THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SNIPER

 ASSET or LIABILITY

Reducing Liability Exposure through the use of Select Personnel,

Professional Training and Superior Weapons Systems

By Mark V. Lonsdale

    While individuals and agencies give serious consideration to selecting sniper rifles and equipment during the development process, the same level of consideration is not given to the importance of professional instruction and training. Even when equipped with the best sniper weapons systems, deploying snipers who are unskilled or poorly trained could not only lead to tragedy, it could open an agency up to charges of negligence and the resultant costly litigations.

However, in this modern litigious society, even the best training and equipment does not shield an agency or individual sniper from years of litigation. Case in point – the FBI incident at Ruby Ridge, in August 1992, when the wife of Randy Weaver was shot by a highly trained HRT sniper. This…