Scenario: Shoot or Don't Shoot

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

You are an experienced soldier on a peacekeeping mission. You and your partner deploy to a local village to take pictures of some disturbing scenes as proof of an atrocity. They are in the open taking pictures, and you cover them from behind a tree. Suddenly, a local police jeep with four armed police officers speed by, not seeing you but they do see your partner. It stops about 50 metres down the road. One police officer dismounts, takes his rifle off his shoulder, and starts running toward your partner shouting and gesturing with his weapon. You adopt a fire position and try to warn your partner. Engrossed in their work, they do not hear you or the police officer. The United Nations (UN) has restrictive Rules of Engagement (ROEs); however, you are always entitled to the right of self-defence and protecting your comrades in the face of a life-threatening situation.

Categories

• Principles: Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Loyalty
• Cultural themes: Service, Leadership, Teamwork
• Misconduct types: Not Specific
• GBA Plus themes: Not Specific
• Audience: Canadian Armed Forces

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical obligation of “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in an operational setting.
• Discuss the values of integrity and loyalty as well as duty, the professional expectation of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) ethos, in an operational setting.

Facilitation Questions

1. What would you do in this situation? What are the considerations?
   • Allow open discussion from the group.
   • Ethical concerns: This scenario deals with the ROEs and your right to protect yourself and your fellow soldiers.
   • Personal factors: Although there is what seems to be a threat scenario developing around your partner, you know you need to respond to the approaching policeman with caution and to be sure of his actions prior to following through with any type of engagement.
   • Environmental factors: The reason you are there is to document the evidence of a potential atrocity, therefore the advancing policeman may be involved with the security of the area. The policeman is gesturing with his weapon but not aiming it at your partner.
2. What is the ethical dilemma in this situation?
   • This scenario is not an ethical dilemma, but addresses challenges associated with ROEs.
3. What are some potential courses of action that could be taken in this scenario?
   • Option 1: Do nothing and wait until his intent is clarified.
   • Option 2: Wait, as per your ROEs, until you are clear that there is a legitimate threat for you and your colleague, then fire in self-defence, realizing that he might kill your partner before you can react.
   • Option 3: Fire a warning shot. The police officer and his fellow officers may deliberately, or in reaction, engage you in a firefight.