Pre-Attack Indicators

"Pre-Attack Warning Signs" by Michael T. Rayburn, Police One. Although directed at law enforcement officers, most of the tips are applicable to the regular civilian. The photos are my addition, but the text from the article relates:

    What are the pre-attack warning signs? ... The most obvious ones are the verbal cues. The bad guy will tell you, "... I'm going to kick your a--."

    Recognizing nonverbal preattack warnings signs is something we all need to work on, as they are not as obvious. It's said that between 60% and 90% of human communication is body language, or nonverbal communication. ...

    Let's take a look at preattack warning signs you're likely to encounter on the job.

Unconscious Body Changes

    There are many non-verbal cues signifying a potential attack that the subject might be unaware of exhibiting. One of them is conspicuous ignoring. You're asking this person some questions, and they just stare at you with this blank look on their face. ...

    Body tightening or flexing of the muscles are other good cues to look for. Subtle ones include the muscles in a person's neck tightening up, or seeing a person's shoulders rise up slightly as the related muscles tighten up. Maybe you'll notice a clenched ja[w] as the subject's face tightens.

    A change in breathing is something that's done completely subconsciously. It goes back to our fight or flight syndrome. The brain, automatically, is preparing the person for fight or flight by oxygenating the blood. The brain is telling the lungs to get that air in because something is about to happen for which the body is going to need it.

The Eyes Have It

    Quite a few preattack warning signs involve the suspect's eyes. A big one, and it gets overlooked a lot, is target glancing. There are a number of videos out there where you can actually see the perpetrator glancing or looking right at the officer's weapon. Have you ever been talking to someone and noticed that they keep looking down? You probably thought they were just being rude by not looking you in the eye, but they could have been looking at your gun and trying to figure out how to get it out of your holster instead.

    As you're questioning a subject he or she may start looking around. The person could be looking for a way to escape, for your backup, or for any witnesses or other people who may try to help you. They may also be looking to see if any of their fellow criminals or gang members are in the area to help them.

    For preattack warning signs you'll also want to look at the suspect's eyes themselves. On most people you'll only see the white portion of their eyes on either side of the pupil. On excited or agitated people, you will see white on the top and or bottom of the eyes. Have you ever heard of the expression, "their eyes got really big?"

    Persons with dilated pupils are in a state of great emotional excitement or anger and could potentially pose a real threat. Even if the person's eyes are dilated as a result of narcotic use, this person still poses a real threat, as the majority of subjects who assault officers are under the influence of narcotics and or alcohol.

Overt Movements

    But not all body movements warning of an attack are so subtle. Squaring off or blading the body is a well-known and easily recognized sign. It's commonly referred to as a "boxer's stance." The subject's strong side foot will usually drop back, and they may crouch a little to lower their center of gravity by bending slightly at the knees and leaning forward a little.

    Crowding the contact officer is another sign. If someone is going to assault you with their hands, an edged weapon, or some other personal weapon, they need to get in close to do it. They're not going to stab you from 21 feet away. They're going to close the distance and try to catch you off guard.

    Also be on the lookout for exaggerated movements or ceasing all movement. They're stomping the ground, throwing their arms in the air yelling and screaming. Or, they're doing all that, and then immediately cease all movement and become totally cooperative. There may be some mental health issues going on there, but either way it's a preattack warning sign.

    Any sudden movement, or any covert movement, should be taken seriously as a preattack warning sign. They could be ... reaching for a weapon. ...

    For example, take notice if you see a subject protecting personal items or rearranging clothing. This includes removing a watch or putting their cell phone "someplace safe." For the guys out west, this could include removing their cowboy hat. It sounds a little clichéd, but it happens. Rearranging clothing could be a means to conceal a weapon, or maybe they're untucking their shirt so they can swing their arms better.

    Any attempt at distraction is another preattack warning sign. They could be pretending to look over your shoulder at something. Maybe point behind you to make you turn around. If you're dealing with more than one person, the other person could try to distract you in some way. You see that with gangs, especially in prisons. A small fight will break out; meanwhile, someone is getting shanked on the other side of the yard.