse the situation and buy the team more time to plan its moves, keeping the situation as realistic as possible. Meanwhile, heavily protected and armed officers continued to exchange information over the radio, while training rifles at windows, doors and other points on the house.
The team even called on two rookie police officers to get cigarettes for Scott, one of his demands before continuing negotiations with Candiano. A short while after getting his cigarettes, Scott released Jenny, who ran to officers sheltering themselves, and her, with heavy shields.
An hour later, the peacekeeper and its two heavy companions rumbled to within 20 feet of the house. A line of officers broke through the rear door, and, within seconds, set off the concussive charges downstairs and upstairs.
Minutes later, radio transmissions of “Suspect down,” crackled through the radio, and officers emerged from the battered doorway with a suspect in custody.
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“I’m very proud of our team,” Irsa said before his debriefing with the team. “I think (SWAT) has a great effect on our city. It inspires confidence in our department, and it keeps everybody safer. And, it strikes fear in those who aren’t doing good things.”
Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.