Swat -

When a suspect holes up in a building—often a home or business—and refuses to surrender, patrol officers establish a perimeter, but SWAT takes the active role. Their objective is containment, negotiation, and, if necessary, tactical entry.

is not inherently good or evil; it is a tool. In the hands of a disciplined department with strict oversight, a SWAT team saves lives. When the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooter attacked in Orlando, or when the 2013 Boston Marathon bombers barricaded themselves in Watertown, SWAT tactics were essential to ending the threat. When a suspect holes up in a building—often