Posted on 08/11/2007 10:27:09 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
They weren’t characterizing all armed criminals, just cop killers.
Most punks carrying a weapon as a fashion accessory aren’t looking to get into a shoot out.
Female cops looking for “bulges”. ;-)
That a person is armed is usually obvious. As the article points out, “the study found police often missed “telltales” of weapon presence on the offender. Bulges, inappropriate clothing, constant touching of the gun through layered clothing, blading the body away from the officer to protect access to the gun etc.”
The cops affect not to notice. (Many cops don’t notice, believe it or not.) For a cop, stopping people because they are probably armed will get you fired as a “racist”. Besides the hoods will be back on the street before the reports are filled out.
Standard handgun training is OK but only if you know what you are doing. Probably the most important rule of self defense with a handgun that is never taught is that the gun is only drawn to shoot to kill. No hesitation, no second thoughts. Shoot. Do not threaten. Do not talk.
Obviously if possible one takes as strong a defensive position as time allows. A defensive position ideally will provide cover from fire, concealment from the enemy, and opportunities for maneuver (read: “running away”).
Stop breathing
Okay, that makes sense.
So you take a study of cop killers and generalize about the entire criminal population. Talk about biasing your argument. What about all the criminals who got killed? What about those who put their hands up. What about those who turned and ran? This article is worthless.
It’s probably not taught because, among other things, in a lot of places it will get you put in prison even if you were the otherwise innocent unoffending participant in the fatal event.
In a lot of places it is or has been the “law” that when you draw and shoot in self defense you should be shooting to stop the offender from committing whatever offense was or was about to be committed. The object is to stop the offense and you can shoot till it is stopped. Killing of the offender can be a side-effect but it is not supposed to be the goal of the shooting. If you say you intended to kill, you may be prosecuted.
Of course, maybe it’s different in Wisconsin.
that's why IPSC is so nice....transfers very easily to firefight. The ability to "stress fire"...using the same clothes or same concealed holster ...whatever. Pulling your weapon, applying the front sight to target and squeezing.....a couple of thousand times...then doing the same week in and week out 50-100 times. Muscle memory...draw, sight, fire, reacquire fire,on and on...
I'm not saying the pucker factor will go away, but I've been in firefights that lasted "hours" and looked at my watch and 10 minutes had gone by...hahahahahaa...
Sometimes I heard this guy cussing his head off and yelling, I found out, it was me.
You're right, nobody knows what they'll do in combat, firefight, fist fight till he does it a couple of times....then it's like anything else. You get used to it. some people have the temperment for fighting and some people think to much and die.
I love shooting IPSC. That’s what I never understood about cops that I’ve met. Range time would be as much time as I could spend on it... I loved shooting.
what it boils down to is that the criminal already knows he’s going to use deadly force in an encounter, meaning he most likely will get off the first shot. And in a close range gunfight, the first shot usually wins.
In every field I’ve worked in there is professional arrogance among many members. “I’m a professional and any amatuer is laughably incompetent.” Think about teachers versus homeschoolers.
Reality is a policeman has to work at his shooting to stay on top of his game. And there are amatuers while on average worse then a ‘highly trained professional’.. there are amatuers that are incredible at every human endevour. Thats one reason we have to respect policemen is there is a risk they are putting on the line even when they do their job well, keep up practice and gun maintenance, professionally approach each situation.
Carrying is one thing, shooting is another. Ya gotta practice, and where are they going to do that without attracting unwanted attention?
Criminals have been through a PhD program in mindset. Most of these thugs have grown up without parents and have learned the lessons of the street. For years and years, their ability to survive has depended largely upon their willingness to do whatever it takes to persevere in an encounter.
That's what their would be victims must also do, whatever it takes to persevere.
The time for thinking is *before* the fight starts.
I have never heard of “The Force Science Institute.” Do you have a link?
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