V01P04 – Trooper Coates Shooting

Included: DVD+ 1 Digital Download
RunTime: 35 minutes

One of the most powerful and emotionally impactful law enforcement training programs ever produced, this course examines the tragic death of South Carolina Trooper Mark Coates during a roadside traffic stop. Despite striking the suspect five times, Trooper Coates was fatally wounded in an encounter that continues to shape officer safety training across the country.

The program carefully breaks down the events leading up to the shooting:

• Trooper Mark Coates conducts a traffic stop on speeding motorist Richard Blackburn.
• Blackburn initially appears calm, cooperative, and compliant.
• During the encounter, Trooper Coates requests permission to conduct a pat-down for weapons.
• Blackburn suddenly becomes visibly nervous and hesitant.
• As the pat-down begins, Blackburn violently attacks the trooper, knocking him to the ground while drawing a six-shot revolver.
• Despite Coates’ attempts to de-escalate the situation, Blackburn opens fire as the trooper tries to retreat and recover.

The entire incident was captured on Trooper Coates’ cruiser camera, along with portions of the aftermath recorded by responding officers’ dash cameras. The footage and analysis provide critical lessons in officer awareness, tactical decision-making, communication, and survival under extreme stress.

Produced by In the Line of Duty, this training program became one of the most widely viewed and respected law enforcement educational videos in history. Interviews with responding officers and investigators offer firsthand insight into the realities of the incident and the lasting impact it had on policing practices nationwide.

20 Years Later

Two decades after the shooting, a follow-up program revisits the case with the South Carolina Highway Patrol to examine the many policy, tactical, and training changes implemented as a result of the tragedy.

V15P01 – Killing of Trooper Coates 20 Yrs Later

The course also includes a rare in-depth prison interview with Richard Blackburn, conducted approximately one year after the original program was released. In the interview, Blackburn discusses his actions and mindset during the incident, providing additional perspective that contributes to a deeper understanding of the encounter and its lasting lessons for law enforcement professionals.