How would tactical officers ambush this hostage taker as he was moving his hostage to a vehicle for getaway? With overwhelming force based on solid training and planning.
1. To be a fair stand-up boxing match in a 24-foot ring, or as near that size as practicable.
2. No wrestling or hugging allowed.
3. The rounds to be of three minutes’ duration, and one minute’s time between rounds.
4. If either man falls through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, 10 seconds to be allowed him to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his corner, and when the fallen man is on his legs the round is to be resumed and continued until the three minutes have expired. If one man fails to come to the scratch in the 10 seconds allowed, it shall be in the power of the referee to give his award in favour of the other man.
5. A man hanging on the ropes in a helpless state, with his toes off the ground, shall be considered down.
6. No seconds or any other person to be allowed in the ring during the rounds.
7. Should the contest be stopped by any unavoidable interference, the referee to name the time and place as soon as possible for finishing the contest; so that the match must be won and lost, unless the backers of both men agree to draw the stakes.
8. The gloves to be fair-sized boxing gloves of the best quality and new.
9. Should a glove burst, or come off, it must be replaced to the referee’s satisfaction.
10. A man on one knee is considered down and if struck is entitled to the stakes.
11. That no shoes or boots with spikes or sprigs be allowed.
12. The contest in all other respects to be governed by revised London Prize Ring Rules.
~“the Queensbury rules for the sport of boxing”
~John Graham Chambers (1865)
~*Later to be known as the Marquess of Queensbury Rules
Sportsmanship and fair play are worthy goals in sport, whether in the “sweet science” of boxing, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® or your child’s soccer match.
There are no rules in a street fight. As Karlos proved to John, a standing fair “fist-fight” is an anathema. What may start as an empty-hand mano-a-mano “straighten-up,” as the Brits refer to them, can change in an instant to a savage mass attack by multiple individuals, a knife assault or a felonious assault against you with a gun. Get the concept out of your head – there is no such thing as a fair fight.
While working security at an outdoor concert facility in the Midwest we responded to a fight call. The “fight” between two combatants had quickly turned into an assault when one grabbed a broken beer bottle and slashed the throat of the other. The victim was extremely lucky that day since the assailant just missed severing the victim’s carotid arteries and the jugular veins in his neck. You could literally see these exposed blood vessels through the slashed open flesh.
We want to avoid the altercation if at all possible. We can help accomplish this by practicing awareness and preparedness.
“All things are ready, if our minds be so.”
~William Shakespeare; Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3
Awareness is the early warning radar of self-defense and the armed citizen. As we’ve already stated, being caught off guard or the victim of a surprise attack, necessitates us trying to play catch-up in the action/reaction (response) game. Oftentimes, surprised citizens or law enforcement officers are victimized before they can even formulate, let alone field, some type of response.
As related to the science of body language and victimization discussed earlier in this manual, criminals frequently seek out the seemingly least aware and prepared among us. Walking through a mall, parking lot or on a sidewalk, do not be distracted by the bane of the modern citizen, the smart phone. Talking or texting, even having ear buds in as you walk along, denies you the ability to see, attend to, acknowledge or respond to situations, attacks, encounters or pending threats to you or your companions.
You want to walk with your head up and scanning your environment. No, it does not require that you hop around in a paranoid state like John Belushi did as the character Bluto in the movie Animal House. It does mean that you are looking at, paying attention to and preparing responses to developments in your environment.
It is probably true that most victims are not aware that they are in the process of being victimized since they have missed the developing indicators. For instance, the subject has selected you based on his observation or surveillance. As trainer Payton Quinn said, you are being “interviewed” as a potential victim at this time and this is an interview you want to fail.
Over the last couple of years we have seen ambush as the leading cause of death for law enforcement officers due to gunfire.
Four officers from the Lakewood, Washington, Police Department are inside a coffee shop at the beginning of their tour of duty. The opportunity to get some caffeine, work on some reports on their laptops and ease into the day is a routine that is repeated by law enforcement officers throughout this country (and probably throughout the world). As the officers are either sitting at a table or ordering their coffee, suspect Maurice Clemmons enters with two guns on his person and murder in his heart. As Officer Tina Griswold is sitting at the table with her back to Clemmons, he walks up behind her and shoots her in the back of the head, killing her. He then turns the semi-auto on Sgt. Mark Renninger and shoots and kills him, then his pistol jams. Officer Ronald Owens charges the suspect, who draws a back-up revolver and shoots and kills Officer Owens. Officer Gregory Richards attacks Clemmons; he draws his Glock .40 and is able to fire a shot, which strikes the cop killer in the abdomen. An intense close range gun battle commences and, despite being wounded, Clemmons is able to disarm the fourth officer and kills him with a shot to the head. Clemmons then runs away. Clemmons’ cop killing will be stopped 42 hours later when he is shot and killed by a Seattle police officer.
This tragedy reminds law enforcement officers that there is never a time when you can lower your guard and you must always be ready. But I believe that most attacks against citizens are ambushes as well. There is no such thing as a fair fight, and most attacks – robberies, rapes and other criminal assaults – are some version of ambush.
That said, I ask my law enforcement students the following and I’ll ask the same of you: How would you do it?
Say, for instance, you are a police officer assigned to go after a dangerous suspect. Rather than attempt the arrest in the environment where he is most dangerous, has superior knowledge of the terrain and has possible access to his weapons, you elect to “set him up” or ambush him elsewhere. Items to consider in your plan:
How would tactical officers ambush this hostage taker as he was moving his hostage to a vehicle for getaway? With overwhelming force based on solid training and planning.
That said, we can see that criminals are using these same tactics against armed citizens and police officers. They are watching us and, based on their perceptions of our perceived awareness and ability to defend ourselves, they make a decision to assault or attack. How then can we reduce the likelihood of an ambush?
Knowing how you would “ambush” a violent suspect, counter-ambush tactics need to limit a criminal’s use of these same methods against you. Avoid routine i.e. parking your car in the same place, the same time every day, locking up your business the same time and in the same way, etc. Limit “choke-points” – locations where you are isolated and have little room to move or maneuver. Deny opportunity by being a hard target. Scan your environment and what comes into it as to the potential threat it presents, and listen to your “gut instincts” about the potential for violence. All are solid counter-ambush tactics.
Once the trap is initiated, assaulting into the ambush is a standard military doctrine. To be effective in your response requires that your skills be second nature, i.e. stimulus (perception of the attack) leads to response (movement while drawing your pistol and getting accurate fire on target). Have you trained the presentation of your pistol (draw) from its holster to the point you can do it without conscious thought? An effective response to ambush requires it.
A female citizen has entered the vestibule of her apartment when she is attacked by a man who threatens to kill her if she does not comply. The female victim is forced out of the foyer and into her car where she drives the assailant to an ATM to withdraw money. The man then forces the victim to call a friend and bring more money before she is finally released.
To say this could have ended tragically is an understatement. To say that this lady was put through a terrible ordeal, one in which she feared for her life for several hours, is also an understatement.
Many victims do not understand when they are being lined up or interviewed by a potential attacker.
Have you learned how to respond with deadly force while in a vehicle? An ambush may push your training to the limits for you to survive.
Whether the assailant has ambushed based on more extensive planning and surveillance or a hasty ambush based on target isolation and opportunity is irrelevant. The chances of becoming a victim of either can be reduced by proper awareness and scanning your environment for threats. You must understand the locations and environments when you are more isolated and more easily attacked. Passive security measures, such as closed circuit video cameras at an apartment building, businesses or other locations, may help identify an attack after the event, but they do little to prevent the assault or crime.
Many victims do not understand when they are being lined up or interviewed by a potential attacker.
A female clerk who is pregnant is working at a convenience store/gas station when a male enters, engages in mindless chatter about the weather, then closes the gap and punches her in the face from across the counter. He then rounds the counter area and forces the woman to open the cash register. Fortunately she is not seriously hurt.
Oftentimes this chit-chat is an “interview” by the criminal and you may not even know it. During this time he is ascertaining your awareness level, his ability to close the distance to get within close proximity to you and your ability to defend yourself. Many times we subconsciously perceive this interview and dismiss it as paranoia.
In Gavin DeBecker’s excellent book The Gift of Fear (Dell; 1999), the author tells the story of an airline pilot who was troubled by an incident. The pilot had stopped off at a local convenience store to purchase a few magazines. The pilot got out of his car, opened the front door and something in his gut told him not to go inside. The pilot would later here of the armed robber inside who shot and killed a uniformed police officer as the officer walked into the store. The pilot was at a loss as to why he was spared and the officer lost his life. The pilot was able to recall seeing a vehicle in the lot with two subjects inside and the engine running, he remembers seeing the unease in the eye of the clerk as he began to open the door and seeing the suspect, who did not look at him and had an overly long/warm coat for the weather. DeBecker makes the point that the police officer possibly saw these same things when he walked into the store but ignored them. These “gut feelings” or survival signals are possibly subconscious perceptions we have not mentally processed and we ignore them at our peril. Survival signals are as much a part of our survival as any tactic or conscious thought. In law enforcement we call these “sixth sense” or “street sense.” Unfortunately, since violent incidents don’t happen that much, this police officer’s experience may have led him to ignore these same signals.
Like the pilot in Gavin DeBecker’s book, how many times do you go to this type of quick mart? Are you “tuned in” and listening to your “survival signals” when you do?
When in your car on the way to work, home or any destination, look ahead in traffic scanning for hazards or developing risks ahead. You don’t want to drive 65 mph only looking at the bumper of the vehicle directly ahead with only one car’s length between your car and theirs. You want to check your rearview mirror for traffic behind or the side mirror when changing lanes. You limit distractions while driving, understanding that cell phone conversations expose you and whoever is in the car with you to risk. You don’t text and drive because doing so reduces your response time worse than operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. If you don’t practice these types of “tactics” while driving the result could be disastrous. If you are distracted or unaware, and wait until the car in front slams on their brakes before you brake, it means that you’ve not given enough distance (time) to respond and stop your forward momentum.
Even Mario Andretti could have caused an accident if he drove in the city without paying attention.
And yet, despite training and experience, many people violate these driving rules every day, causing accidents and injuries. Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say. But it also breeds inattentiveness and unawareness because – usually nothing much happens, does it?
Birmingham, Alabama – Just this weekend a five-year veteran of Birmingham PD was killed off-duty as he was behind the wheel of his personal vehicle in the parking area of a carry-out. Apparently as the officer exited the store the rider of a motorcycle accused him of hitting his motorcycle with his car door. Information is sketchy at this point, but the officer stated he had not hit the motorcycle, then entered his car whereupon he was shot and killed. The officer, a father of three, had just celebrated the birth of his first son two weeks prior.
You want to manifest your awareness of your environment and who comes into it. You don’t necessarily want to appear challenging to subjects with your scrutiny, which may result in an aggressive, “What are you looking at?” But you do want to acknowledge their presence. This non-hostile type of manifested awareness has prevented an untold number of violent encounters for citizens and law enforcement alike. Simply stated, it is a non-verbal “I see you” and “You’re not going to surprise me or victimize me.”
Awareness is comprised of several different factors or elements:
A young lady from the capitol city of my home state was recently on the news. One night she was stabbed by a robber in the parking area of the gym where she works out. After she recovered from her injuries, she and friends from the gym set about hardening their self-defense armor much as they had strengthening their muscles and fitness levels. They attended training programs in the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga and then went to a local firearms range where they went through a CCW course.
They are only part of the way to their goal, however. So much of self-defense and being effective as an armed citizen involves mental awareness and preparation. It’s one thing to have the skills, it’s quite another to be “dialed in” as military and police “operators” refer to the mental aspects of preparation.
You see a police officer whose equipment is in a sorry state and who is seemingly oblivious to the goings-on around him. Within seconds, you’ve made a mental assessment of the man and his ability to perform his job. On the street, suspects survey this officer based on a quick glance and come to the conclusion that he is no real threat to them. He is “tried and tested” on the street more than other officers because of his apparent lack of mental and physical preparation.
Along with awareness, the armed citizen can project a state of readiness or preparedness. This is not just the aura of a man or woman who is armed, but one who can take control of his environment and put forth an effective response to any type of attack.
Certainly there are overlaps in these elements, qualities and attributes, and this list is certainly not exhaustive.
What is most important is that all of the foregoing elements and qualities of awareness and projected preparedness can be developed. The primary method to learn, perfect and develop these attributes is through research, study and training. Not one class or course, but a lifetime of study. Such is the price of personal safety.
The price of safety is training, preparedness and awareness.
A female police officer in the Midwest is confronting a hyper-violent individual in an armed encounter. Rather than shoot the suspect, she voluntarily disarms herself to show him she means him no harm. He shoots and seriously wounds her. She was lucky to have survived, but is forced to retire from the police agency based on her injuries.
From 1989 to 1992, a watch dealer in Los Angeles arms himself with a .38 revolver after several merchants in the area are robbed. Soon after, two armed robbers enter his store. “In an instant, I decided not to be a victim.” He shoots and wounds one of the robbers with a shot to the face. “I was scared to death!” Lance Thomas went to the range and began improving his odds by practicing at the pistol range as well as working out at the gym. Lance obtained several more handguns and strategically placed them in his shop and also worked out tactics in his head as to what he would do if he was robbed again. Less than four months later he was robbed again. Two armed robbers come through the door with guns out. Thomas came out firing, and in the ensuing gun battle killed the robbers while he got on the phone and called 911 for help. Lance Thomas was wounded in the gunfight but stated, “I’m faced with an armed intruder. Now, I have to make a mental decision to be a victim of his mercy or exercise the right of self-defense and fight back. In fighting back, part of that is the willingness to die and to kill. Hard choice!” In two years after this shooting, Lance improved the security in his store, hired a part-time security guard, trained at the range and increased his weaponry. Then his store was robbed again by a pistol wielding robber. Lance Thomas grabbed a pistol and fired killing the robber. Thomas was again wounded and survived. When asked by a reporter “Why do anything? If you hadn’t reached for your gun, maybe you wouldn’t have gotten shot?” Lance Thomas responded, “Would have been up to him wouldn’t it? He had his finger on the trigger, and he intended to negotiate. There’s no negotiation. My life is too precious for that.”
Lance Thomas then installed a double security door in his shop. Robbers came in anyway. Two robbers affiliated with one of L.A.’s most violent street gangs came into the store. While in the store acting as customers they went to leave then pivoted, raised their weapons, said, “You’re dead!” and open fired. Lance Thomas was quicker though and shot and killed both robbers.
A police investigator assigned to the shootings stated that every robber had an extensive violent criminal history and that Thomas was completely justified in everything he did.
Lance Thomas survived four different shootings at his watch shop until he closed up and moved to a private on-call style of doing business.
~Justice Files TV Show; Don Kladstrup, reporting
Two different and distinct mind-sets and mental preparations – one, a law enforcement officer employed, armed and charged by society to protect and serve, as she enforces the law, the other a citizen forced by increasing crime and violent criminals to arm to protect himself and conduct his lawful business.
The officer was empowered by her city as a law enforcer, yet unwilling and/or unable to employ deadly force to stop a threat against her, the other an armed citizen who refused to be a victim.
The similarity here is that both were armed or had firearms readily available and had trained in their use. The analogy stops there however. The differences are so stark, obvious and so tragic that they exemplify the proper mental preparation versus submission and subsequent victimization.
The late firearms trainer, Jeff Cooper (known as the Father of the Modern Technique), compared men who owned guns with musicians, stating, “Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.”
As Colonel Jeff Cooper stated, “owning” a firearm doesn’t mean you’re prepared. That takes diligent study, practice and intent.
The good thing is that you don’t have to be a “steely-eyed-killer” to be an armed citizen and effectively defend your life or the life of your family or friends. You can develop these mental attributes, which have proven to work over the years for law enforcement officers, military personnel, security professionals and armed citizens at home, on the street or at work.
In September 2012, the F.B.I. published Killed in the Line of Duty: A Study of Selected Felonious Killings of Law Enforcement Officers (1992: Uniform Crime Reports Section; Federal Bureau of Investigation: United States Department of Justice). From that report:
Offenders’ perspectives
The offenders were asked what, in their opinion, the victim officers could have done, if anything, to prevent their deaths. Because of lack of eyewitness or surviving officers, the exact facts surrounding the initial confrontation between the offenders and the officers are quite difficult to verify independently. 8% of the offenders felt that if the officers had been more “professional,” these officers may not have lost their lives.
Some offenders responded to this phase of the study by indicating that they felt that they had the tactical edge on the officers even before the officers were aware of the imminent threat. In these cases, the killers did not shift the blame to the officers by stating that the officers could have taken an alternate course of action to prevent their deaths.
Here we see the failure of a combination of different elements in officer survival.
First is that officers who win armed or violent confrontations have a different mental approach, they believe that, A) “It” does in fact happen, B) That “it” can indeed happen to them, C) That they must train and prepare, and D) That their tactics and training will save their life.
They believe in the following concepts:
Many times armed self-defense can turn into a hardware conversation or a focus on guns and gear when it should be mostly about “software” or the mental aspects of winning. Hundreds, no, thousands of people have saved their lives with .22 caliber firearms or what some would consider antiquated pistols, shotguns and rifles. Indeed, the old quote; “Beware the man with one gun, because he probably knows how to use it…” comes to mind. An intent man or woman focused on stopping a threat against them, their children or family member can be a hard thing to stop.
It’s not about hardware, it’s about software – will, drive, intent, among other mental attributes.
Several years ago my wife took time off from work to help take care of her elderly mother who was in home hospice care. My mother-in-law was mostly confined to a hospital bed in the home of another daughter. On the day in question, I was actually teaching new law enforcement firearms instructors for the state academy. My subject before an hourly break had been the Sympathetic Nervous System and fear control. My wife called on the break. She had been sitting in the front living room of the house when she heard a noise and looked up to see a strange man standing inside the side door of the house. Challenging him with a “What are you doing here?” He responded with a weird comment of, “Well…what are you doing?” She immediately ran to a bedroom and grabbed her sister’s .38 special revolver. Coming back to the living room she got into a two handed isosceles stance, pointed the handgun at the subject and ordered him to “Get out!” in a loud voice. The subject stammered but went out the door.
After the subject departed, her knees started knocking and the inevitable “parasympathetic backlash” occurred, which is your body regulating itself after a stressful incident. During the backlash, your hands may shake, you may become exhausted, feel light-headed or even become nauseous as your body deals with the residual stress chemicals such as adrenalin and noradrenalin.
My wife received a call from a family member who reported that the man was a friend who had been hired to perform repairs at the house and to whom my wife’s sister had given a house key.
All of this could have been avoided with communication and advisement from the sister that the man was coming. Further, he should have knocked on the door rather than just entering the home. Additionally he should have said, “Excuse me…” and alerted my wife to his presence and his reason for being there. Because my wife had been trained to understand the body and mind’s response to stress as well as shooting and tactics, it ended well. Without that training and just possessing a gun, it could have been a catastrophe.
Put simply, in addition to having the equipment, you must know how to competently use your deadly and non-deadly force options, observe pending danger, strategically avoid if possible, be prepared to repel or stop the threat efficiently while handling the stress of the encounter – to shoot (if necessary), move and communicate.
“Victims focus on their vulnerabilities, survivors focus on their ability to respond.” ~Ultimate Survivors video, Calibre Press, 1991
When I first started in law enforcement, the concept of “If/Then” thinking was introduced. The notion was that by visualizing a “Plan A” if things went south when dealing with a violent subject, you would lower your response time and be more efficient in your reaction.
Law enforcement trainer and retired lawman (Coach) Bob Lindsey (ILEETA law enforcement trainer of the year, 2013) rephrased the concept to “When/Then” thinking. It is not the idea that “if” it happens but rather “when” it does. This mental paradigm shift more fully prepares you for a response to violence. By constantly asking yourself, “When this happens…then I will respond by doing this…” you have preloaded your response. All you await is the stimulus of an attack or threat.
When/then thinking is all about developing tactical options.
At the graduation banquet of a police academy class held at a local hotel banquet room, a young officer who was a former Marine and combat veteran of Fallujah came up to my wife and me as we were leaving. “Officer Davis,” he said as he shook my hand, “There are five entrances and exits to this room.” What the cadet was referring to is my intonation during his training that you should be aware of the physical layout of the room you are in and scout for escape routes, cover opportunities and where threats might emerge. Further, that you should always scan as people enter/exit the room and approach your position. While we talked, I had my right hand in my pocket. In that pocket I had an Uncle Mike’s nylon pocket holster holding a Glock 26, 9mm semi-auto pistol. There is preparation and then there is “real preparation.”
This same When/Then thinking has been played out for me for years and years and served me well. When I walked my eldest daughter down the aisle, looking quite dapper in my tuxedo, I had that same Glock 26 in an Uncle Mike’s ankle holster (tuxedo trousers look good but usually lack belt loops which allow you to carry a belt holster, and the jackets oftentimes prevent quick access to the belt carried handgun as well).
When/then thinking is based on tactical options.
Pocket holster similar to the one the author carried on that day and his current second gun method of carry.
Many of the detectives at that time carried S&W Chief’s Special revolvers but placed them in their desks or in the glove boxes of their DB cars versus carrying the issue S&W 5906. Thankfully things have changed.
“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
~Bernard Baruch
The armed citizen has as his final option deadly force, but that is not the only option.
Years ago I was assigned to research and report on the equipment, training and tactical response capability of my agency’s detective personnel. What I found was shocking. Many detectives at the time (mid to late 90s) did not even carry firearms on duty. They would lock their handguns in the glove boxes of their plain clothes cars parked in the basement or would take off their sidearm and place it in their desk drawers. Most did not carry handcuffs during their duty day either.
Those who carried a handgun would frequently carry a five shot revolver in .38 special with no reloads on their person. Now, keep in mind that this was a time when our agency had recently shifted to carrying a 15-shot 9mm pistol as a duty sidearm and allowed a smaller capacity semi-auto to be carried in plainclothes or off-duty. Yet, these detectives chose, based on the faulty assumption that their risk was minimal, to carry a handgun with only five rounds available. If they were involved in a shooting, and exhausted those five rounds, they had a very poor club to use.
Further, the detectives force options were limited to empty hand control (punching or striking a suspect) and shooting them. These are the only options they had available, but not the most effective or lawful. Just because you don’t have any non-deadly force options available, does not mean you can shoot someone who poses a non-deadly threat.
The Tactical Options Continuum includes:
This is not to say that you must exhaust other options prior to using deadly force if you are attacked by a man armed with a knife or gun. It simply means that, to be truly ready and prepared for defense of self, family, friends and home, you must have equipped and trained in other options. These options can also be used in your defense after a shooting incident as well.
Let’s examine a hypothetical interview with a police detective after you’ve shot and killed an armed robber *with the presence of your attorney during the interview:
Detective: Mr. Smith couldn’t you have just run away?
You: Detective the man had a gun and I was in fear of my life. If I had tried to run away I might have gotten shot in the back.
Detective: Did you see him approach? Couldn’t you have avoided contact?
You: I attempted to move away from the man when I first saw him but he continued do move toward me. I warned him to stay away but he kept coming toward me and boxed me in. I didn’t see his gun in his hand until he was too close. I had my pepper spray out as I was walking but it was not an option.
Detective: Why was pepper spray not an option?
You: If he had no gun and just threatened me or was going to attempt to rob me by force, I could have tried to pepper spray him, but he showed me his gun and I had no choice.
Let’s say the individual never presented a deadly threat and just menaced you instead. In this case, avoidance and verbal warnings may have worked but when it did not, you had the option to use pepper spray. With more options available, you give yourself the ability to control a non-deadly threat with other means rather than resorting to deadly force. The reason law enforcement officers use pepper spray and electronic control weapons, like the Taser, is that they are remote controls that can be applied from a distance (there are always risks in close range or hand to hand confrontations), are effective, are less injurious to the officer and cause less injuries to the suspect. These factors can all benefit the armed citizen as well.
There have been books and thousands of articles written on firearm selection for self-defense. Indeed, I’ve written my fair share. I’ll refer the reader to these books for more detailed coverage, especially the works of Massad Ayoob, such as The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry and The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery, among Mas’s many other titles.
I’ll just break the subject matter down into the basics: the firearm must be well made and reliable, be accurate, have decent sights and trigger, with sufficient power to stop an assailant, contain enough bullets or shells, and be relatively easy to shoot under stress.
That said, thousands if not tens of thousands of citizens have defended themselves over the millennia with single barrel shotguns, rifles and all manner of handgun – from the rusty old six-shooter to two-shot derringers.
What we strive for and are most aided by is an efficient and reliable tool (firearm) to help us accomplish our task, which is to save our life or that of a family or loved one.
This is best accomplished by a modern, reliable firearm. It need not be the most expensive handgun or long-gun on the market or some custom design (indeed these can be finicky and not the most reliable). It just has to effectively do its job.
In the cop world, law enforcement officers in the late 80s early 90s began switching to modern semi-auto pistol designs. Smith & Wesson, Glock, Sig Sauer pistols began showing up in the holsters of modern lawmen. Indeed, all of the aforementioned makers, as well as Colt, Remington, Taurus, Ruger, Beretta and many others, make quality and reliable firearms in calibers of sufficient size (9mm, .45 and .40) to stop criminal suspects.
In most cases five or six shot revolvers and smaller caliber (.38 special and .380) handguns have been relegated to off-duty or back-up role in law enforcement. As well, higher capacity handguns now dominate law enforcement with the average uniform officer carrying more than 46 rounds of ammo on his person – with three magazines of at least 15 rounds of 9mm (which is the most popular caliber) and one round in the chamber of the holstered pistol.
This is not to say that you are not served by carrying a single-stack .45 or .40 Glock with less than 15 rounds onboard.
Excellent concealed holster the Phantom by Raven Concealment Systems and a dual spare magazine carrier by BladeTech.
Over the years we have found that semi-auto pistols are easier to shoot and normally contain more rounds than a revolver. The ease of shooting has to do with the trigger manipulation, which can be substantially easier than a revolver (15 pounds over a longer trigger arc of movement in a revolver fired in double action, versus a five pound press of a standard Glock or S&W M&P pistol). That higher capacity handgun doesn’t mean that you have to shoot 15 rounds or more at an assailant, it just means you are capable of firing 16 rounds before a reload is necessary.
Unfortunately, a few states – New York and Colorado as example – have passed laws that limit magazine capacity and rounds that can be carried onboard. The New York state S.A.F.E. Act which accomplished the exact opposite, limits handguns carried in that state to magazines which can hold ten or less but can only be loaded with seven rounds. Even as a traveling lawman, unless on official business such as a prisoner extradition or investigation, I have to carry my Glock 26 (ten-round magazines) loaded with only seven rounds in each. What is amazing in New York is that I can carry 20 magazines on my person but they are limited to seven rounds in each. In Colorado, Governor Hickenlooper signed into law a bill passed by the state legislature that limits magazines purchased after the date signed to 15 rounds. Even lawmen that carried Glock 17s or S&W M&P pistols while on-duty, when they retire, cannot purchase new magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds.
S.A.F.E. Act compliant carry for New York state. DoubleStar 1911 with Wilson magazines loaded with seven rounds of Liberty Ammunition .45 ammo. Unfortunately the Wilson mags must be downloaded from eight to seven to be within the law.
Note – This is not to say that retired lawmen should be exempt. Indeed some police unions and groups such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police are short-sighted in this regard, advocate for gun control and against citizen concealed carry. They don’t understand that, once retired, law enforcement officers are bound by these draconian gun laws as well. Of course, the IACP are made up of increasingly political chiefs of police, oftentimes more interested in staying in office. It should be noted that a survey completed by PoliceOne.com of 15,000 law enforcement officers was pro Second Amendment and pro concealed carry for citizens.
*At this time it is unclear if the magazine limit is in effect. The NYSAFE website still indicates that magazines must be limited to ten round capacity with only seven rounds loaded. CCW permit holders must know the law. If you are traveling and have reciprocity in that state, you must comply with state law.
Your ammunition must be a reliable performer and expander. Here Remington representatives conduct ballistic testing on their excellent handgun ammunition.
More rounds on board mean that you can deal with a worst case scenario – multiple bad guys, longer gun fight – than you can with a semi-auto holding eight rounds or a revolver stuffed with six shots.
We want adequate penetration without over-penetration. Remington Golden Saber Bonded fills the bill.
We carry handguns concealed because of their ease of carry and the ability to hide them from view, not because it is the best choice in defending our lives. If and when we have time, long guns – shotguns, carbines and rifles – are ballistically more effective. Handguns in the calibers of 9mm, .38 special, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, .45 GAP and .45 ACP are all capable of stopping an assailant, with the right ammunition. If we were talking about full-metal jacketed rounds, the largest bullet, .45 ACP at an average of 230 grains, makes the most sense. Bigger bullet, bigger hole with non-expanding bullets, this is why many special operations units that are restricted by the Hague Convention from carrying expanding ammo carry Government Model 1911 semi-auto-pistols such as the excellent Colt Close Quarters Battle Pistol for Marine MARSOC – Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command operators.
By and large I would not recommend calibers smaller than .380 or .38 special for self-defense. Yes, .22s and .25s can and have been used successfully by armed citizens to stop deadly threats, but they do not have a high probability for doing so. If they did, LEOs and the military would carry them. If physical limitations such as arthritis or other limitation makes it impossible for you to shoot or fire a larger caliber, then these sub-calibers can be used. Seek out the best ammunition available in .22 or .25 to improve your performance, and practice to achieve the best accuracy possible.
When we talk about law enforcement and private citizens’ ammunition however, we see that the 9mm is the most widely issued caliber carried by domestic law enforcement officers. Many large agencies carried .40 caliber pistols but even the Federal Bureau of Investigation is reported to be changing to the 9mm based on improved hit performance on target and reduced recoil. My own experience is that, despite being a larger officer, I do not enjoy the “snappy” recoil of the .40. My agency has had several shootings with our 9mm pistols and they have fared well. As an instructor, I have seen ladies who have been forced to shoot .40 caliber pistols because their husbands were enamored with the caliber, only to develop a flinch and fail or struggle with qualification courses.
Here a Remington Golden Saber Bonded 124 grain bullet is removed from ballistic gelatin.
Fellow Ohio lawman, trainer and blogger Greg Ellifritz at ActiveResponseTraining.net has completed and published a caliber study based on actual shootings. His articles An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power and Handgun Stopping Power: Science vs. 40 years of Experience are interesting reading. Ellifritz reports, after studying 1,800 shootings, that the average number of rounds to stop a person is:
Ellifritz covers stopping power with every caliber from .25ACP to .44 Magnums, shotguns and rifles, and his articles are worth your time.
According to studies by Greg Ellifritz there is little difference in performance between 9mm, .40 and .45 such as these excellent Black Hills rounds.
As a law enforcement officer my own perspective is that shot placement is the key. You must accurately deliver fire into a suspect’s mediastinum (upper chest area – where the heart and major blood vessels lie), the brainstem or the lateral pelvis. I once rolled onto a homicide in which the deceased, a bad-guy, was deader than a doornail from one shot from a .25ACP pistol. The .25 FMJ round had penetrated his heart and stopped him immediately with death only a few steps away. Other than headshots on victims I’ve responded to on the street, this is one of the few “one shot stops” I’ve witnessed.
Hit placement is the key. For more in this regard, I would recommend our friend Dr. James Williams’ Tactical Anatomy book and course. Dr. Williams is an E.R. doc, shooter, hunter and police trainer who lectures law enforcement and qualified citizens on the subject. Try Dr. Williams site at TacticalAnatomy.com for his training schedule and book.
The purpose of modern expanding ammunition is to improve performance on target while not over-penetrating. According to ballistic and forensic experts, we want a decent amount of penetration while not passing completely through the human body, which often happens when using full-metal jacket or round nose bullets.
In 1986, members of the FBI in Florida were hunting for serial armed robbers who had hit several banks and an armored car in the Miami area leaving two guards wounded. It was later found that the two robbers – Michael Platt and William Matix had previously killed a citizen and stolen his car. They would shoot and wound another citizen and steal his car as well. An FBI task force encountered the suspects in the stolen car and, fearing more lives lost if they did not act, rammed the car. In the ensuing gun battle, Platt, armed with a .223 carbine, killed two FBI agents and wounded five others before being shot to death by FBI Agent Edmundo Mireles. Amazingly, Platt was able to shoot and kill two agents and wound others after sustaining a 9mm gunshot wound to the lung. No drugs would be found in either of the suspect’s systems.
The FBI began looking into the stopping power of handgun rounds in an attempt to improve agents effectiveness in shootings. In 1989, Special Agent Urey Patrick wrote Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness.
From S.A. Patrick’s report we read, “Realistic and regular law enforcement training must counterbalance and mentally and emotionally override the fallacy of the one-shot drop still promoted by some media. Short of disrupting the brain or severing the upper spinal column, immediate incapacitation does not occur.”
“Physiologically, a determined adversary can be stopped reliably and immediately only by a shot that disrupts the brain or upper spinal cord. Failing to hit the center nervous system, massive bleeding from holes in the heart, or major blood vessels of the torso causing circulatory collapse is the only way to force incapacitation upon an adversary, and this takes time. For example, there is sufficient oxygen within the brain to support full, voluntary action for 10 to 15 seconds after the heart has been destroyed.”
“A review of law enforcement shootings clearly suggests that regardless of the number of rounds fired in a shooting, most of the time only one or two solid torso hits on the adversary can be expected.”
This FBI panel led to the Bureau adopting the 10mm as its caliber. This transition was never successful, however, with agents complaining of recoil and other factors. The FBI then adopted the .40 S&W as its caliber and used that for many years. It has already been noted that, at this point, information I have received is that the agency is moving back to 9mm as its caliber of choice.
There has been the myth of the one-shot stop over the years with witty sayings such as, “They all fall to hardball!” implying that the 230 grain .45 round is the most reliable stopper.
I met a former law enforcement officer who now works for a major firearms manufacturer. He related a shooting he was involved in where, undercover posing as a stolen goods “fence,” he was encountered by a large man armed with a knife attempting to rob him as he sat behind his desk in his “office.” The detective shot the man in center torso with one round of .45ACP, 230 grain hardball. The round traveled through the suspect and skittered along the ground as the suspect stayed upright and in the fight. The lawman prevailed, but he related that it was not because of the infamous 230 grain FMJ he fired into the suspect and it was certainly not a “one-shot stop.”
Don’t get me wrong, I have a couple of .45 semi-auto pistols that I am very fond of. I trust my life in my DoubleStar 1911. However, all my .45s use expanding hollow-point ammunition.
Liberty Ammunition’s Civil Defense loads use a solid copper projectile, which is devastating in soft tissue but penetrates sufficiently as well.
Once again, many books and article have been written on ammunition. Trainers like Mas Ayoob have attended autopsies and examined hundreds if not thousands of shooting reports. I would refer the reader to Mas’s writings and to work done by eminent ballistician Dr. Martin Fackler, M.D. for more.
There is a lot of great ammunition available to the armed citizen. Remember that the goal is to have adequate penetration to hit the “good stuff” within a target’s body and not over-penetrate. Understand that the one-shot stop is a myth and that, even when individuals are hit with devastating rounds in the mediastinum, they can have enough oxygenated blood in their system to stay upright and dangerous for quite some time.
As medical professionals who study deaths in military combat have stated, most battlefield deaths are due to exsanguination or blood loss. This takes time. While this is good for you, meaning that if you are wounded, most injuries are survivable, it also means that you should continue shooting until the threat is stopped and this may take multiple rounds. This is another reason why higher capacity pistols are recommended.
Master competition shooter and instructor Ron Avery puts stopping power this way, “Air in, blood out.” The more rounds you put effectively on target, the better chance the individual will stop.
Based on perception of the threat, there are a variety of different positions that allow you to confront threats, search, move around people and to fire more effectively.
Getting your hand on your pistol, if the situation dictates, is faster than a standard draw.
Placing your hand on a holstered pistol is certainly the first step in a successful draw stroke or presentation of the pistol from the holster. It is not a panacea however. Too many officers are shot and killed when confronting a threat by just placing their hand on the pistol instead of drawing it. Placing your hand on a gun is not a serious deterrent to a street criminal. Further, it does not raise a “force field” around you to protect you from incoming bullets. In many street thugs’ world, even pointing a gun at them poses little threat. I’ve pointed all manner of firearms at suspects. It was the tactically sound thing to do at the time, and more than a few simply turned and fled.
Placing your hand on your pistol can be used when there is not a defined threat but only the possibility of a threat, e.g. a suspicious individual who approaches you late at night while you’ve pumping gas and does not heed your warnings to, “Stay back!” It could be just an aggressive panhandler or a robber, the idea is that without perceiving a deadly threat you want to add emphasis to your verbal warnings. It should be noted that this is a preparatory tactic when you feel real fear based on the totality of the circumstances.
In most states, your Concealed Carry Permit is in jeopardy for reckless display or unreasonable threatening with the gun.
There is an old and stupid saying that, “The only time my handgun comes out of its holster is when it’s smoking.” Consider that having a gun in hand speeds response time. Even the fastest draw stroke cannot beat an already drawn pistol. With that said, we must understand that we should not draw a pistol without provocation. In most states, your Concealed Carry Permit is in jeopardy for reckless display or unreasonable threatening with the gun. Depending on the circumstances, this may even equate to criminal charges against you for menacing or assault. So, drawing a gun must be a conscious act in response to a threat that you can articulate based on the totality of the circumstances.
The question then is, what ready position do you assume? The answer is that all of the following, as well as having your firearm in hand, are options.
Some may argue with this, but street cops have long drawn their handguns and held them behind their legs, hidden from view, in traffic stops and other suspicious person encounters. Held behind the same side leg, the handgun can be elevated onto target in short order to stop a deadly threat. If you live in a high-crime area and there is a loud knock on your front door at night and the sound of a drunken individual, it might behoove you to draw your pistol or get it from your quick access safe and hold it in your hand behind the evening paper. Taking a look through your door’s peephole, you can warn the person away. If you must open the door to speak with the subject, hopefully you have a well-installed security chain that prevents the door from opening all the way and can withstand a kick from the potential intruder.
The problem with having gun in hand is that you cannot shoot simply because you have your firearm out, so reholstering is necessary if you are wrong in your assessment of danger or that non-deadly force is necessary.
Standard low ready is at approximately a 45 degree outward angle.
Standard low ready is with the muzzle depressed at about a 45-degree angle downward. Many systems only teach this ready position, but consider that if you were to rotate around a 360-degree circle with your handgun or long-gun at low ready you would inevitably sweep the muzzle across others from their hips to their feet depending on the distance they are from you. This sweeping could include innocents, family members or whoever is within distance.
Further, low ready may mean that you are not pointing the handgun at a specific threat and are completely off target with your muzzle. If you are challenging a threat at gunpoint or are holding a man until the police arrive, and he suddenly goes for a gun, your muzzle is not on target. Low ready then is useful when you have no specific threat and when you want the muzzle pointed downward.
If you have a potential threat and are holding them at gunpoint or have not been threatened with death and cannot yet fire, then holding on the hips of the individual accomplishes a couple of good things. First, if the person suddenly presents a threat such as attempting to draw his own gun, then you can fire immediately. Second, by lowering your muzzle to a point on his hips you can more easily see his hands and what is in them. Additionally, holding at low ready or high ready on the hips is less fatiguing than holding at point shoulder position.
Chest or FAM ready has the pistol within arm’s reach of the chin with the forearms resting on the ribs.
Pulling the pistol into the chest, which would be position three of a four-count draw stroke, the top and back of the slide is held about one hand spread from the chin. Your forearms are held against the ribs with the muzzle pointed toward the threat. In this ready position the handgun is pulled closer to your center and not at arm’s reach so that you have more control over the handgun and your profile is reduced. Chest ready is appropriate when entering a small room to search, such as a bathroom or within a doorway or tight confines where a more extended position is not possible. This ready position is taught to Federal Air Marshals to use in the close confines of the passenger compartment of an aircraft.
There is a variation in which the muzzle is canted downward. The thought is to have the support of the forearms on the ribs while having the muzzle pointed at the deck. I’m partial to the muzzle being parallel with the floor.
I once responded to a burglary call with other officers. I encountered the suspect coming out a second story window. I held the suspect at gunpoint as I had him hang halfway out the open bedroom window, with my flashlight held in what is known as the Chapman Flashlight Technique, until the key holder arrived and other officers entered the home and took him. This took some time, around 15 minutes, and holding close in at high ready, I did not fatigue while covering him with my 9mm pistol.
This would be count two of our four-count drawstroke. The pistol is held in one hand at the side pectoral area. As an index, the shooting thumb is held against the side of the pec. The pistol should be canted slightly outboard to allow the slide to reciprocate in firing. The shooting elbow is pointed to the rear.
Position 2 of the 4 count draw-stroke is the pistol indexed at the outside of the pectoral area and canted slightly outboard.
Here the author demonstrates shooting extreme close quarters using the chest tuck technique.
This ready position offers more control and is even tighter to the body than chest ready. If you are moving forward to open a door or need your support hand to do something, then you can pull the handgun back into this tuck position to maintain control, prevent an attempted gun takeaway and shoot if necessary. Since accuracy in shooting from chest tuck is affected by the angle of the wrist, this position is not accurate past five feet or so.
Position Sul is a transition position versus a ready position and not to be used when confronted by a threat.
Firearms trainer and former Marine Max Joseph is credited with developing Position Sul. Sul is Portuguese for South and was developed when Joseph was training forces in Brazil. It should be noted that Position Sul is not a “ready position,” but a transition position when other more affective positions cannot be assumed and should never be used if a deadly threat is encountered. In Sul, the handgun is held against the chest with muzzle pointed downward between the feet. Position Sul can be used when you are in close confines to others and can have the handgun protected by the off-hand. Sul can also be used to transition from one position to the next. Imagine you are facing forward with your handgun at low ready and want to turn around to encounter a perceived threat. Rather than turn with muzzle at a 45-degree angle and “flag” or “laser” others with your muzzle, you pull back to your center chest, point the muzzle at the floor and pivot, then extend the handgun at low ready or point shoulder position.
Critics of position Sul state that it is a weak wrist angle to hold a handgun, and that is certainly true; but when used for its intended purpose it averts the muzzle from covering friendlies.
Indoor ready is for a long-gun when moving inside a structure or within close confines. Here author works from indoor ready with 12 gauge pump shotgun.
Indoor ready position is used for long-guns and allows a tighter profile than low ready. In the Indoor Ready position, the muzzle is pointed down and outboard toward the floor. Exercise care to not point the muzzle at the support side foot. Imagine you are in the center of a Hula Hoop®. The muzzle would be inside this hoop or what some call your “safety circle.”
If a door needs to be opened or a threshold crossed while using a long-gun, indoor ready allows this to be done.
All of the foregoing ready positions can be accomplished with one hand and indeed may have to be. Remember it is a handgun, not a handsgun. Our off-hand may need to be freed up to open doors, push back offenders, hold flashlights, maneuver our loved ones out of the way, etc.
Remember it is a “handgun” not a “handsgun” and oftentimes you may have to use your off-hand for something else, such as holding or fending.
If there is a defined threat at more than muzzle extension distance, then the handgun and long-gun should be up at eye level. The target area on the threat, which usually equates to “center of mass” on the individual, the front sight and the rear sight are all in a line. This is true whether we are focusing on the sights or not. This is the default position we aspire to – both hands on the handgun held at extension, sights in view. We always shoot better from this position, which is count four of the four-count draw stroke.
Shooting great Todd Jarrett demonstrates the two-hand point shoulder position using a modern isosceles stance.
ALL positions should be assumed with finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard unless you are taking a shot at a threat. Scientific studies have indicated the presence of what has been called a sympathetic press or interlimb effect (Involuntary Muscle Contractions and Unintentional Discharge of a Firearm; Roger M. Enoka, PhD; 2003). Dr. Enoka’s study has been supported by further research reported by Force Science (Dr. Bill Lewinski; Force Science Institute; Force Science News #3; Can You Really Prevent Unintentional Discharges) with data conducted from research my German PhD candidate Christopher Heim:
“A large number of different groups of muscles in different parts of the body work together.” These “involuntary muscle actions” can play a role in unintentional discharges by affecting the grip and trigger finger. Besides a sudden loss of balance and the use of other limbs (during a rapid tactical building entry or a struggle with an attacker, as examples), Heim believes that a “startle reaction” can also stimulate a dangerous involuntary muscle reaction.”
On one narcotics search warrant I was point man on the entry and was using a ballistic body bunker (large portable ballistic shield). As I moved quickly through the front room with the shield in my left hand and my S&W 9mm in my right, I tripped on an ottoman that was blocked from my view by the bunker, and fell forward into a wall with the shield. Because my finger was outside the trigger guard, I did not have an unintentional discharge. These types of trips and falls can happen even in the SWAT world.
Let’s examine how these ready and shooting positions work in a scenario: You are awakened late at night by a loud crash downstairs from your living room area. You roll out of bed and obtain your handgun with its integral white light from its quick access safe mounted near the bed. With finger off the trigger and outside the trigger-guard, you move toward the hallway door at low ready. As you near the doorway you pull the handgun back to chest ready, then to cqb tuck as you step into the doorway. Using the frame of the doorway as cover you roll out and extend the pistol up to point shoulder as your off-hand touches the white light switch illuminating the hallway. Seeing nothing you move at low ready position toward the steps downstairs to the first floor. Retracting the pistol to chest ready, you grab the stairway rail with your off-hand to support yourself and you step down the stairs. As you near the bottom of the stairs you roll out from cover and extend your pistol on target, touching the momentary switch on your weapon light, pistol up at point shoulder. Moving down the first floor hallway to the living room at low ready, you pull back the pistol to chest ready, as you approach the corner of the wall, and then to cqb tuck with your off-hand up to fend off any attacker. As you “slice the pie” or angle out from the corner of the wall, the pistol moves from low ready up to point shoulder, low ready up to point shoulder until the room is cleared.
These ready and transition positions allow you to flow, more safely and efficiently moving with a gun in hand.
Cover is a lifesaver. Cover, as defined here, is something that will slow or stop bullet penetration. Of course, cover is relative to the firearm and ammunition being shot in your direction. What suffices for cover against an assailant armed with a .22 may not work against someone armed with an AK-47 stoked with steel core ammo.
Proper use of cover minimizes the shooter’s exposure.
Cover is different than concealment. Concealment may be offered by darkness, foliage or common household walls made of sheetrock. Can you have cover and not concealment? Yes, the common bullet resistant polymer Lexan comes to mind. A note here on structures that have “bulletproof glass.” The proper terminology is bullet resistant and, once again, its ability to withstand penetration is based on design, rating and the firearm/ammunition being shot against it.
Ideally you want both, cover and concealment, when bullets are coming in your direction. Regardless, getting your derriere behind something, time permitting, before bullets start to fly, is an excellent idea.
Examine the cover opportunities available throughout your living or work space. They may be comprised of sheetrock, wooden studs, brick, rock, block, steel, aluminum, insulation, plywood and/or various combinations of these materials.
Survey your world and identify the cover available should shooting erupt. Here, concrete cover is available.
A standard sheetrock wall offers more resistance to bullet penetration at the corners than at flat section of wall due to the wooden studs or aluminum framing. The problem with using corners of structures for cover is that they do not provide a lot of room to maneuver. This issue may be compounded if furniture is up against the wall at the doorway or corner where you are taking cover. A bedroom chest of drawers against a wall next to the doorway may not allow you an angle to cover the hallway where an intruder will move through to attack you. This may necessitate that you withdraw into the room further, hopefully behind another point of cover, and focus attention on the doorway as you await police response.
Points of cover within a room may actually offer more bullet resistance than the walls. Hardwood furniture, refrigerators or other major appliances, sofas, chairs, entertainment centers, washers & dryers, full bookshelves, even a gun safe – all offer more resistance than a standard sheetrock wall.
The physical lay-out of your home, business or whatever structure, outside area or parking lot in which you find yourself offers varying degrees of cover and concealment.
It is best to stay away from cover and not “hug” it if at all possible. When bullets strike a hard surface, such as cinder block, asphalt or concrete, they tend to parallel the surface, i.e. they skim the surface at about eight inches off. Therefore if rounds are fired onto the hard cover surface in front of a target, they may “skip” off and into the target if it is close by. Rounds fired into hard cover like concrete block may create secondary missiles that can cause injury. By “hugging” cover or being up too close you expose yourself to impact from the bouncing projective as well as secondary missiles or fragments. You should stay off the cover at least one arm’s length if possible.
“Roll out” from cover to minimize exposure. You want to have your handgun, carbine or shotgun up and already on the sights, and roll out from the waist up. When you step out from cover, you first expose your lower leg betraying your position. So too, by using a standard rifleman’s technique of strong-side elbow up, you expose about one foot of forearm before your carbine or shotgun sights clear the side of cover.
“Rolling out” from cover means that the firearm is up and ready to shoot and you roll out from the hips, thereby minimizing exposure.
Rolling out can be accomplished by placing whatever foot is to the outside of the cover forward and bending that knee. In this way, you roll or bend forward and out from the waist and not step out. I’ve found this knee bend technique to be the fastest and most secure technique when shooting from a standing position. Shooting in this way you expose only your firearm and less than half of your head.
Several years ago my agency was conducting a tactical use of cover training exercise that I developed. The officer/trainee was in a warehouse area with multiple pieces of cover available – large wooded pillars, washing machine, and other simulated cover positions – armed with a training pistol capable of firing Simunitions® marking cartridges. I was the “bad guy” role-player who was at the far end of the warehouse behind covered positions as well as panels of Plexiglas. I was armed with a paintball rifle. The trainee’s job was to roll out, find my position and fire accurate rounds on target. I would fire into their covered position but if they rolled out correctly, minimizing their exposure, and shot accurately (using their sights), they controlled the encounter. They could then move to another position forward and we would repeat the exercise until an “End Ex!” (end exercise) was called by me. Having paint balls thwack into a piece of plywood or into the washing machine you were hiding behind was a unnerving experience for many. On one particular training day, “Bob” a burglary detective was the trainee. Bob stepped out from cover much like the fictional TV character “Sabrina” from Charlie’s Angels. He gave me half of his body as target. I started shooting at his feet and despite the warnings of my training-instructor partner yelling at Bob to get behind cover, he continued to step out exposing himself. I began raising my point of aim with my paintball rifle until finally I hit him in the chest. Even with body armor on, Bob said “Ow!” My partner said, “Well get your ass behind cover!”
It is interesting to note that in this same training drill, which I learned at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, several more “timid” officers and detectives would hug their cover, extend the pistol over the top or side and fire blindly. Many of these marking cartridge rounds would impact into the ceiling above, which was around 20 feet high.
It is more advantageous to shoot around cover than over it. The reason is that if the cover position allows you to shoot around the side, you expose less of yourself than you do when shooting over. Because our eyes are about 1⁄3 of the way down from the top of our head, we expose our brain bucket when shooting over cover. If your cover is a low wall or vehicle, however, you must be able to use it effectively without endangering yourself by unnecessary exposure.
When shooting around the weak-side of cover, the left side if you are a right handed shooter, you expose less of yourself if you switch hands going from gun-hand to support-hand. The problem with this is that we tend to not shoot as well with our support hands and it is virtually unheard of in an actual gun battle. You can switch to your support-side with long-guns as well but this may be somewhat cumbersome depending on what sling, if any, you have.
In order to shoot effectively from the support-side of cover, you should roll the support elbow under. Even then, you are exposing more of your head until the strong-side eye and sights are on target.
As my friend and fellow LE trainer Andrew Blubaugh (Apex Shooting and Tactics) states, using cover correctly is much like the game “whack-a-mole” played at county fairs. In the game you stand with a padded “hammer,” when the fictional “moles” pop-up from their holes, you are supposed to whack them with the hammer. If the mole keeps popping up from the same hole it’s easy to target. When using cover and rolling out or popping up from the same position again and again, you set a pattern and it is easy to “whack” you.
Based on reaction and response time of the opponent, your thought should be, “I’m up, he sees me, I’m shooting, or I’m back down” as a timing exercise. You have to be able to get rounds on target before your assailant sees you and can fire upon you. Constantly changing position or elevation behind cover helps you accomplish this. You effectively fire on target while minimizing your exposure and you don’t set a discernable pattern.
There are a variety of kneeling positions: kneeling supported; kneeling unsupported; double kneeling; Surefire or Strategos modified prone.
Firearms trainer Andrew Blubaugh set up this cover exercise. Don’t be the mole in the “whack-a-mole” game, “I’m up, he sees me, I’m either shooting or I’m down,” constantly changing your position.
The standard supported kneeling position is when the gun-side knee is down, the support side knee is up and the support elbow is braced on the support knee or thigh. The rule here for increasing accuracy and decreasing wobble is to place the support elbow on the thigh muscles or the support triceps on the kneecap. Never place bone to bone, i.e. elbow to kneecap. This is a braced position that can be gotten into and out of fairly quickly. Used in the open to lessen your exposure profile or to take a more braced and accurate position to fire at distance, the supported kneeling is good as it is when varying your position from standing behind a wall or tall covered position. The problem is that the position cannot be used to shoot over most cars for instance, because it does not elevate your pistol high enough to accomplish this.
Shooting from behind low cover while rolling out to take the shot.
Unsupported kneeling is actually faster to get into, offers the advantages of being able to change your elevation behind cover quickly and it allows you to shoot over vehicles and similar height pieces of cover such as low walls. Firing unsupported, you can achieve decent accuracy with a handgun out to medium distance using this technique.
Double kneeling is a little slower to assume and to get out of but allows you to roll-out from both sides of short cover (think mailbox or maybe a washing machine) as well as sit back on your heels and get a little lower. If you have a piece of cover with an intermediate height, in between the hood of a vehicle and underneath the car, double kneeling gives you an option.
Shooters shoot over low cover with braced or supported kneeling position.
Once again, when using any kneeling position, stay back from cover, have the pistol or long-gun up, and “roll-out” versus exposing your position to gunfire.
Urban prone allows a shooter to shoot under a vehicle.
Modified prone where shooter can dip down behind cover or roll up to engage.
Modified prone is a position I first saw demonstrated by former Navy SEAL Ken Good who once instructed at the Surefire Academy, who now has his own company Strategos International. This kneeling position can be used behind a vehicle or other low cover. The shooter is away from his cover, kneeling on the strong-side knee with the support-leg outstretched toward cover. By bending forward at the waist, you can conceal your upper body behind cover. The eyes are on the sights of the handgun or long-gun. In order to fire, you pivot as you bend back up, find your target and fire or bend back down again. Even with bad knees, I’m able to use this technique.
The squat or “rice paddy prone” is a technique used to quickly drop behind cover and be able to fire. The squat means exactly that, you drop your butt to the deck while both feet are flat on the ground. More flexible shooters may be able to brace the triceps on the kneecaps for added stability and accuracy.
Squatting allows a quick use of low cover use as when shooting over the hood of a car.
A seated position can be very effective shooting over low cover or at an assailant a distance away. To assume the position, sit down on your butt. Flexible people can cross their ankles and sit without removing their support hand from their firearm. Most people have to go to a kneeling position, place their support hand back and then sit. You can cross your ankle and place the elbows on the inner thighs for more support or keep the legs opened depending on preference and flexibility. The seated position is slower to get into than prone in many cases and is slow to get out of as well.
Remember to keep the muzzle pointed toward the threat when assuming and getting out of the seated position.
Here author uses modified prone to shoot around the edge of cover without exposing his body.
To effectively use cover from a prone position you must modify your technique to a “roll-over prone” position wherein you can shoot from around the side of cover without exposing your body. If you were to use traditional sniper prone position your body would be directly behind the rifle in an upside down “Y” configuration. This would allow an adversary to see, and fire, at half of your body. By using the roll-over prone, your body is angled back toward the cover position. To assume roll-over prone, angle your feet slightly outward from your cover position, drop down to a kneeling position, then extend the pistol outward toward the threat. You lie on your strong side with shooting arm or carbine extended, by bending the support-side knee upward to relieve pressure off the diaphragm making a more comfortable position.
You can roll into and out of roll-over prone by using the legs as counter-weights and rolling. You can roll out to shoot then roll back behind cover.
If you have a low piece of cover, i.e. a curb, you can effectively shoot over it, minimizing your exposure to gunfire, by shooting from a face up position or supine.
Supine can be used to shoot over low cover, like over a street curb.
In order to get into the supine position a right-handed shooter should be facing the right with muzzle pointed toward the threat. Using the support hand to steady yourself, sit down and then lay back with pistol or long-gun across your chest toward the threat. You use the leg to drive or roll over onto the support-side, take the shot(s) and then roll back flat.
Urban prone allows a shooter to shoot under a vehicle.
Urban prone allows the shooter to shoot under very low cover such as a vehicle. Urban prone can be assumed by a right or left handed shooter by facing to the strong side. Assume a kneeling position then laying down on the strong side with the shooter’s elbow tucked under. The handgun or long-gun is held sideways. The handgun can be held outstretched in both hands. With the long-gun such as a carbine, the stock is still indexed in the pectoral area but the support hand lies underneath the forearm supporting it. Shooting under a car using this method, only a very small amount of elevation is possible and only ten inches of the target can be fired upon (depending on the height of the vehicle).
In order to make effective use of the tire, wheel and axle area of a car and to minimize your exposure, you can place your feet against the wheel and shoot from the side of the tire.
If size or flexibility prevents you from getting down on the ground low enough to use the urban prone, a version known by the pop-culture reference of “Brokeback Mountain” prone can be assumed. In this version you are kneeling with your head down and rump in the air. It can still be done effectively and is the position of choice by SWAT team members whose helmets prevent them from getting on their sides to see their sights.
In this case the officer can use the tire, wheel, axle as cover while engaging the targets from under the vehicle.
A note here on mechanical offset with carbines, the barrel of an M-4 or M-16 lies about two to two and a half inches below the line of sight. Quite simply you can see over a piece of cover but unless the muzzle clears it, you’ll shoot into it. This can be an embarrassment to the shooter at the range, but can cause injury on the street in an actual shooting. More than a few police officers have shot into pieces of cover when not taking mechanical offset into consideration.
In a famous bank robbery, hostage taking incident in the western part of our country, a SWAT sniper took up a position away from a chest high wall to his front as he shot using a tree as support. Through his scope he could clearly see the hostage taker holding a handgun to a female hostage’s head. His first shot impacted into the wall causing the bad guy to look around. The second shot went into the same wall at which point the sniper realized his mistake, elevated the muzzle and ended the hostage incident by placing a round squarely into the suspect’s head.
Even solid marksmen can make this error. If using a long-gun, make sure you visually clear the cover with the muzzle.
Understand that what may constitute cover on the same height, for instance ground level, may be a completely exposed position if a threat is on the second or third floor. So, too, cover like a vehicle that exposes your feet and legs to fire can be detrimental.
Remember that you should not expose any portion of your body from behind cover. A foot, elbow, knee or the top of your head can be shot without you knowing it is exposed. While attending the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center – Multiple Weapons Instructor Course years ago, I was put through a use of cover exercise. Because I had my head down, I thought I was concealed behind my cover. Turns out that the top of my head was exposed and the role-playing instructor shot my head with a paintball. The protective helmet that I wore saved me from a more serious reminder of my tactical faux pas but I have remembered the lesson since and have passed it on to my students. This is just one of the values of force-on-force training.
All of this knowledge of cover can be used by you against an assailant as well. More than one suspect has been stopped by officers who shot under a vehicle or skipped rounds off a wall and into the suspect’s head or torso.
During the infamous North Hollywood bank shootout between heavily armed robbers Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu in 1997,members of the L.A.P.D. S.W.A.T. engaged Matasareanu on the street after he attempted to carjack a pick-up truck. Retreating behind his getaway car, the suspect and the SWAT officers exchanged heavy gunfire. The SWAT team members shot under the vehicles, impacting Matasareanu in the legs after which he surrendered. Matasareanu would die from his wounds.
Taking cover is dependent on time available. Mediocre cover one step away that can be taken now is better than cover yards away. Certainly getting the best cover position you can as fast as you can is important. If the threat is not imminent, move to the best covered position available.
Using an “L” maneuver one can place cover more quickly between you and the threat. In other words, a lateral movement may place cover in front of you while still several feet away. Imagine a large tree thirty feet in front of you but one you can place in the shooter’s line of fire with a quick movement. You are not safely behind the cover but you are still protected by the tree. To improve your covered position you may then move closer to the object.
While parking decks and lots can be dangerous, isolated locations, they offer great cover opportunities.
As you go about your daily routine, be cover conscious. Outside, walking your dog or working on your car in the driveway of your home, cover opportunities may be provided by trees, wooden utility poles, parked vehicles, brick walls or other objects or structures.
In a parking deck, concrete walls may be available that provide solid cover. Vehicles, including your own, offer some protection from small arms fire.
In my working environment I have concrete block walls and steel door frames in most of the building. Recent modifications are sheetrock and aluminum that offer less protection but are certainly better than nothing and may offer opportunities to evade detection from view (concealment opportunities).
Going to a mall (less likely for me by choice) or a store such as a book or hardware store, cover opportunities exist such as display racks, counters, kiosks in the open areas, or corners of brick and marble.
In the downtown area where my office was situation up until last year, there were concrete trash bin holders and vehicle barricades as well as brick building corners, mailboxes and vehicles.
Standard glass windows offer points of observation but are easily shot through and present secondary missile dangers from glass spalling (shards or fragments).
Medium to large diameter trees are bullet sponges; treated wooden utility poles actually offer more resistance to bullets than trees of similar diameter. Even smaller diameter trees may offer protection for your center of mass. Negative issues are that many housing allotments nowadays have very few trees or at least trees of a size suitable as cover. Because of their lack of depth, cover such as a utility pole can be easily flanked by a moving antagonist. There is also the tendency to “hunker down” behind a solid piece of cover and “hide” versus moving and putting more distance between you and an attacker, even when movement may be a better tactic.
Several years ago in Van Nuys, California an incident occurred captured by Court TV. A suspect armed with a revolver attacked an attorney outside a courthouse. The attorney took cover behind a medium size tree and with the suspect shooting at him from within arm’s reach moved side to side placing the tree in between the suspect’s gun and himself. Though wounded, the attorney lived through the close range attack.
Poured concrete and concrete block can offer great cover.
Concrete block is fairly resistant to gunfire from side arms. If there is an angle involved rather than 90 degrees perpendicular, there may be less penetration and more deflection. In an excellent video you can watch on YouTube, “military shooting test 1⁄3, 2⁄3, 3⁄3" researchers from the Naval Surface Warfare Center under direction from the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab conducted penetration tests on many of the military’s standard small arms on standard 1⁄2-inch sheetrock and 2X4 constructed interior rooms with 1⁄2-inch exterior plywood walls as well as a section of cinder block and brick outside wall.
Rounds were fired from about 19 meters (60 feet) at angles of 90 and 45 degrees. *Note – the distance used (60 feet) is reported as the average distance for “military” urban fighting. Mannequin targets placed inside the rooms were situated behind standard commercial grade office furniture (desks and file cabinets).
Small Arms Tested Included:
Sheetrock-only walls were easily penetrated by all rounds but notice the protection offered by block or brick to even the 5.56mm round fired from a full-size M-16A2 with 16 inch barrel.
AK-47 Rifle
| Target | Firing Angle 0° / 45° |
| Sheet Rock | Yes / Yes |
| Plywood | Yes / Yes |
| Block | Yes / Yes |
| Brick | Yes / Yes |
M-16 Rifle
| Target | Firing Angle 0° / 45° |
| Sheet Rock | Yes / Yes |
| Plywood | Yes / Yes |
| Block | No / No |
| Brick | Yes / No |
*Remember the issues of secondary missiles such as fragments coming off the wall toward you as well as the issue of bouncing or skipping rounds or buckshot.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) conducted a ballistics and penetration test of 9mm carbines, shotguns with slugs and 5.56 carbines (Data Analysis of .223 Caliber Ammunition). The ATF presentation relied on data gleaned from: FBI’s “Weapons Selection Test,” San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s, “Structural Penetration Testing,” and the DEA’s “Construction Material Test”:
From the ATF presentation:
How far will a projectile travel before it falls to the Earth? Based on the weapon system firing 60 inches above ground level:
| • 870 Shotgun – 12 Gauge Slug | 200 Yards |
| • H&K MP5 Subgun – 9mm | 200 Yards |
| • M4 Carbine – 5.56mm | 500 Yards |
The ATF study also refers to a “San Diego Penetration Test” with four walls approximately five yards apart. The walls were constructed of: 1⁄2" Wood Siding; Stucco material; Insulation; 1⁄2-inch Gypsum; Cinder Block.
Here Liberty Ammunition tests their 9mm rounds against standard wall board.
Penetration on 1⁄4 inch plywood.
And sufficient penetration through interior sheetrock.
The average penetration listed:
| • 9mm 147 grain Hydra Shock | 3 Walls |
| • .40 cal. 165 grain Hydra Shock | 3.6 Walls |
| • .223 55 grain Federal Tactical | 3 Walls |
Several years ago, as reported to me by a federal agent, members of his agency had been involved in a shooting inside a mobile home. Both .40 caliber standard issue handguns were fired as well as 5.56mm rounds from M-4s. Rounds from inside the trailer penetrated the exterior wall of the suspect’s prefab home, through both walls of another mobile home, through an exterior wall of a third trailer, before being stopped. Fortunately, only the suspect was wounded. When the Special Agent in Charge questioned the shooting, he suspected it was the 5.56 rounds that had over-penetrated. Turns out that the .40 pistol rounds were the culprits.
We want sufficient penetration without over-penetration.
Drug Enforcement Agency Wall Penetration Test also referred to by the ATF:
DEA Wall Penetration Test #1:
Wall #1 constructed of:
Walls #2 & #3 were constructed of:
The average penetration listed:
| 9mm 147 grain Hydra Shock | 3 Walls |
| .40 cal. 165 grain Hydra Shock | 2.5 Walls |
| .223 55 grain Federal Tactical | 1.5 Walls |
Here we see the myth destroyed in two studies that handguns penetrate less than carbines. We can also say that penetration depends on bullet design and velocity but it is certainly true that rounds that expand the most penetrate the least through cover. This is a reason many tactical teams run a couple different loads through their 5.56mm M-4 rifles. They may have magazines stuffed with Hornady 223 Remington TAP® for entry work inside structures and Federal Tactical or Remington Core-Lokt for perimeter work where more penetration is required. *Note – Ballistic studies have been done which show that both the Federal Tactical and Remington Core-Lokt ammo have excellent penetration abilities, expand in ballistic gelatin well and don’t over-penetrate. Both loadings in .223 are worthy of consideration. There is handgun ammunition which can accomplish the same thing, A) Penetrate through glass, sheet rock and sheet metal, etc., B) Expand in humans, and C) Not over-penetrate.
DEA Wall Penetration Test #2:
Consisted of firing rounds through 9 walls approximately 4 yards apart.
Walls #1 - #8 were constructed of 2 sheets of 1⁄2" drywall
Wall #9 – was constructed of:
*This simulates the construction of an exterior wall of a residence
The average penetration listed:
| 9mm 147 grain Hydra Shock | 9 Walls |
| .40 cal. 165 grain Hydra Shock | 9 Walls |
| M-16 55 grain | 8 Walls |
| M-4 55 grain | 8 Walls |
Shooting through laminated safety glass causes deflection. In this case a Liberty round is fired through the windshield but deflects upward following the perpendicular plane of the glass.
Laminated vehicle safety glass provides more of a deflection than resistance. When shooting out of or into a vehicle through the front windshield or back window, the tendency is for the rounds that hit the glass to follow the perpendicular angle of the glass. Rounds fired out through the front window will impact high on a target (the farther the distance, the higher the deflection). Rounds fired through the front windshield and into the car will deflect low. *Note – The deflection only affects rounds passing through the laminated glass not subsequent rounds fired through a hole you created.
A violent domestic dispute subject was attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle. One officer in the street on the passenger side of the vehicle was knocked to the ground as the suspect backed into and rammed the car behind him. The officer in the front of the suspect’s car, fearing that his partner would be run over, fired through the front window at the suspect. The rounds deflected downward into the top of the dashboard and did not strike the suspect.
Remington tests their Golden Saber Bonded rounds against sheet metal.
In a DEA training video members of that agency take a four-door sedan and fire through the vehicle with the handguns, subguns, shotguns, and carbines carried by that agency. From the side they shoot the tires, the car body, through the doors and windows. They then move to the front of the car and shoot through the grill, hood and passenger compartment. Yet, when all those rounds were fired by multiple agents at one time into the car, the vehicle still fires up and can be driven away (even with flat tire). More importantly, two cardboard targets that were placed in the front seat area under the dash and in the rear seat area, both simulating suspects taking cover, are checked, neither has been hit.
The round still had adequate penetration against ballistic gelatin after shooting through the metal.
This test indicates several points for you, the armed citizen. They are: A) Vehicles, despite their light metallic or plastic construction, can shield you somewhat from incoming fire. Remember my bank robber story earlier? B) That assailants inside an auto coming toward you are very hard to stop. Better to avoid the car if possible rather than trying to shoot the car to stop the assailant. And, C) Because of the kinetic energy impact of a car and the difficulty in hitting the driver, someone coming at you with homicidal intent is a serious threat and can be fired upon. This is the tough part of assailants in vehicles attempting to run you over. A car driven by someone attempting to hit you or run you over is a deadly threat, and stopping them is not an easy proposition – avoid/escape if possible, shoot when you must to stop the threat.
Here Liberty Ammunition is fired through a vehicle door.
The round penetrated the door with the inner core projectile able to hit the target beyond.
Modern body armor using Kevlar was first patented by Richard Davis, formerly of Second Chance®. Mr. Davis’s own history included being shot and wounded in Detroit by three armed robbers while delivering pizzas. Davis shot and wounded two of the robbery suspects. During his convalescence Davis began formulating the idea of concealable body armor and came upon a new synthetic material called Kevlar. Richard Davis was the first person to use multiple layers of Kevlar in a vest design to stop bullets. Marketing his vests to police officers, Davis would demo the vest by shooting himself with a handgun then turn and shoot several bowling pins off a table (to demonstrate that he could continue to fire to save his life after being shot).
The International Association of Chiefs of Police® DuPont Kevlar Survivor’s Club® now numbers over 3,100 officers who have been saved from death or serious bodily injury. Two of my former coworkers are members of that club. Both were saved by body armor. Further, two other coworkers were saved by body armor: one by a Second Chance vest before the Survivor’s Club was started and one from another type of ballistic fiber.
Author’s Second Chance vest purchased in the 1980s.
Vests are available to the armed citizen. Several companies manufacture body armor for citizens including designs for kids incorporated into backpacks. I have two body armor designs from U.S. P.A.L.M. (Primary Armament Logistical Manufacturing) that I keep handy. In my office I have a Defender AR15 vest that incorporates two 11" X 13.5" NIJ Level IIIA ballistic panels in a quick don design. Should an active killer attack my building, which is secure but susceptible, I can toss the Defender AR15 over my head and then grab my DoubleStar Star15 carbine placed underneath the vest. This gives me four 30-round mags to respond with. At home, I have a Defender Handgun vest from U.S. PALM that has one .45 Wilson spare magazine and a Surefire 6PX 320 lumen handheld light. Grab the DoubleStar 1911 .45 that has a Surefire X200 weapon-light attached, from my quick access Sentry safe and I can respond to “bumps in the night” or a violent home intruder, a little better protected.
Guard Dog Security’s ballistic backpacks feature Kevlar inserts for a student’s back.
Available in pink for the girls as well.
In my car I have a Blackhawk S.T.R.I.K.E. Level IIIA tactical vest with rifle rated plates fore and aft. As a full-time LEO it is my duty and sworn obligation to respond to active shooter calls or other violent incidents and armor helps me and other LEOs safely complete this task.
US PALM Defender AR15 is hung in the author’s office.
US PALM Defender Handgun ballistic vest set up for home response to unlawful incursions into the house.
Considering that taxi drivers and clerks at 24-hour mini-marts and gas stations are at a considerable risk, I would not want to do those jobs without wearing armor. The National Crime Victimization Survey clearly indicates the rate of assault in retail work as dangerously high. According to the U.S. Justice Report, Workplace Violence, 1993-2009:
Highlights
~U.S. Justice Report, Workplace Violence, 1993-2009
It is clear after examining the workplace violence numbers that professions other than law enforcement are susceptible to armed and unarmed attack. Body armor is the last line of cover available to law enforcement and citizens and should be considered depending on vocation.
Cover is a life saver, period. Effective use of cover minimizes your exposure to your assailants fire while you are able to place accurate fire on him. Don’t emulate the detective mentioned in the case study above and do a Sabrina from behind cover exposing yourself unnecessarily. Stay back away from cover, get the pistol or long-gun ready, roll out and solve the problem by putting rounds into the bad guy.
January 23, 2011, Detroit: Suspect Lamar Moore, wanted for kidnapping and rape of a 13-year-old girl, carrying a shotgun entered the Sixth Precinct of the DPD and opened fire. Captured on surveillance video, officers working the desk area took cover and returned fire. Very much like the “whack-a-mole” mentioned earlier, two officers popped up and fired. Four police officers were injured by the suspect who, at one point, dove over the counter to assault the officers’ positions. At least one patrolman was unarmed having secured their pistol in a gun locker in a back room and had to hide under the front desk. The suspect though shot and mortally wounded by a plainclothes commander stayed on his feet and maneuvered on the police officer who used a counter area as cover. The suspect fired with this shotgun at the officer’s outstretch hand/pistol, blowing off two of the officer’s fingers and causing the commander to drop his pistol. Only after the commander scrambled from behind the desk did the suspect collapse. All police officers wounded recovered.
This video is available for your viewing at YouTube.com and is a very violent reminder of what cover is all about and how effective use of cover can save your life.