offi cer down: Off-Duty Ambush: The Steve Franks Incident Moving Off the X
trapped in an ambush, or any other armed attack for that matter) as he had been trained to do. Had it not been for the need to protect his wife, his next step would have been to follow his training by laying down suppressive fi re as he moved to cover and then returning aimed fi re from there. In- stead, he delayed going to cover to rescue his wife while continuing to return suppres- sive fi re when he could. However, it is important to note that, whereas troops in combat can put down a large amount of suppressive fi re to keep their ambushers at bay, police offi cers have neither the fi repower nor the moral right to spray an area with indiscriminant gun- fi re. Nevertheless, suppressive fi re can still be used to keep your assailant’s head down without compromising your moral obliga- tion to avoid endangering others, as long as you keep it to a minimum. Fire just a round or two at your attacker/s to break up their plan of attack, and then head for cover. As you move to cover, still fi ring as you go, and then continue your suppressive fi re from there, focus on keeping your shots to the minimum and putting them where no- body but the ambusher is at risk. T e idea is to conserve ammo and limit the chances of any collateral damage while keeping your ambusher(s) at bay as you plan your next move. T is is also a good time to call for help, coordinate with incoming units, check yourself for wounds, etc. In the meantime, keep scanning for movement or any other indications that your attacker(s) may be attempting to advance, fl ank your position, etc. T e above discussion of counter-ambush tactics is by no means all-inclusive. In fact, considering the extreme danger posed by ambushes and current shortage of training in how to deal with them, it is hoped that Capt. Frank’s shooting will serve as a start- ing point for an honest dialogue about the problem. Police offi cers are remarkably in- novative thinkers with a solid grounding in street wisdom and common sense. We can come up with answers to this challenge if we put our minds to it. Return to Question 4
Capt. Franks instinctively dropped into a low fi ghting crouch and returned fi re as soon as Barnes launched his attack, and it may have saved his life by allowing him to take advantage of the planter as cover. T is demonstrates the importance of moving out of the line of fi re, but it is important to note that lateral movement to his right (i.e., into the yard away from the house) would have been an even better move than crouching in place. Lateral movement in any direction makes you a much harder tar- get, and when combined with quick return fi re, it can severely aff ect your attacker’s accuracy. Unfortunately, police fi rearms training doesn’t emphasize shooting while moving nearly enough. In many agencies, it is added almost as an afterthought, and in some it isn’t taught at all. Instead, it should be an integral part of every police depart- ment’s fi rearms training from the beginning at the academy and continued throughout every offi cer’s career. Similarly, considering the importance of cover, cover awareness should be heavily emphasized from the be- ginning so that it becomes a habit for every offi cer in the agency. Return to Question 5
High Volume of Fire Interestingly, despite the intensity of the attack and the fact that he had to split his attention between dealing with Barnes and protecting his wife, Franks still managed to notice that he was starting to run out of am- munition. It’s very easy to lose track of the amount of ammunition expended during a gunfi ght, and the fact that he thought to check his last magazine before making his escape is a testament to his cool-headedness under fi re.
Although the vast majority of police shootings involve the exchange of only a few shots, this case highlights how easily we can run through two or three maga- zines, even when off duty. Besides expend- ing an unusually large number of rounds, Capt. Franks lost a nearly full magazine by accident early in the fi ght, which shows that the need for another magazine may
not arise from the number of shots fi red alone. Moreover, in today’s world of active killers and the growing threat of terrorist attacks, the simple truth is that two spare magazines may not be enough. Extra spares don’t take up much room or add much weight, and they can easily be slipped into a back pocket, under the straps of your body armor, or in pouches on your external load-bearing vest. Besides providing you with extra ammunition, this will serve as an important reminder to slow down if you have to use them. Since they must be drawn from a location other than the magazine pouches on your belt, the act of drawing them will alert you to the fact that it’s time to start conserving ammo.
Another option to consider in lieu of—or preferably in addition to—extra magazines is a backup gun. T ere are a large number of good reasons to carry one, and the fact that they provide extra ammunition is one of the best. When off duty in street clothes, the issue of extra spares becomes more diffi cult. Few would see the need for a backup gun under normal conditions, and there is a legitimate need to keep the off -duty gun, ammo, cuff s, etc., well concealed, which limits how much equipment we can carry. On the other hand, this case makes clear the importance of being prepared at all times, even when off duty. If, for example, he had been in his street clothes armed with nothing more than a fi ve-shot snubby and fi ve spare rounds, it is very unlikely that he would have survived. We have to fi nd a balance between preparation and overdoing it. A good compromise is to carry a high- quality autoloader, preferably one that is a downsized copy of your duty weapon, at least one spare magazine, handcuff s, and a cell phone.
Return to Question 6 Missing the Target
One of the more remarkable aspects of this case was the number of misses; Franks scored only one hit out of an estimated 26 rounds, and Barnes only one out of 23. In most gun- fi ghts, there are many more misses than hits,
49 The Police Marksman Mar-Apr 2015
www.policemarksman.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55