The Tactical Debrief with Dr. Massimino

In this episode, I interview Josh Cook - the founder of ETL - Enter the Lion. Josh joined the Baltimore Police Department as a police officer, eventually transferring to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Feeling called to minister to law enforcement directly, he separated from his department, relocated to Tennessee and began Enter the Lion  (ETL).  ETL is a Christian ministry that provide...

On June 14th, 1991 at 2:15am, five armed teenagers broke into a home in Salinas, CA, believing there was a safe with cash inside the house. For 48 minutes, they tortured a mother, a father, and their 17 year-old daughter. When the family did not produce a safe, they began raping the daughter, causing her father to resist and fight. The father was shot and killed. Twenty years later, I sat in a pri...

In this episode, I interview Valentino and Irma Rodriguez, the parents of Correctional Officer Valentino Rodriguez, Jr. Val Jr. worked as a correctional officer at both San Quentin State Prison and California State Prison Sacramento for over five years before he died of a fentanyl overdose in 2020. We discuss his family history, how Val Jr.’s death impacted their family, and get to know Val Jr. po...

In this episode, we interview Tyler Caffee, the brother of Correctional Officer Jami Bowechop. Jami worked at the California State Prison, Corcoran for nine years before she died by suicide in 2016. Tyler shares about their family history, how Jami’s death impacted their family, and reasons why he believes Jami took her own life: Jami reported a use of force incident as a whistleblower and kept a...

Episode 49: Selena In this episode, we interview “Selena,” a female correctional officer who works in a maximum security correctional setting. She discusses growing up with a distant mother and an alcoholic father, and the impact these early relationships had when she became a parent herself. We explore her post-partum depression, lack of emotional connection with her child, and her suicidal thoug...

In this episode, we interview board certified psychologist  Dr. Joel Fay. Joel spent six years in the US Army as a military police officer and as an investigative specialist. He joined the LAPD for a 5 year period, before transferring to the San Rafael Police Department, where he spent the next 23+ years. During his career in law enforcement, he worked a variety of positions including SWAT, hostag...

In this episode, we interview CDCR Lt. Salvador Bermudez who works at California State Prison Los Angeles County. “Sal” as his friends know him, discusses his history of high blood pressure/hypertension that he left untreated for a prolonged period of time. We discuss the relationship between work stress and high blood pressure, and the unique challenges he has faced working at his institution. Sa...

In this episode, we interview Lieutenant Scott McGee who currently works for a police department in Southern California. Scott describes himself as a “Professional Good Guy” and practitioner of "The Sisu Way."  Though typically difficult to define in English, Sisu is a Finnish word that describes someone who possesses strength and determination in the face of adversity, persistence, hope...

In this episode, we interview Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Kate Pieper. Kate has been in professional practice for over 30 years and currently only see first responders and their families. She is the former Coordinator for the Northern California Trauma Response Network, is a part of the Sacramento EMDR Regional Network Leadership, and volunteers as an EMDR therapist for the West Coast...

In this episode, we interview Eric, a correctional sergeant who has worked for multiple law enforcement agencies. He discusses the impact of losing his mother to cancer at ten years of age, and his subsequent placement into foster care. He also discusses his self-diagnosed Asperger’s Disorder and continued difficulty reading social cues as an adult.  He explains the trajectory of both his alcohol...

In this episode, we interview retired California Highway Patrol Sergeant Kevin Briggs. Kevin has been dubbed, “Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge” because of his work preventing suicides for over a decade while on patrol for the CHP in Marin County.  Kevin is the first male guest to broach a very sensitive subject and discusses being sexually abused from age 8 to 10 by an adult male neighbor. He j...

In this episode, we interview retired NYPD Detective Matt Hickey. Matt worked for the NYPD from 1990 to 2010, working a range of positions, including Bronx and Manhattan Narcotics, as well as the NYPD’s prestigious Hostage Negotiation Team.  He discusses a series of events which led up to his suicide attempt in 2001, having his shield and gun taken, and the surprising response of having his depart...

In this episode, we interview retired NYPD Detective and New York Times best selling author Edward Conlon. Conlon writes and narrates a scripted historical podcast called Talk to Me, which tells the inside story of how the field of hostage negotiations was created. In the wake of major 1970’s tragedies such as the Attica prison riot and the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, the...

In this episode, we interview Homa Schweers, former NCAA athlete, firefighter, EMT, and correctional officer. She was the first female to graduate to from the SWAT/CRT Level 1 and Level 2 Operator Academy, earning two out of four of the top honors in the CRT Academy as “Top Operator” and “Top Gun.” She was recruited out of public service and into private executive protection details.  Homa details...

In this episode, we interview fitness entrepreneur and firearm enthusiast Scott Howell. Scott discusses the importance of competitive team sports in shaping his core beliefs and values during childhood. He translated these experiences later into his career, first working as a fitness trainer, then executive manager of a large nationwide gym, and eventually as a business owner.  Scott discusses wha...

In this episode, we interview “Hope,” a psychiatric technician who works in a correctional setting.  She discusses her need for acceptance and approval that stems from her early relationships with her parents. Hope reflected on her mothers constant criticism of her own body, as well as the criticism of her daughters bodies during childhood and adolescence. She also recalls experiencing both physic...

In this episode, we interview “Brian,” a police officer from Pennsylvania. Straight out of the academy, he responded to an usual number of fatal accidents and suicides, earning him the nickname “Dr. Death.” He discusses the impact of these critical incidents, ultimately leading to debilitating anxiety and his own suicidal thoughts. After Brian’s brother passed away in November 2021 from Lou Gherig...

In this episode, we interview Oregon Department of Corrections Corporal Mychal Cohn. Mychal discusses the impact of having an emotionally and physically abusive step-father, and the greater trauma of then being removed from his mothers care.  Mychal discusses his time working for the Oregon Department of Corrections and the impact the job had on his personal life, including divorce, heavy drinking...

Episode 35: SMPD CSO Ed Burns In this episode, we interview Santa Monica Police Department Community Service Officer Ed Burns. Ed discusses the significant impact his parents had on his life, including experiencing lack of affection and physical abuse. Living with an absent and alcoholic father, and an abusive, anxious mother, he learned to suppress and restrict his emotions from a young age, whic...

In this episode, we interview retired Long Beach Police Department Sgt. Jason “Tiny” Lehman. Jason discusses his early life growing up in New York city, his early brush with law enforcement, and the role of sports in his life.  He recalls his early years in Long Beach - describing himself as an aggressive patrol officer who “worked in the grey areas.”  This ultimately led to an in custody death, a...

In this episode, we interview “Clark” who is a correctional sergeant at a high security prison. He discusses being exposed to significant physical violence during his childhood - both physical abuse and domestic violence. He recalls feeling like his father might end up killing him, which eventually led to his own feelings of wanting to kill his father. The chaos during his childhood led to his own...

In this episode, we interview retired Long Beach Police Department Sergeant Adam Sturgeon. Adam discusses stressors that occurred during his childhood and how that later had a large impact on his marriage.  Adam discusses critical incidents that occurred over his sixteen year career with the Long Beach Police Department, the impact of his career on his marriage, and  how he was personally impacted...

Episode 31: CDCR Sgt. Amanda Johnson In this episode, we interview Correctional Sgt. Amanda “Mandy” Johnson who works at Ironwood State Prison. Mandy is the reason that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation participates in the Pink Patch Project every October, which focuses on fundraising for breast cancer research and recipients.  Mandy discusses her family legacy in law enf...

In this episode, we interview Long Beach Police Department Correctional Sergeant Andrew Gonzalez. Andrew grew up in Long Beach, California, and discussed what childhood factors influenced him to pursue a career in law enforcement.  Andrew worked for nine years as a correctional sergeant with Long Beach PD, before he decided to pursue a career change. He now works as a licensed marriage and family...

In this episode we interview Seal Beach Police Department Sergeant Jordan Mirakian. Jordan discusses his childhood, specifically the impact of his father coming out as a gay man when Jordan was thirteen years old.  He recalls having to go to work at the age of fourteen to help support his mother, and describes an incident as a teen that propelled him into a career in law enforcement.  Jordan recou...