LEO Round Table, June 26, 2026

LEO Round Table with Chip DeBlock S11E125, Deputy Nearly Killed By Gunman Moments After Rough Interaction On Video! SCOTUS sides with Trump admin over removing criminals with green cards. Ex-cop can be sued for excessive force says Supreme Court. Man fatally shot while stabbing mother over 40 times. Deputy nearly killed by gunman moments after rough interaction on video. Split-Second Force, Knife Attacks, and the Hard Lessons of Officer Survival A Supreme Court Immigration Ruling Opens the Episode The episode begins with Chip DeBlock introducing Chief Ralph Ornelas and outlining the show's law-enforcement-focused discussion topics. The first issue covered is a Supreme Court decision involving green-card holders accused of crimes while traveling abroad. Chip frames the ruling as a public-safety and immigration-enforcement issue, while Chief Ornelas agrees with the decision and connects it to broader concerns about border policy, criminal accountability, and restoring law and order. Qualified Immunity Becomes the Center of the Discussion The conversation then turns to the long-running civil litigation involving former LAPD Officer Toni McBride and the fatal shooting of Daniel Hernandez. Chip explains the difference between qualified immunity and absolute immunity, arguing that qualified immunity is not automatic and exists to protect officers from frivolous lawsuits when they act within clearly established law. He emphasizes that the case is civil, not criminal, and that the central dispute concerns whether McBride should face trial over shots five and six. Shots Five and Six Frame the Toni McBride Debate Chip and Chief Ornelas discuss the Ninth Circuit's ruling that a jury could determine whether McBride's final two shots were excessive after Hernandez fell to the ground. Chip argues that the totality of the circumstances matters, including Hernandez being armed, noncompliant, under the influence of methamphetamine, and surrounded by a changing backdrop of civilians, cars, businesses, and potential ricochet risks. Chief Ornelas praises the dissenting judges and says McBride's calm commands and tactical coordination showed disciplined decision-making under extreme time pressure. A Mother's Day Stabbing Raises Tactical Questions The episode shifts to body-camera footage from Southampton, New York, involving a man accused of stabbing his mother more than 40 times on Mother's Day. The officers are heard repeatedly ordering him to drop the knife before he returns inside and begins stabbing her again, prompting officers to shoot him. Chief Ornelas says he would have fired earlier upon seeing the knife coming up from the victim's body, while Chip discusses the danger of leaving a partner inside and the responsibility officers have when an armed suspect blocks access to a critically injured victim. The Anderson County Gunfight Highlights Control and Survival Chip next reviews dash-camera footage from Anderson County, South Carolina, where a traffic-stop struggle on I-85 escalates into a gunfight that injures a deputy and ends with the suspect dead. Chip and Chief Ornelas question the patrol-car positioning, the claim that the suspect was in the rear of a canine vehicle, and the officers' decision to use a Taser as the suspect reached into his vehicle. Chief Ornelas argues that the officers needed stronger control of the suspect's hands and body and says he would have released the canine before the suspect reached the car. Use-of-Force Lessons Close the Show The closing discussion focuses on officer survival, overwhelming force during active resistance, and how modern officers may hesitate to use strikes or impact weapons during violent struggles. Chip and Chief Ornelas agree that fights must be ended quickly to protect officers, suspects, and bystanders. The episode concludes with reflection on death scenes, the limits of CPR in catastrophic injuries, thanks to Chief Ornelas, reminders about sponsors, and a closing note that the show will return the next day.