A suspect who has disappeared into thin air, who moves without leaving a trace and with whom it is impossible to come into contact? “Here, we are dealing with the worst case scenario,” assesses Alain Croteau, former Sûreté du Québec police officer and specialist in this type of research that the Maine authorities are currently facing.
“And to add icing, we are dealing with someone dangerous,” he adds. In general, in this type of research, when we talk about a suspect on the run, we are talking about someone who is ready to do anything not to be caught, someone who is possibly armed, and possibly ready to act against those who seek him. »
Nearly two days after the October 25 killing in Lewiston, American police are still trying to locate the shooter. An arrest warrant has been issued for Robert Card, 40, a firearms instructor and Army reservist. The man is considered armed and dangerous, police said.
The suspect has left few clues so far to help police find him. They recovered a cell phone belonging to him, a written note from him, as well as his abandoned vehicle near the Androscoggin River, in Lisbon, southeast of Lewiston.
Open your eyes
In the circumstances, what strategy should the police use to find a suspect who could be hiding anywhere, particularly in the surrounding forest? Robert Card acquired during his military training notions of orientation “which made him someone extremely comfortable in the forest,” described one of his former comrades in arms, Clifford Steeves, to the CNN network. .
“We must count on the fact that, after a certain time, people need water and food to survive,” says Alain Croteau. In a forested and sparsely populated area, businesses, restaurants, houses and chalets become coveted destinations. “The big challenge is the presence of chalets. An unoccupied chalet could contain food and provide shelter, says Alain Croteau. Generally, the police will visit these chalets and leave a trace, a marker, a way of knowing if there has been a visit between two visits. »
PHOTO KEVIN LAMARQUE, REUTERS
Police search a farm in Lisbon, south of Lewiston
François Riffou, retired colonel of the Royal 22e Regiment which fought the war in Afghanistan, emphasizes that the police must carry out their research knowing that they are possibly moving towards an armed confrontation. In military terms, they “advance into contact.”
It’s not like a search for a crashed plane. There are all kinds of security considerations.
François Riffou, retired colonel of the Royal 22e Regiment
“When you throw a lot of people into the woods like that, if it shoots, they shouldn’t be shooting at each other. It takes very close control to ensure that we are all going in the same direction. If it pulls, you have to respect certain angles,” he explains.
Maine police say they have received some 530 pieces of information that they must verify to try to locate the suspect. By analyzing the map of the terrain, it is possible to identify positions where it would be logical to find the fugitive, in order to concentrate the search there, explains Mr. Riffou, who today sits on the board of directors of the Commissionaires, a non-profit security agency that provides employment to Canadian veterans.
On land and by air
Pierre St-Cyr, a former helicopter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force who retired with the rank of colonel, emphasizes for his part that aerial research can also prove to be a decisive asset in this type of research, especially at night: helicopters equipped with infrared detectors can spot heat sources in the woods, while pilots’ night vision goggles help them locate the slightest source of light.
PHOTO SHANNON STAPLETON, REUTERS
Police officers during a search operation in Monmouth, north of Lewiston
“If the individual lights even a cigarette on the ground, it becomes as obvious as a flashlight lit at the bottom of a cellar, thanks to night vision,” explains the man who is now president of the board of directors of Commissionnaires du Québec.
A night flight also prevents the armed suspect from firing shots in the direction of the helicopter, which would represent a real danger of a crash.
At night, the lights of the device are turned off, the individual hears it, but does not see it. The helicopter is protected by its invisibility.
Pierre St-Cyr, former helicopter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force
According to former police officer Alain Croteau, experts estimate that the average speed of movement of an adult on foot, in the forest, is 4 km/h following a path. If the adult moves off-trail, their movement speed is reduced to approximately 1.6 km/h.
Is it possible that the suspect will escape police pursuit forever? “We may not find him in the next few hours, or in the next few days,” said Alain Croteau. “But if we never find him, I would be very surprised. If the suspect ends his life in an isolated place, it could take several years before someone finds him by chance. But if he stays alive, at some point he will have to come out. »