Society has become increasingly violent and guns play a large role in that violence. The days when an officer can boast he never drew his weapon during his career are long gone. Not only are more officers drawing their guns, but more are forced to fire them. The advent of dash cams, and now body cams, has shed more light on identifying threats and the importance of tactics when engaged in a gun battle. I thought a review of the basics was in order. Most of the information that follows should come as no surprise, but it’s always a good idea to keep these life-saving tips in short term memory for easier access. Thus, I offer the following in no specific order of importance.
Know the difference between cover and concealment. While both are important, only the former helps guarantee survival. That said, recognize your adversary’s position. Is he using cover or concealment? If the answer is concealment, it offers no protection from your rounds. During traffic stops, once alighting from your cruiser, do a quick assessment of your surroundings. Other than your vehicle, what else might be used for cover should things break bad—another car, a tree or building? If only concealment is available, use it. Depending on the object, it may at least slow the velocity of the incoming round. Also, just as many of us have a tendency to want to shoot around obstacles rather than through them, bad guys do the same thing.
Be confident and competent with your weapon. Bullet placement is paramount. In his book, On Combat, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman said the average officer could empty a high-capacity 15-round 9mm magazine in four seconds. . . the problem is that unless you are firing at point-blank range, the average shooter cannot hit a barn door at that rate of fire . . .” He’s right. Spray and pray may look awesome, but it rarely produces desired results. Qualification fire is a necessary evil, a function of administration. However, much emphasis should be place on tactical shooting, i.e., shooting while moving, one handed shooting, firing from behind cover (correctly), prone, kneeling, etc. Becoming intimately familiar with your weapon is critical, which means firing it, reloading, and clearing malfunctions without taking your eyes off the fight.
Know your environment and don’t ignore danger signs. This applies whether on or off duty. Remember: Look up; look down; look all around. When entering a building, don’t assume the threat will always be directly in front of you. Thugs secrete themselves in the strangest places—underneath furniture, in cabinets, overhead crawlspaces. Warehouses are the worst, with stacks of shelving, multiple staircases, etc. And of course, always check your six. During the course of your shift, you’ll be bombarded with visible cues, don’t ignore them. Your experience will help separate the real threats from those that are insignificant. They key is to recognize danger and react accordingly.
Mentally rehearse a variety of scenarios. In addition to going through force-on-force and scenario training, both of which provide excellent tactics development and reinforcement, strive to visualize and mentally review situations you may encounter. Your mind should be constantly replaying what you would say and do if presented with a deadly force situation. Prepare yourself for the “what ifs,” the things sometimes referred to as Plan B. If your first response doesn’t work, quickly transition to your backup—always have a backup plan. By playing these mini-training scenarios constantly in your mind, you develop a strategy to win.
Move. It’s difficult to hit a moving target as many of us can attest to if we’ve fired at one on the range. Add in the stress of the target shooting back at you and it’s a recipe for disaster. Again, the same concept works in the reverse. If we continue to move, our opponent has a much more difficult time of shooting us. Try to move laterally, rather than toward or away from the threat in a straight line. Unfortunately, much of our training mandates we stand in one place for safety’s sake. We must strive to do as much shooting while moving as we can. Even in a confined space, movement is a worthwhile tactic to use.
Maintain a winning mindset. Recognize and realize that even if you’re wounded the battle is not over. Your adversary wants you to lie down and die. When you don’t, when you get back in the fight you will have the edge. Today’s medicine and technology combine to save more lives than ever before. Mental toughness and confidence can help you defeat your attacker . . . if you believe.
Work hard, train hard, exude confidence, and maintain a positive attitude. Be prepared in a moment’s notice to go from being perfectly relaxed and calm, to becoming an unstoppable beast capable of overwhelming violence. Your life depends on it.
Stay Safe, Brothers and Sisters!
