If you take a moment to consider a police officer’s real world of work, they do not kill the enemy as the military does; they seek out lawbreakers and take them into custody. That’s a HUGE difference in tactics! The military is constantly looking for ways to engage at greater distances (consider the dissatisfaction of the long-range killing power of the 5.56mm in … [Read more...]
KCPD Badge Placement Study 2011-2012
In the last few months I was made aware of an incredibly important study conducted by the Firearms Section of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. The results of that study should have far-reaching implications for any officer who engages in enforcement action during an undercover assignment or while off-duty in plain clothes. The Background for Testing … [Read more...]
Ankle Holsters: Convenient, but Deadly
The first time I saw an ankle holster was in the 1971 Academy Award winning movie, The French Connection. I was in high school at the time and I hadn’t even thought about a law enforcement career. My total focus was on two things: girls and sports – in that order! I saw the movie at the drive-in and I was immediately taken by the concept of strapping a gun to one’s leg. It was … [Read more...]
Palm-to-Palm Handgun Transition
Back in November, Aaron wrote an article on off-hand shooting. A number of people left comments and sent in e-mails with some questions on the topic. To help clarify one of the things mentioned in the article, Aaron recorded this short video to show how to transfer a handgun from one hand to another using a technique called the palm-to-palm transition. Questions, … [Read more...]
Position Sul Training Video
[Ed. note: This training article and video are on the firearm handling technique known as Position Sul. Position Sul is not a replacement for the low ready, rather it is an alternative that officers can use depending on the circumstances, training and department policies. Your thoughts and feedback are welcome in the comments at the end of the article.] During the last 25 … [Read more...]
Negligent v. Accidental Discharge
Perhaps one of the most embarrassing (and dangerous) avoidable situation for an officer to have is a negligent discharge (ND) of their firearm. The situation is an immediate announcement of the failure of an officer to follow safety protocols, and in some cases the result of the (ND) is far more tragic than humiliation and discipline to the officer. Recent examples … [Read more...]
Off Hand Shooting: Priority or Passing Trend?
The concept of off-hand shooting is for the shooter to become proficient in shooting with their non-dominant hand. In other words, left-handed shooting for righties, and right-handed shooting for lefties. This concept is valid for both handgun and long gun, but for this article I will focus on handgun shooting. I hope this topic is worth addressing for the … [Read more...]
Newhall Shooting
The Newhall shooting on April 6, 1970 resulted in the death of four officers with the California Highway Patrol and helped usher in a new era of officer safety training. The shooting, also called the Newhall Incident and the Newhall Massacre, pitted two hardened criminals against two pairs of relatively young officers. Sadly, poor training and planning cost those officers … [Read more...]
The Tactical Weapon Light – Poor Man’s Laser Sight
If you already have a weapon-mounted flashlight, then by default you possess a quick firearm aiming device...if you do a bit of homework! Laser sights are all the rage and I confess to having purchased a couple. But they are not always financially justifiable or even allowed by policy for many coppers. At half the price, a tactical light can give you a similar service in a … [Read more...]
Citizens Deserve Better Trained Police Officers
I read a story last week about an East Dublin, Georgia police officer who shot and killed a man on a traffic stop. Without even touching the circumstances of the shooting, there was a serious training issue in the 2010 case. The officer had not been through state-mandated use of force training in the prior year, and because of that did not have the legal power … [Read more...]