ESPN2 to broadcast SWAT competition

Thirty minutes of footage from the 11th Annual Southeastern SWAT Conference filmed near Duncan in late April will be shown on ESPN2 Saturday.

Buy photo
Steve Ashcroft, with the Spartanburg Public Safety Department, takes aim during the 11th Annual Southeastern SWAT Conference that took place in April. ESPN2 plans to air 30 minutes of the competition at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

"Our event is actually qualifying for the world competition with the same sponsors and same people," Freeman said.

More than 140 law enforcement officers -- including two military teams -- representing seven states participated in the three-day competition.

Freeman said the goal is to better prepare tactical teams for situations they could face in the line of duty and to bring teams together from throughout the United States to share ideas and knowledge.

The competition includes shotgun rack, lumberjack match, sniper and pistol shoot-off, rappel and rescue, and two-man challenge.

The team from the Gastonia, N.C., Police Department won the local challenge for the third year.

Freeman said the Gastonia team chose not to participate in the world challenge because of scheduling problems, but the second-place winner from the Chattanooga, Tenn., Police Department did.

"We'll be interested in seeing the program as well as the world finals, where we will see people we've observed competing at our challenge," Freeman said.

Scenes from the challenge filmed at the Spartanburg County Emergency Services Academy near Duncan will be titled the National SWAT Challenge.

The sponsor was S.W.A.T., The Original Footwear Co., Freeman said.

More information about the challenges, as well as the mental and physical rigors is available on the Internet at www.seswat.com.

Teams from the Spartanburg Public Safety Department participated. The detention officers serving as hosts did not, Freeman said.

Janet Spencer can be reached at 562-7222 or janet.spencer@shj.com.