Other than a home invasion by a Sinaloa Cartel hit squad and/or their CIA amigos, getting shot by the police is my greatest firearms-related fear. Living in a city where concealed carry is only slightly more popular than eating rancid meat, cops don’t have much experience with armed civilians. Strike that. The have plenty of experience with armed civilians—none of whom have a concealed carry license. If, God forbid, I draw my weapon in self-defense, friendly fire is NOT the least of my worries. Thankfully, I live in a quiet neighborhood. So at least I don’t have to worry about stray bullets from a police gun battle. Much. You do know cops miss their targets some 70 percent of the time? Like this [via statesman.com] . . .
The man pointed his gun at a clerk inside the gas station at 3530 S. Congress Ave. around 4:50 p.m. and demanded cash, according to police. As he was fleeing north on Congress, an officer saw the suspect running toward the nearby Bel-Air Motel.
When the officer saw the man pull out a gun, he shot at the suspect through the passenger window of his patrol car, said Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo. He said that the suspect was not hit and that it was still unclear how many shots were fired.
“The officer fired several rounds from a seated position inside his patrol car,” he said. “If the suspect actually shot is still part of the investigation.”
Another officer witnessed the shooting, then pulled over on Lightsey Road near the motel and also fired at the suspect while chasing after him, Acevedo said. The man again was not hit and continued to flee, he said.
A few blocks away, the suspect [above] was shot with a Taser and arrested in the 3100 block of Fontana Drive about 5:30 p.m., according to Acevedo.
This very day, TTAG’s Ben Shotzberger is taking a simunition course, so we can illustrate important armed self-defense concepts. Such as the lack of time you or your serve and protect crew have to shoot when a bad guy has his gun aimed in another direction. In other words, don’t be so quick to condemn cops for shooting first.
But c’mon. What’s with all that lead flying around the ‘hood? That’s not good for anyone: the cops, the perp (who may need shooting) or the community. Clearly, the po-po’s firearms training is insufficient. Something must be done!
I already pay over a grand a month in City taxes. What’s this? My local government is broke, its budget devoured by union-protected pensions, waste, fraud, inefficiency, pork and more pork? Mega dittos for the Department of Public Safety? Bottom line: leave my friggin’ tax money alone. I’ll take care of this myself, thanks.
I call it my “take a cop to the range” program. I highly recommend it. The shared range time builds bridges between the local police and legal, law-abiding gun owners. It’s been a genuine eye opening experience for some of The Boys in Blue.
On a personal level, cops give you valuable insights into “real world” shooting situations—even if you have to take their advice with multiple salt grains. Besides, you can’t have too many friends on the force. Not friends as in “get out of jail free.” Friends as in “don’t treat this guy like a piece of shit” if you’re dragged downtown after a self-defense shooting.
Range time with your local police also improves cops’ shooting, reducing your chances of getting hit by a “stray” round. Obviously, the odds of that happening are somewhere between slim and none, and I’m not using Brad’s joke about Slim leaving town. So let’s just say the life you save may not be your own. Nothing wrong with that, is there?
I like it, but don’t forget the donuts!
Police are civilians.
Cops shouldn’t be using military tactics nor should they have a military mindset: there are no hostiles armed by a state power that they need to engage. The only individuals they deal with are their fellow civilians, their neighbors, who they suspect of having committed a crime.
Please, everyone switch to decaf for a moment.
The author raises a good point. We should encourage more range time for the men and women who take on the responsibilities of law enforcement in our communities. Donuts for everyone. The more police you know, the more you can accept that they are just as varied as the rest of us. Humans trying their best to do a job.
A suspect uses a gun in a crime. Anyone who shoots him is given the benefit of the doubt. Anyone. You, me, a CCW holder, my aunt, a next door neighbor, or the police.
In this case, thankfully, no one was injured by the misses. But we can identify an issue and correct it. More trigger time for the police officers can only help.
The police, sure. Beyond that, it varies tremendously by jurisdiction. Go take a look at The Agitator for documentation of some such things (but only if your blood pressure isn’t too high already – it certainly will be after you view that stuff!).
I also have some concerns about “friendly fire.” But as long as cops shoot like, well, like cops, I fugure I’m safer than I would be if they could hit he broad side of a barn. Accordingly, I’m not taking any cops to the range. An untrained cop is a safe cop, if he’s shooting at me.
One of the local FFLs is selling a bunch of police-used Glocks. According to the dealer’s ad, the LEO’s pistols are shot only twice a year, for qualifying purposes. Most of us do more shooting in a week than an officer does in a year. What a relief.
he fired his gun in the car? ……what did you say again??…. i can’t hear very well at this time……what???
That’s funny… until he files for disability because he lost 50% of his hearing…
Most of the cops I meet at the range are actually really good shots because the practice on a regular basis. It’s the guys who only shoot a couple of times a year that have a problem hitting the side of a barn.
At least the perp is alive. Let him be convicted of the qualified crimes and serve his sentence. If the cops were better shots, though I can’t think of a range where you can practice driving a car while shoot out the window, the perp would be dead. BTW isn’t shooting while driving a bit, shall we say, reckless?
I’ve read somewhere that officers’ pistols have an enormous trigger pull to prevent accidental discharge by nervous nerves. That anybody would have a hard timing with the trigger pull on their pistols.
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