On Shot Placement and Practicing For A Gunfight
Jun 22, 2013 19:03:55 GMT -7
Pennsylvania Mike, sirderrin, and 2 more like this
Post by woodyz on Jun 22, 2013 19:03:55 GMT -7
During my training with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in the mid 70’ were used an actual shooting situation in which two assailants killed four police officers during a traffic stop. We had access to the radio transcripts, the investigation reports and the autopsy data and photos. I wanted to share a couple of key points made during the training that I believe are important to understand and attempt to avoid if you are ever involved it a gunfight.
Two officers, in a patrol car stopped two suspects in a vehicle suspected of being the getaway car used in a recent murder. The officers were informed the suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. The suspect car failed to stop but didn’t run. After several minutes the suspect car pulled into a dark parking lot, stopping short so that the officer’s vehicle had to stop on the entrance ramp with their headlights pointed to the sky. The officer in the passenger seat got out of the vehicle with a 12 gauge pump shotgun and ejected a live round. The officer’s approached the two front doors of the suspect vehicle, the officer with the shotgun to the passenger side at port arms, the officer to the driver side with his sidearm holstered. Both officers were shot multiple times with automatic .45’s as they reached the front of the vehicle.
The shots were fired and the suspects exiting their vehicle just as another police car containing two officers pulled into the lot next to the first police car. Both suspects placed the first vehicle between them and the second vehicle and began firing as the officers got out. Both officers drew and fired their 357 magnum revolvers until empty then took positions behind their vehicle. Both officers were in the act of reloading their empty revolvers when the two suspects came around each side of their vehicle and killed them. Both officers had taken the time while taking fire to catch their spent brass in their hand and place in into their front shirt pocket as their training at the time required.
The two suspects took all four of the officer’s handguns and the shotgun from the first killed officer and drove off in the first police car which had their car blocked in.
The two suspects used the officer’s weapons to kill 3 hostages and themselves when trapped at a farmhouse later that night.
The mistakes I want to point out.
Carry a round chambered or not, but do the same consistently so your practice sessions are consistent.
When you practice forget about the brass and/or a spent magazine, let them fall, don’t try and catch them as I still see people do at ranges. LEO training was changed by this case.
Don’t confront an assailant/suspect unarmed.
Don’t run out of bullets. I am serious, stop firing while you still have a round chambered, if you haven't hit anything by the time you just have a single round left, you are not going to, save it for up close. If you don’t know how many shots you have left you have not practiced enough yet.
Two officers, in a patrol car stopped two suspects in a vehicle suspected of being the getaway car used in a recent murder. The officers were informed the suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. The suspect car failed to stop but didn’t run. After several minutes the suspect car pulled into a dark parking lot, stopping short so that the officer’s vehicle had to stop on the entrance ramp with their headlights pointed to the sky. The officer in the passenger seat got out of the vehicle with a 12 gauge pump shotgun and ejected a live round. The officer’s approached the two front doors of the suspect vehicle, the officer with the shotgun to the passenger side at port arms, the officer to the driver side with his sidearm holstered. Both officers were shot multiple times with automatic .45’s as they reached the front of the vehicle.
The shots were fired and the suspects exiting their vehicle just as another police car containing two officers pulled into the lot next to the first police car. Both suspects placed the first vehicle between them and the second vehicle and began firing as the officers got out. Both officers drew and fired their 357 magnum revolvers until empty then took positions behind their vehicle. Both officers were in the act of reloading their empty revolvers when the two suspects came around each side of their vehicle and killed them. Both officers had taken the time while taking fire to catch their spent brass in their hand and place in into their front shirt pocket as their training at the time required.
The two suspects took all four of the officer’s handguns and the shotgun from the first killed officer and drove off in the first police car which had their car blocked in.
The two suspects used the officer’s weapons to kill 3 hostages and themselves when trapped at a farmhouse later that night.
The mistakes I want to point out.
Carry a round chambered or not, but do the same consistently so your practice sessions are consistent.
When you practice forget about the brass and/or a spent magazine, let them fall, don’t try and catch them as I still see people do at ranges. LEO training was changed by this case.
Don’t confront an assailant/suspect unarmed.
Don’t run out of bullets. I am serious, stop firing while you still have a round chambered, if you haven't hit anything by the time you just have a single round left, you are not going to, save it for up close. If you don’t know how many shots you have left you have not practiced enough yet.
