A marksman with the Anchorage Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team fires from an elevated postion at the High-Angle Sniper Range, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alakska, 2012.
The SWAT marksman is armed with a MK 11 Mod 0, a semi-automatic 7.62mmx51mm light sniper rifle, a variant of the SR-25 as manufactured by Knight's Armament.
It's common for tactical teams to organize into two elements: the assault/entry elements and a sniper/marksman element.
SWAT snipers typically set up at vantage points overlooking the objective from where they can observe, gather intelligence and, if needed, engage targets.
Depending on the scenario, a crisis situation can be resolved soley through a single well-placed shot.