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| SWAT training storms West Side |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Wednesday, 24 October 2007 | |
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“It’s a time for us to experience real-life situations.” — Sgt. Mike Radford Sheriff’s SWAT team  Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator When it was all said and done, the mock bad guy was covered in paint, and the Special Weapons and Tactics team had avoided taking any fire. All in all, a successful training exercise. It would have been easy to mistake Sunday’s SWAT training at Patterson High School and Crows Landing Air Facility for the real thing. Passers-by likely saw men dressed in black and armed with machine guns circling the school. Signs stating “just a drill” were tacked up around the campus to calm people’s worries. It was all part of the annual Stanislaus County SWAT training exercise, in which police departments from throughout the county gathered to practice a real-life scenario. “You’ve got two armed disgruntled employees who took over the tower,” a police officer told his team as they assembled at the Crows Landing airfield.  Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator Then, shots rained from above. “Right in the beginning, I got a few,” said 16-year-old “armed gunman” Jake Pineo. “They have paint all over them.” While Pineo tagged a few of his pursuers, the SWAT guys ultimately got the upper hand. “Anyone have keys for the handcuffs?” asked Pineo’s accomplice, Tyler Davis, 15, as he wandered around with his hands locked behind his back. The teens were among the volunteers who helped in the training. When countywide agencies got together to organize this year’s training, Patterson was fresh in their minds because of a Sept. 19 gang fight at the high school. “There’ve been some things at the school, so let’s do it there,” sheriff’s spokesman Royjindar Singh said. SWAT team members ran through a number of scenarios, such as hostage situations and reports of a gun on campus.  Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator It’s also a chance for the agencies to learn from each other. “We network,” Radford said. “We see each others’ toys and tricks.” It’s all an effort to ensure that those who respond to law enforcement’s most dangerous situations keep sharp. The 16 members of the sheriff’s Special Weapons and Tactics team respond to a situation when police think their unique training and weaponry are necessary. The sheriff's department uses a “threat matrix” to figure out if the team is needed. Officials run through a checklist, and if the situation receives a certain score, it’s time to call SWAT.  Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator “We’re part of a group that handles situations that are beyond the normal incidents,” said Radford, who’s been on the SWAT team the past nine years. He said the chance to push himself and the group’s camaraderie attracted him to SWAT. “You feel close to anyone you work with,” Radford said, “but when you don’t know what you’re up against, you have to totally trust the guy to the right of you and the guy to the left. I’d die for them. It sounds a little cheesy, but that’s what happens.” To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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