Riot shield

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Police with riot shields in Seoul, Korea.

Riot shields are lightweight protection devices deployed by police and some military organizations. Most are a clear polycarbonate, though some are constructed of light metals with a view hole. Riot shields are almost exclusively long enough to cover an average sized man from the top of the head to the knees. Some riot shields are designed to be bulletproof, but most are not. They are generally intended to be used in hand to hand fighting and to protect the user from shrapnel, thrown projectiles, and splash from various weapons such as a molotov cocktail.

Riot shields are used in almost every country with a standardized police force and are produced by many companies.

Riot shields can also come in various shapes. They often to have two large handles: the user puts his left arm through the left handle and holds the right handle. Some shapes include:

Round. A common size is 2 feet diameter.
Rectangular with rounded corners, curved in the horizontal cross-section to shed thrown objects. A common size is 20 or 24 inches by 3 feet.
The same, but also curved in the vertical cross-section at the top and bottom.
A full length shield, rectangular in shape but tall enough for the botom to be place on the ground. The Right hand holds an handle at the top while the left hand holds a lower handle. The top of the shield is curved forward.
There is a type of shield which is curved horizontally the "wrong" way, i.e. concave forwards. These are for handling an uncooperative prisoner or suspect in a cell or small room.
Some shields are "ballistic", i.e. strong enough to resist firearms fire.

These are opaque with a small sight window. Ballistic shields are commonly known by the brand name, Body Bunker® or "Bunker" shields. Bunker shield are not normally used by riot Police but more often SWAT teams as they are bulky, heavy and designed to be used for short durations where there is a risk of firearms being used against the officers. Riot shields on the other hand are used for protection from thrown objects or blunt/edged weapons and not firearms.

Police officer with a clear polycarbonate riot shield.

[edit] Tactics

In a dynamic entry situation, a team of special police, such as SWAT try to clear a room quickly and decisively. For example one member would smash the door open with a battering ram, then step aside as the first team member wielding the shield entered the room and protected the door. The other team members would enter behind him and take control of the room.

See Also: Riot Control.