Area SWAT teams train in Cape building

A line of SWAT officers, decked out in bulletproof black garb, listened carefully to the scenario they faced: They were about to enter the brick house serving as the hide-out for a woman wanted by authorities.

Each pointed their blue-banded "simmunition" pistol to cover a different direction as they filed into the building in the 500 block of William Street used by the Cape Girardeau police and fire departments for training purposes. Shouts resonated up the stairs as the members of Cape Girardeau's Special Response Team alerted those hiding in the house to police presence.

The above scenario wasn't real, and neither were the bad guys.

SRT officers undergo at least eight hours of this type of training per month, immersing themselves in realistic scenarios they could face on any given day — a hostage situation, a suspect who's barricaded himself in a darkened house or a drug bust involving multiple subjects, said Lt. Buddy Davis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Thursday's training was the second part of a two-day session and included officers from the Jackson Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the St. Louis Police Department, the Kennett Police Department and the Bootheel Drug Task Force.

Usually, a significant portion of training is spent at the firing range sharpening marksmanship skills, with the rest of the time devoted to response training. Thursday morning's training in Jackson involved the use of a bus, working on drills to handle situations that may arise with that type of vehicle.

"It's excellent training. This group of guys here is the best I've seen," Davis said.

Cpl. Ike Hammonds of the Cape Girardeau Police Department stood with weapon drawn at the corner of a room as other members of the SRT team handled a "bad guy" during a training scenario Thursday. AARON EISENHAUER aeisenhauer@ semissourian.com

Cape Girardeau has had its own SRT team since 1986, Davis said.

The focus of the training is response, keeping in mind that reaction is slower than action, and repetition.

"It's about developing muscle memory so it becomes second nature," Cpl. Ike Hammonds said.

That's where the simmunition guns come into play, so officers can safely practice responses to a live-fire situation. Each is loaded with plastic-coated paint-tipped pellets that deliver a more stinging blow than a paintball.

"You'll feel pain when they hit," Davis said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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