Protecting your Principal from launched weapons
First let me remind you of the Threat escalation model for the close protection operator.
Nuisance Person
Hostile / Friendly Crowd
Missile Thrown
Unarmed Physical Attack
Armed Physical Attack Edged and Blunt Trauma Weapons
Close Range Gun Attack
Long Range Gun Attack
Bomb or Grenade attack
Vehicle Ambush
This type of attack is much easier to deal with as a team, obviously the more c/s you have the more cover you provide your principal. Which brings me on to the response of the CP Team to this attack. Depending on the range of the attack and the number of c/s in the team there will be one of three responses. The longer the range the more time you have to respond and obviously the shorter the range the less time you will have to respond and consequently you may have to respond faster.
IBG Response
Long range 15' and over - Response - Give body cover and bug out
Short Range 0' to 15' - Response - Either give body cover / Intercept / Push Principal off the X - bug out
2, 3, 4 + Man Teams Response
Long Range 15' and over - Response - Give body cover and bug out
Short Range 0' to 15' - Response - Give body cover and bug out. If you think the threat may continue or escalate then one c/s should attack the threat.
You could argue that there should be a medium distance in here but the time frame from attack to response is so short and fast that a medium distance would not have any impact on the responses and drills mentioned above.
Anything can be used as a missile and lots have been, either to harm or humiliate those being attacked.
Before I give some examples here is a true short story which happened to an IBG that i know.
The Principal who the IBG was looking after was working for Vogue and directly under Anna Wintour, Editor-in Chief of the magazine. She has been directly attacked by the animal rights group PETA.
While PETA normally throw blood or flour they have been know to use acid on fur coates, who is to say it will not escalate to someone attacking using acid.
Back to the story. The Principal was attending a fur fashion show, reporting on the show and modelling on the catwalk. The attack happened while arriving at the after show party with the fashion designer and a celebrity friend. As their vehicle pulled up at the D.O.P and they opened the door (not the IBG) who was also the driver a PETA member stepped forward and threw a flour bomb; coating everyone in flour.
A number of things were not done to prevent this attack from happening. No risk or threat assessment was done. No advance c/s was used even though they were available. Incorrect drills when arriving at the D.O.P. No recce report done on either the main venue or the after show party.
As supposedly professional operators, don't cut corners, do your job to the best of your abilities and dont let this (a minor attack) happen to you.
Some More Examples
Bill Gates hit by a pie
Silvio Berlusconi hit on the head by a metal statue
Geraldo hit by a chair
Duff from Guns and Roses hit by a bottle of urine
President Bush dodges a shoe
Sarah Palin dodges a tomato
Deputy PM John Prescott hit by eggs
Francois Hollande hit by flour bomb
Mitt Romney Glitter Bombed
Many Celebs flour bombed and blood bombed by PETA
Tony Blair hit by eggs
Nigel Farrage hit by eggs
There have been many more and while to outsiders they do seem funny they do have a serious side, especially with the growing number of acid attacks that are being seen. There have been more tha 63 attacks over the last few years in the UK and more than 1,500 cases world wide are reported every year.Over 70% are against women so if you are a BG and your principal is a young woman then please take note.
Nuisance Person
Hostile / Friendly Crowd
Missile Thrown
Unarmed Physical Attack
Armed Physical Attack Edged and Blunt Trauma Weapons
Close Range Gun Attack
Long Range Gun Attack
Bomb or Grenade attack
Vehicle Ambush
This type of attack is much easier to deal with as a team, obviously the more c/s you have the more cover you provide your principal. Which brings me on to the response of the CP Team to this attack. Depending on the range of the attack and the number of c/s in the team there will be one of three responses. The longer the range the more time you have to respond and obviously the shorter the range the less time you will have to respond and consequently you may have to respond faster.
IBG Response
Long range 15' and over - Response - Give body cover and bug out
Short Range 0' to 15' - Response - Either give body cover / Intercept / Push Principal off the X - bug out
2, 3, 4 + Man Teams Response
Long Range 15' and over - Response - Give body cover and bug out
Short Range 0' to 15' - Response - Give body cover and bug out. If you think the threat may continue or escalate then one c/s should attack the threat.
You could argue that there should be a medium distance in here but the time frame from attack to response is so short and fast that a medium distance would not have any impact on the responses and drills mentioned above.
Anything can be used as a missile and lots have been, either to harm or humiliate those being attacked.
Before I give some examples here is a true short story which happened to an IBG that i know.
The Principal who the IBG was looking after was working for Vogue and directly under Anna Wintour, Editor-in Chief of the magazine. She has been directly attacked by the animal rights group PETA.
While PETA normally throw blood or flour they have been know to use acid on fur coates, who is to say it will not escalate to someone attacking using acid.
Back to the story. The Principal was attending a fur fashion show, reporting on the show and modelling on the catwalk. The attack happened while arriving at the after show party with the fashion designer and a celebrity friend. As their vehicle pulled up at the D.O.P and they opened the door (not the IBG) who was also the driver a PETA member stepped forward and threw a flour bomb; coating everyone in flour.
A number of things were not done to prevent this attack from happening. No risk or threat assessment was done. No advance c/s was used even though they were available. Incorrect drills when arriving at the D.O.P. No recce report done on either the main venue or the after show party.
As supposedly professional operators, don't cut corners, do your job to the best of your abilities and dont let this (a minor attack) happen to you.
Some More Examples
Bill Gates hit by a pie
Silvio Berlusconi hit on the head by a metal statue
Geraldo hit by a chair
Duff from Guns and Roses hit by a bottle of urine
President Bush dodges a shoe
Sarah Palin dodges a tomato
Deputy PM John Prescott hit by eggs
Francois Hollande hit by flour bomb
Mitt Romney Glitter Bombed
Many Celebs flour bombed and blood bombed by PETA
Tony Blair hit by eggs
Nigel Farrage hit by eggs
There have been many more and while to outsiders they do seem funny they do have a serious side, especially with the growing number of acid attacks that are being seen. There have been more tha 63 attacks over the last few years in the UK and more than 1,500 cases world wide are reported every year.Over 70% are against women so if you are a BG and your principal is a young woman then please take note.
Ruth Kelly the then Education Secretary attacked and hit by an egg.
You can see how Missile Thrown moves on to the next level of threat from the Hostile / Friendly Crowd. How many times have we seen a demonstration or march turn hostile and become a riot with missiles picked up from any number of everyday items and launched at law enforcement and any other person of the establishment.
Is your Principal someone who may be giving speaches, either in an enclosed environment or to a large body of people?
Does your Principal frequent areas, sporting events, marches or demonstrations where there has been riots, hooliganism or vandalism in the past?
Is your Principal a possible target of animal rights or other subversive groups with violent tendencies?
It may be easier to defend your Principal from a lone missile launched at him / her (If you are switched on enough) but how about many missiles launched at the same time. Mass demonstrations in third world countries and hostile environments are noted for turning ugly with the prominent weapon at this level being bricks and stones launched not only by hand but also by handheld catapults, a much more deadly form of missile attack.
Is your Principal someone who may be giving speaches, either in an enclosed environment or to a large body of people?
Does your Principal frequent areas, sporting events, marches or demonstrations where there has been riots, hooliganism or vandalism in the past?
Is your Principal a possible target of animal rights or other subversive groups with violent tendencies?
It may be easier to defend your Principal from a lone missile launched at him / her (If you are switched on enough) but how about many missiles launched at the same time. Mass demonstrations in third world countries and hostile environments are noted for turning ugly with the prominent weapon at this level being bricks and stones launched not only by hand but also by handheld catapults, a much more deadly form of missile attack.
Hand held projectiles easily accessable. Do you know your drills and S.O.Ps for this kind of attack.
In Missile Thrown we are still in the lower threat levels, no matter; an attack is an attack and if you cannot operate at this low level as either an IBG or as part of a team then how do you expect to operate at much higher threat levels.
There is at present an over emphasis on firearms training for the BG, hey its a Gucci way to get people on your course.
These lower threat levels are all too often forgotten about but happen more than being attacked by firearms.
Training and having S.O.Ps on all threat levels is essential, we see all too often people being attacked by thrown objects. Dont be the next BG on the news to end up with (egg on his face) pardon the pun.
Stay Dangerous
Rock
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