Stop the Killing

Nearly four years after the Uvalde school shooting, an unprecedented criminal trial is underway.

In this episode of Stop the Killing Podcast, former FBI executive and prosecutor Katherine Schweit examines the prosecution of a responding officer charged with 29 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child — not for what he did, but for what prosecutors argue he failed to do. 

This fact-based episode explains how failure-to-act cases are judged, what prosecutors must prove, and why this trial could reshape accountability in active shooter responses.

Related episodes: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/stop-the-killing/s4e48-the-uvalde-shooting-a-comprehensive-analysis

Resources & Links:

• Support us on Patreon for exclusive content and early access to episodes.

• Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.

• More insights from Katherine Schweit: Katherine Schweit.

• Stop the Bleed training.

• FBI: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.

• CrimeCon UK Tickets — Use DISCOUNT CODE “FERRIS” for a special offer!

Check out more from Sarah Ferris Media:

• Conning the Con

• Klooghless: The Long Con

• Guilty Greenie

• Watching Two Detectives

• The Bravery Academy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 UNDERSTANDING DEADLY FORCE — PART TWO

Stop the Killing Podcast | S4E59

If you listened to last week’s bonus episode examining the Minnesota ICE agent shooting — where Katherine Schweit broke down the deadly force standard and whether it was lawful — and found yourself wanting to go deeper into how deadly force policies actually work, this episode is for you.

This is Part Two of our Understanding Deadly Force series, released to add further context and depth to the questions raised by that case — not by revisiting the incident itself, but by examining the policies, training, and human consequences behind deadly force decisions.

Hosts Sarah Ferris and Katherine Schweit are joined again by Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent with 26 years of service, to explore what happens after a deadly force encounter — and why that aftermath matters just as much as the moment a trigger is pulled.

This episode picks up where Part One left off and focuses on:

• Why officers involved in shootings must receive psychological and psychiatric support

• How unresolved trauma can endanger officers, partners, and civilians

• Why deadly force scenarios are mentally rehearsed — awake and asleep

• The reality of firing until a threat is stopped, not “counting shots”

• How training protocols evolved after catastrophic shootings

• Why civilians are judged differently than law enforcement under deadly force laws

• The legal and emotional risks civilians face when carrying and using a firearm

• The persistent myth of the “good guy with a gun”

Listeners hear firsthand accounts from FBI agents who survived gunfights and lived with the consequences — not as spectacle, but as institutional knowledge meant to prevent future loss of life.

Public debate around deadly force often focuses on outcomes, not consequences.

This episode asks listeners to consider the weight of responsibility carried by those who use force — and the long shadow those decisions cast over careers, families, and lives.

It is not about defending or condemning any single case.It is about understanding what deadly force truly costs.

1. Bonus Episode — Minnesota ICE Shooting: Deadly Force Standard Explained

2. S4E58 — Understanding Deadly Force (Part One)

3. S4E59 — Understanding Deadly Force (Part Two)

Head to YouTube @SarahFerrisMedia

• FBI Retired Case File Review Podcast – hosted by Jerri Williams

• Early Access & Bonus Episodes: Apple Podcasts & Patreon

• WANT THE VIDEOS? Head to YouTube 👉 @SarahFerrisMedia

Resources & Links:

• Support us on Patreon for exclusive content and early access to episodes.

• Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.

• More insights from Katherine Schweit: Katherine Schweit.

• Stop the Bleed training.

• FBI: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.

• CrimeCon UK Tickets — Use DISCOUNT CODE “FERRIS” for a special offer!

Check out more from Sarah Ferris Media:

• CONmunity Podcast 

• Klooghless: The Long Con

• Guilty Greenie

• Watching Two Detectives

• The Bravery Academy

🧠 What This Episode Explores⚖️ Why This Episode Matters Now🔁 Recommended Listening Order🎥 Want the Videos?🎧 Listen & Watch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Recommended Listening: Go Deeper on Deadly Force

If you’ve just listened to our bonus episode —Minnesota ICE Shooting: Former FBI Agent Explains the Deadly Force Standard — Was It Lawful? —and want to dig deeper into how deadly force decisions are actually made, this episode is the perfect companion.

To better understand the legal, psychological, and operational realities behind law enforcement use of deadly force, we recommend revisiting:

With Retired FBI Agent & Host of FBI Retired Case File Review, Jerri WilliamsStop the Killing Podcast | S4E58

In this powerful episode, hosts Sarah Ferris and Katherine Schweit are joined by Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent with 26 years of service, to unpack what actually goes into a decision to fire a weapon — long before a single shot is ever taken.

While our Minnesota ICE bonus episode focuses on how deadly force is legally evaluated after the fact, this conversation fills in the gaps by explaining:

• What officers are trained to consider before force is used

• The FBI’s deadly force policy and decision framework

• The psychological burden of carrying a gun every day

• Why split-second decisions are shaped by training, stress, and threat perception

• Key differences between U.S. and UK law enforcement use-of-force standards

Together, these episodes give listeners a fuller picture of how deadly force decisions are made, reviewed, and judged — without political rhetoric or hindsight bias.

• [00:00:00] Why deadly force is so widely misunderstood

• [00:03:10] The FBI deadly force policy explained

• [00:14:00] The psychological weight of carrying a firearm

• [00:20:00] Making split-second life-or-death decisions

• [00:30:00] Real FBI case experiences involving deadly force

• FBI Retired Case File Review Podcast – hosted by Jerri Williams

• Early Access & Bonus Episodes: Apple Podcasts & Patreon

• WANT THE VIDEOS? Head to YouTube 👉 @SarahFerrisMedia

Resources & Links:

• Support us on Patreon for exclusive content and early access to episodes.

• Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.

• More insights from Katherine Schweit: Katherine Schweit.

• Stop the Bleed training.

• FBI: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.

• CrimeCon UK Tickets — Use DISCOUNT CODE “FERRIS” for a special offer!

Check out more from Sarah Ferris Media:

• CONmunity Podcast 

• Klooghless: The Long Con

• Guilty Greenie

• Watching Two Detectives

• The Bravery Academy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Stop the Killing Podcast, former FBI agent and prosecutor Katherine Schweit breaks down the fatal shooting of Renee Goode, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, by a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.

Rather than reacting to headlines or social media outrage, this episode focuses on one question only:

Did the officer’s actions meet the legal standard for the use of deadly force?

Drawing on Department of Justice policy, Supreme Court case law, and her own experience investigating officer-involved shootings, Schweit explains:

• What “objectively reasonable” force actually means

• When officers are legally prohibited from shooting at moving vehicles

• Why anger, frustration, or refusal to comply do not justify deadly force

• How federal investigations differ when the shooter is a federal agent

• What investigators will be required to evaluate — regardless of politics

This episode does not reach a verdict.It explains the rules — so listeners can understand how this case will be judged.

• DOJ and DHS deadly force policy

• Shooting into a vehicle: what the law allows and forbids

• Federal vs state investigations in officer-involved shootings

• Why “escape” alone can never justify deadly force

• What video evidence can — and cannot — tell us

This case has ignited protests and intense public debate.Understanding the actual legal standard is essential — especially when emotions are high and facts are still emerging.

Relevant Resources and Links:

• Learn more about Change the Ref and how you can get involved: changetheref.org

• Support the podcast on Patreon or via Apple Subscriptions.

• Related podcast episodes:

• Watching Two Detectives

• CONmunity podcast 

• The Bravery Academy

• Guilty Greenie

If you found this episode impactful, consider subscribing to the Stop the Killing podcast on Apple Podcasts or supporting us on Patreon to help continue these crucial conversations. Your support allows us to keep producing this independent podcast and contribute to making a real-world difference.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode of Stop the Killing, Sarah shares why she felt compelled to release this previously recorded Thanksgiving episode today — after waking to the devastating news of the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia.

Early reports indicate two gunmen — a father and son — opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration. Amid the terror, a civilian, Ahmed Al Ahmed, intervened and wrestled the gun from one of the attackers, an extraordinary act of bravery that undoubtedly saved lives. His courage, and the countless other acts of heroism that day, deserve to be remembered alongside the victims of this horrific event.

Following Sarah’s reflection on Bondi Beach, Katherine Schweit walks listeners through the recent headlines across the United States — a stark reminder of the rise in everyday gun violence: shootings in parking lots, malls, tree-lighting ceremonies, restaurants, and road-rage encounters. These are not the mass-casualty attacks that dominate front-page news, but the far more frequent, unpredictable shootings that end lives and shatter families daily.

Katherine breaks down:

• Why “every neighbourhood” is now potentially vulnerable

• How small disputes escalate into gunfire

• Why situational awareness is essential

• The dangers of anger and firearms in the same moment

• The toll of stress and the holiday season on suicide by firearm

• How we can all be part of the solution this holiday season

This episode is a reminder that civilians can make a difference, heroes walk among us, and awareness — combined with empathy, grace, and responsible gun ownership — can save lives.

To the victims and families affected in Bondi Beach, and to all impacted by gun violence everywhere: our hearts go out to you.

OIN THE CONVERSATION

We invite you to share this episode with friends, family, and educators. Let’s work together to create safer school environments and inspire action within our communities.

Call to Action: If you found this episode impactful, consider subscribing to the Stop the Killing podcast on Apple Podcasts or supporting us on Patreon to help continue these crucial conversations. Your support allows us to keep producing this independent podcast and contribute to making a real-world difference.

Relevant Resources and Links:

• More insights from Katherine Schweit: Katherine Schweit.

• Website: Sarah Ferris Media

• Email: [email protected]

Share: If you found this episode insightful, share it with someone who might benefit from it and join the conversation on social media.

SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS, SUPPORTS THE PODCAST

• CRIMECON UK TICKETS HERE

• CRIMECON US TICKETS HERE

• DON’T forget to use DISCOUNT CODE “FERRIS”

RESOURCES

• Stop the Bleed training

• FBI

• RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

This is a Sarah Ferris Media production on the Killer Podcasts Network.Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions:

• CONNING THE CON

• KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON

• GUILTY GREENIE

• THE BRAVERY ACADEMY

WATCHING TWO DETECTIVES

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 NEW FROM SARAH FERRIS MEDIA

CONmunity Podcast | Season Two: The BADmiral

A $3.75 billion international search-and-rescue organisation. Admirals from around the globe. A mission that promised purpose — and pay.
But what happens when the story doesn’t quite add up?

From the creator of Stop the Killing and Klooghless: The Long Con, Sarah Ferris takes listeners on an 18-month global investigation to uncover the truth behind an organisation that may not be all it seems.

🎙️ THE BADmiral is Season Two of CONmunity Podcast — and all episodes are available now.
Start with Episodes 1 & 2 wherever you get your podcasts — or binge the entire season ad-free right now on:
👉 Apple Podcasts
👉 Patreon.com/CONmunity

⚓️ Follow the investigation. Meet the people who believed. And discover why seeing deception while you’re in it can feel like trying to catch smoke in your hands.

Produced by Sarah Ferris Media on the Killer Podcasts Network

Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions:

• Stop the Killing

• Klooghless – The Long Con

• The Bravery Academy

• Guilty Greenie

📧 Contact: [email protected]
🌐 Website: Sarah Ferris Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you want the very latest updates on this case, head to Patreon or Apple Subscriptions — that’s where we’re posting breaking news episodes as soon as they happen. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @stopthekillingstories for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

In this episode, retired FBI executive Katherine Schweit — former head of the Bureau’s Active Shooter Program — brings you the latest on the Charlie Kirk assassination case following the Utah County prosecutor’s first press conference.

Katherine breaks down:

• Why the case was filed at the state level as an “information” rather than a federal indictment

• The seven charges now filed, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child

• The aggravating factors that could increase sentencing: children present at the shooting and targeting political expression

• How text messages and a handwritten note became central evidence

• What the prosecutor’s decision to seek the death penalty means for the long road ahead

As always, Katherine takes the heat out of the headlines and focuses on the facts.

• Support us on Patreon for exclusive content and early access.

• Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.

• More about Katherine Schweit and her work: Katherine Schweit.

• Connect with Sarah Ferris: Sarah Ferris Media.

• Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform.

• Support us on Patreon or Apple Subscriptions for exclusive bite-sized episodes and more.

• Leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts to help others find the show.

• Follow us on Instagram @stopthekillingstories for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

• Send us your questions, feedback, and case suggestions through our websites or Instagram.

• Stop the Bleed training

• FBI

• RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

This is a Sarah Ferris Media production on the Killer Podcasts Network.

Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions:

• Conning the Con

• Klooghless – The Long Con

• Guilty Greenie

• The Bravery Academy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscriber Exclusive Early Access 

In this special briefing, retired FBI executive Katherine Schweit — former head of the Bureau’s Active Shooter Program — brings her insider expertise to unpack the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk.

Recorded just days after the Utah campus shooting, Katherine cuts through the noise of conspiracy theories and political spin to deliver verified facts: how the sniper carried out the attack, what evidence investigators recovered, and why the suspect’s background and online activity matter.

Drawing on her decades inside the FBI, Katherine explains the investigative process step by step — from sniper tactics to forensic analysis, possible charges, and how law enforcement builds a timeline to uncover motive. She also connects this case to the broader patterns she saw while leading the FBI’s response to mass shootings: political, ideological, or ego-driven violence that thrives in an atmosphere of hate.

Most importantly, Katherine leaves listeners with a call to action: recognize the warning signs, take responsibility for how we speak and share online, and choose kindness over division. Because preventing violence starts long before a trigger is pulled.

Relevant Resources and Links:

• Support us on Patreon for exclusive content and early access.

• Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.

• More about Katherine Schweit and her work: Katherine Schweit.

• Connect with Sarah Ferris: Sarah Ferris Media.

Calls to Action:

• Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform.

• Support us on Patreon or Apple Subscriptions for exclusive bite-sized episodes and more.

• Leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts to help others find the show.

• Follow us on Instagram @stopthekillingstories for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

• Send us your questions, feedback, and case suggestions through our websites or Instagram.

SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS, SUPPORTS THE PODCAST

CRIMECON UK TICKETS HERE

CRIMECON US TICKETS HERE

DON’T forget to use DISCOUNT CODE “FERRIS” 

RESOURCES

Stop the Bleed training

FBI 

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

This is a Sarah Ferris Media on the Killer Podcasts Network

Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions:

CONNING THE CON

KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON

GUILTY GREENIE

THE BRAVERY ACADEMY

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this clip, retired FBI executive Katherine Schweit — former head of the FBI’s Active Shooter Program — breaks down the disturbing messages the shooter sent after the attack.

Katherine explains how these texts became central to the witness tampering and obstruction of justice charges, and why prosecutors place such weight on this kind of evidence when building a case.

🎧 The full episode is available now with early access:
🔹 On Apple Subscriptions
🔹 On Patreon: patreon.com/stopthekilling

When speculation runs wild, Katherine brings you the facts only an FBI insider can deliver.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🚨 “We need to strip away the noise and focus on the facts.” — Katherine Schweit

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is dominating headlines — but speculation and conspiracy theories are drowning out the truth.

That’s why former FBI executive Katherine Schweit, who once led the Bureau’s Active Shooter Program, breaks it all down:
✔️ What actually happened
✔️ What investigators know so far
✔️ Why assassinations follow the same warning signs as mass shootings

🎧 Full episode now streaming — ad-free on Patreon & Apple Podcasts.
👉 Link in shownotes.

#CharlieKirk #FBI #TrueCrimePodcast #ActiveShooter #StopTheKilling #KatherineSchweit

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