hand if he had thought about it. He explains that the thought didn’t occur to him because he had just started carrying the gun. T is is a cru- cial point, because it again demonstrates the im- portance of preplanning. Under stress, we tend to fall back on things that are familiar to us and ignore things that are not, like the fact that we are carrying a backup gun when we have never carried one before. T is phenomenon can even carry over to ignoring the weapon when it is needed for a situation we haven’t considered before. In one case, for example, an offi cer ran out of ammunition and retreated to his patrol car for more, despite the fact that he was car- rying a backup gun. When asked later why he didn’t use his backup instead, he said he never even considered it because—though he had been carrying it for years—he had only thought about using it if he was disarmed. Having never considered other situations in which he might need it, he defaulted to what was in his mental toolbox when he ran out of ammo—return- ing to his cruiser for more. We can’t count on being able to think outside the box under stress, which is why we must precondition our minds beforehand through preplanning. When carry- ing a backup gun for the fi rst time, give careful consideration to the various times when it may be needed, and imagine using it under those cir- cumstances. T en make sure to train with it as much as possible (more on this later). Deputy Schoen’s diffi culty in drawing his duty gun highlights not only one of the fore- most reasons for carrying a backup gun, but also the importance of carrying it where it is readily accessible with the support hand. T ere are a number of things that can keep you from draw- ing your sidearm with your gun hand besides wounds. Offi cers have had their gun hands/ arms trapped inside car doors after erroneously reaching inside to remove keys from an unco- operative motorist’s ignition, for example. Or your gun hand may be tied up trying to control an attacker, defend against a gun grab, fend off a weapon at close range, or even hold onto a guardrail or other item for support. All things considered, it is unsafe to depend upon the gun hand alone for accessing your weapon, espe- cially when using today’s high-security holsters. Where should the backup gun be carried? Many offi cers use ankle holsters, but ankle guns are hard to draw when standing and almost im- possible to reach when running, engaged in a
43 The Police Marksman Jan-Feb 2014
struggle, or involved in any other vigorous ac- tivity. Ankle holsters also tend to be less secure than other holsters, and a quick, smooth draw often requires both hands. Pocket holsters off er an alternative to the ankle holster, but, though easier to reach than an ankle holster, some can be awkward to draw from in a struggle and many are not very secure. Another option is the shoulder holster, which holds the weapon securely and off ers quick accessibility. How- ever, they must be worn under a jacket or coat, which eliminates them as an option in mild or hot weather. T e best alternative is a body armor holster.
T ese holsters are secure, well within easy reach even during vigorous activity, and readily acces- sible with the support hand if worn on the gun- side of the body. Body armor holsters do have one serious drawbacks that discourages many offi cers from wearing them, however: T e shirt must be opened in order to reach the gun, which can be awkward and time-consuming, especially with zippered shirts. Fortunately, this problem can be eliminated by sewing VelcroTM
patches
into the shirt fl ap to keep the shirt closed in place of the zipper or buttons. (On buttoned shirts the buttons should be removed from the inside fl ap and sewn over the button holes for appearance sake.) If the shirt is relatively loose- fi tting, the shirt fl ap stays fi rmly closed and the backup gun is quickly accessible with just one hand. With a little practice, the gun can be drawn easily with either hand, especially if the holster is worn slightly forward of the armpit. Similarly, offi cers who wear external body armor can affi x the backup holster to the inner surface of the vest carrier on the gun-hand side. Regardless where carried, it is impor-
tant to train and regularly qualify with the backup gun. Although the maximum fi ring distance may be reduced to 10 yards because of the limited ranges at which backup guns are commonly deployed, offi cers should be required to draw from their normal on-duty carry position, and to shoot the entire course with both the support and gun hands. A stress course should also be required, which should include, at the very least, drawing from vari- ous unusual positions. T is is crucial, because backup guns are only needed in extreme situ- ations, and extreme situations often require drawing from awkward positions. Return to Question 5
Body Armor
No doubt, Deputy Schoen’s body armor saved his life. His doctors later told him the shotgun blasts to his torso would almost cer- tainly have killed him if it had not been for his vest. But even if they had not caused any fatal wounds, they would undoubtedly have left him disabled. Down and with no time to draw his gun with his virtually useless arms, he would have been at Shimpi’s mercy. T e crucial point here is that body armor not only prevents mortal wounds, but will often keep you on your feet and in the fi ght.
Long-Distance Shooting Deputy Schoen became almost obsessed with shooting at longer distances after the shooting. T e incident had driven home the importance of being able to take long-range shots with a handgun, and he was deter- mined to make sure he could do it if the need ever arose again. With practice, he eventually became good enough to hit a 12-inch circle at 100 yards on a regular basis. Even though he hasn’t had to use it again, he isn’t the fi rst offi cer who needed that skill and he won’t be the last. If nothing else, Schoen’s experience should drive home the point that anything can happen in this business.
Long-range shooting with a handgun is a lost art in police work, and while 100-yard shots are probably rare enough to make it impractical to train for them on a regular basis, in today’s world of active shooters and terrorists, the usual 25-yard maximum may no longer be adequate. Back in the 1970s, offi cers used to qualify at 50 yards, and few failed. T en we decided that training at that range was no longer necessary and dropped the maximum to 25 yards. But what we ne- glected to consider then was that shooting at longer ranges did more than just add long- distance shots to our skill set. It also built up the shooter’s confi dence in his shooting skills (if you can hit at 50 yards, 25 looks easy), and confi dence is essential to good marksmanship, clear thinking, and proper decision making. Granted, many offi cers are now trained and equipped with patrol rifl es, but the rifl e isn’t always available. We should seriously consider returning to the 50-yard maximum with the handgun. Return to Question 6
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