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On
September 15, 2003, several members of the Santa Monica Special Entry
Team competed in the 9th annual Ventura Police
Department’s SWAT Competition. The team consisted of six members
with two alternates. Santa Monica competed against nine other teams
from cities in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange Counties.
Each
team competed in ten events. Three of the events were obstacle courses
that tested the physical strength and stamina of every team member.
Another event involved a rescue of an officer who had been shot and
was lying in the middle of an intersection with an active gunman
holding him at bay. The team formulated their plan and utilized
vehicles to rescue the officer. During the rescue, the officers
exchanged gunfire with the suspect as they loaded the downed officer
in the vehicle and sped to safety.
The
six remaining events were shooting scenarios requiring the team to
shoot sub-machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns and handguns. Each
event required both speed and accuracy with teams having to shoot
targets positioned next to simulated hostages.
The
team from Santa Monica was awarded second place overall and first in
the physical challenge. They also received several individual awards
including second, third, fourth and fifth in the individual shooting
skills competition. Additionally, individual members were awarded
first and second place in the individual physical challenge and third
in the sniper competition.
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