When Charles Whitman sprayed bullets in a brutal killing spree from the
heights of the University of Texas clock tower in 1966, he
single-handedly made history by dashing the security of millions and
changing law enforcement forever. In the wake of this horrifying event,
SWAT - Special Weapons and Tactics - teams were born. Since that time,
such desperate, bloody face-offs with police have steadily increased,
making SWAT an invaluable and necessary part of law enforcement. Captain
Snow, author of the acclaimed Protecting Your Life, Home, and Property,
and a police officer with over 25 years experience, delivers to the
reader the immediacy of actual SWAT events - including both the
notorious and the bizarre. We get a chilling glimpse into the desperate,
twisted mind of the hostage taker - often hovering precariously between
violence and suicide - and witness the brilliant, life-saving strategies
SWAT commanders put into action to stop them. As Captain Snow
demonstrates, whether intervening during a tension-filled hostage
showdown or serving an arrest warrant to a heavily armed drug lord, SWAT
teams are, in general, uniquely prepared to handle the most volatile and
life-threatening police situations with poise, speed, and - when
necessary - deadly force. From the unnerving events in Waco to the
thousands of successes every year, Snow analyzes what works and doesn't
work in a SWAT team. When the smoke clears, we find at the heart of this
book the inspiring story of professionals who have dedicated their lives
to saving others. Captain Snow gives us the real story behind the
Hollywood image - at once exciting and sobering - of this relatively new
and increasingly vital branch of law enforcement.
