> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://media.proudamericanstudios.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Lt. Dan Colasanto on SWAT Reality, TTPOA Training, and the 2015 Garland Terror Attack - URL: https://media.proudamericanstudios.com/podcasts/lt-dan-colasanto-on-swat-reality-ttpoa-training-and-the-2015-garland-terror-attack/ - Published: 2026-03-30T16:57:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-14T17:48:04.000Z - Description: Two terrorists. An AK-47. A SWAT team that was ready. Lt. Dan Colasanto on the 2015 Garland attack no one covered, 33 years on the job, getting shot twice, and why complacency is the real threat. - Author: Editor-in-Chief, Proud American Studios - Tags: The Hero Next Door, podcast, U.S. Law Enforcement & Public Safety [Watch the Full Episode Now on Proud American Studios](https://app.proudamericanstudios.com/programs/heronextdoor?cid=4876079&permalink=hero-next-door-dan-colasanto&ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com) > I call it the forgotten terrorist attack. The reason it wasn’t covered much is because the only people that got killed were the terrorists. — Lieutenant Dan Colasanto In this episode of *The Hero Next Door*, host [Trey Lindsey](https://proudamericanstudios.com/team/treylindsey?ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com) sits down with [Lieutenant Dan Colasanto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-colasanto-9636332/?ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com), Garland (Texas) Police Department SWAT Commander and President of the [Texas Tactical Police Officers Association](https://ttpoa.org/?ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com) (TTPOA). With 33 years on the force and 30 on SWAT, Colasanto is one of the most respected tactical law enforcement leaders in the state of Texas. In a wide-ranging conversation, he opens up about getting shot twice in the line of duty, the realities of SWAT work the public never sees, and the night his team stopped what he calls “the forgotten terrorist attack.” On a quiet evening in May 2015, two heavily armed men pulled up to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, stepped out of their vehicle with an AK-47, and opened fire. Their target: a building full of civilians. Their outcome: dead in the street within seconds, neutralized by Garland police officers who had spent months preparing for exactly this scenario. It was, by any definition, a thwarted terrorist attack on American soil. And almost nobody heard about it. “I call it the forgotten terrorist attack,” says Lieutenant Dan Colasanto. “The reason it wasn’t covered much is because the only people that got killed were the terrorists.” ## Planning for the worst The Garland event didn’t happen in a vacuum. Months earlier, the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris had shown the world what happens when extremists target those who depict the Prophet Mohammed. When a similar event was announced in Garland, Colasanto and his team knew exactly what was coming. “We sat down and said, okay, what are the likely courses of action? Vehicle-borne IED. Personal IEDs. Automatic gunfire. Because that’s what had been done in the past.” They set up barricades, positioned SWAT operators inside and outside, established roving patrols, and placed partner agencies on standby. The entire day passed without incident, until the final moments. ### Seconds that mattered When the attackers arrived at the west entrance, one fumbled with his seatbelt while trying to deploy his rifle. Officers engaged immediately. Within seconds, both terrorists were down. But the threat wasn’t over: indicators inside their vehicle suggested a possible car bomb. The bomb unit deployed what Colasanto describes as a “boot banger,” an ejection tool that had never been used on U.S. soil at that point, to clear the vehicle’s trunk. No explosives were found, but the response demonstrated the kind of disciplined, worst-case preparation that defines modern SWAT operations. “I called my buddy at Irving PD SWAT right after the shooting stopped. He thought I was pranking him,” Colasanto recalls. “But the good thing is, he knew where our station was because we’d trained together through TTPOA. His guys knew exactly where to go. It was seamless.” [Watch the Full Episode Now on Proud American Studios](https://app.proudamericanstudios.com/programs/heronextdoor?cid=4876079&permalink=hero-next-door-dan-colasanto&ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com) ## 33 years and still running toward it Colasanto’s career reads like a case study in commitment. A West Point graduate who transitioned from Army armor to civilian policing, he has spent 33 years with Garland PD and 30 on SWAT. In 1998, six years into the job, he was shot twice during a narcotics warrant: once in the helmet, once in the chest. His protective equipment saved his life both times. “They don’t pay for what you normally do,” he says. “They pay for what you might have to do.” He was back at work as soon as the mandatory psychiatric evaluation cleared him, with no time missed. ## SWAT as a life-saving organization One of Colasanto’s strongest convictions is that SWAT’s primary function is de-escalation, not force. He pushes back hard on the Hollywood version of tactical teams. “For the most part, a majority of SWAT incidents end peacefully. We’re a life-saving organization. That’s why you call us: because we have the equipment and less-lethal weapons to resolve these situations with surrender.” He has watched barricaded suspects change their minds the moment a tactical team arrives. “They look out the window, see guys getting their heavy vests and helmets and rifles, and they’re like, wait, things got serious. Maybe we should change our mind.” ## Training the next generation across Texas As TTPOA President, Colasanto oversees an all-volunteer organization that delivered more than 100 training classes last year. The association operates as a 501(c)(3), keeping courses affordable and comping slots for smaller agencies that can’t cover travel and lodging costs. “My loyalty is to the members. It’s what do the members need,” he says. “We don’t make money on our competitions. We actually lose money. But the members want it, and that’s what we’re going to do.” Through partnerships like the [Jorge Pastore Foundation](https://www.jpastorefoundation.com/?ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com), named for a SWAT officer killed in the line of duty, TTPOA has sponsored conference attendance for officers from small agencies who had never been able to attend. ## The real threat When asked about the biggest danger facing Texas today, Colasanto doesn’t hesitate: complacency. “When things have been quiet, that’s what peaks my spidey senses. It’s been a little too quiet. Something may be going on, or they’re planning something, or they’re trying to lull us into a false sense of security.” His advice to the public is direct: maintain situational awareness. “If you wouldn’t go there without a gun, don’t go there with a gun. Don’t put yourself in a bad situation you can’t get yourself out of.” ## Legacy After more than three decades in law enforcement, Colasanto’s measure of success remains simple. “Leave it better than when you started. Make an impact. And be remembered for the right reasons.” Watch the [full episode](https://app.proudamericanstudios.com/programs/hero-next-door-dan-colasanto?category%5Fid=276180&ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com) on [Proud American Studios](https://proudamericanstudios.com/home?ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com). [Watch the Full Episode Now on Proud American Studios](https://app.proudamericanstudios.com/programs/heronextdoor?cid=4876079&permalink=hero-next-door-dan-colasanto&ref=media.proudamericanstudios.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/61/7e/617ea0f9-9c68-4cf4-99c3-4aefef529f30/content/images/2026/02/Blue-Radial-Gradient-Background.png) ## ****Join Proud American Studios** Join a growing community of Americans who value faith, freedom, and country. 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