DARIN LOGUE
Fugitive Investigations Contributor

I have received many emails over the last year with more debate than a Rev. Jeremiah Wright sermon. Based on correspondence from officers throughout the nation and my own experience, we often find ourselves approaching residences, vehicles and other locations with the availability of no more than one or two other officers.

The Year Of The Rat

A few years back, a colleague and I approached a residence in a remote area of the county where we had been tracking a fugitive for several days. As a general rule of thumb, we would operate using one officer to the back and two officers to the front but during this particular occurrence, my partner and I were the only dog and pony show in town, to make the approach.

As we exited our vehicle, my partner walks to the right side of a parked vehicle in the driveway and nonchalantly bends down. Within seconds, he reappears and we proceed to the front door. "What was that all about?" I ask. "Nothing," he replies, "I'll show ya later."

As we receive consent to enter the residence from the home owner (our fugitive's grandma), my partner and I proceeded to a back bedroom where we were advised our perp was sleeping. As we entered the room and began to search a closet and spare bathroom, we suddenly heard a loud rumble from an exhaust. As my partner and I rushed back to the front of the house, we observed our fugitive speeding away in a grey primer color, late model Ford Mustang.

"Damn it!" I shouted, as my partner and I jumped in our vehicle to pursue. With a calm and cool demeanor about him, my partner stated, "He ought to be down to three tires here pretty quick. I threw a rat under the passenger tire before we walked in."

"A what?" I asked.

"A rat trap," he replied.

As we paced down the blacktop, slightly behind our Mustang, we noticed our fugitive is having trouble keeping his vehicle on the road. After about a quarter mile, our perp realized he had lost the ability to effectively steer this once fine piece of American muscle any further and opts to pull to the shoulder.

As my partner and I jump out of the vehicle, within seconds we have the perp handcuffed and in custody. After transporting the prisoner my partner and I returned to the residence to retrieve his rat trap and every since that day, I have been a "rat" owner myself.

The Rat Trap II - A Useful Tool

Since it weighs just 3 ounces, I have carried a rat trap in my pocket, patrol car and response bag for years. Manufactured by Federal Signal, the Stinger Spike Systems RAT-TRAP II is a small, pocket size tire deflator that is designed to prevent stationary vehicles from fleeing.

You simply remove the device from your pocket, open it up, and place it under the suspects tire. If the suspect attempts to flee, the Rat Trap II will quickly deflate the tire with stainless steel Stinger spikes. This prevents pursuits, reduces liability, lowers costs and is always ready to deploy without any special training or instruction.

When running any type of investigation where I feel there is a chance of the suspect fleeing or attempting to escape, the Rat Trap offers a small piece of insurance to stop them in their tracks. At a price that anyone can afford, the Rat Trap II is a great addition to anyone's arsenal.

Darin Loguestarted his law enforcement career in 1998, but has been involved in fugitive apprehension since the mid-1990s. He is considered a skilled practitioner in the areas of narcotics, interview and interrogation, and fugitive apprehension and tracking. He is a frequent lecturer to criminal justice classes, as well as a guest speaker at many police academies and departments throughout the Midwest. Darin has served as one of Missouri's youngest chiefs and is an active member of the law enforcement community, working with several agencies in Missouri. He conducts training seminars on undercover narcotics and fugitive apprehension and tracking and can be reached at www.nemotraining.com or lnirt@hotmail.com.