offi cer down Off-Duty Ambush: The Steve Franks Incident
but only two peripheral hits out of 42 shots is well below the norm. However, there are a number of likely reasons for this: T e Sudden Intensity of the Action. Franks was caught completely off guard, taking a lot of fi re, and under incredible pressure to react, none of which is conducive to good marksmanship. T is kind of stress is common to lethal encounters, which only reinforces the importance of realistic, high-stress fi rearms training. However, an equally, if not more important factor to consider here is that Barnes, an avid hunter and excellent marksman, was also aff ected by stress. By shooting back, Franks put in- tense pressure on Barnes, thereby disrupt- ing his plan of attack and very likely forcing him to rush his shots. T is created a harsh new reality for Barnes—his prey had never shot back at him before—and fortunately, he didn’t handle it very well. Distance and Visibility. T e distances involved in this case were considerably greater than the norm for police gunfi ghts. T e great majority of fatal police shootings (over 67%) occur at 10 feet or less, which is considerably less than the ranges involved in this incident. T e drenching rain was prob- ably a factor as well. It drastically reduced visibility, and, by coming on so suddenly, it probably created a distraction for both men. Again, training is important here. Al- though the main focus of fi rearms training should be on the most common threats, longer ranges of 25 yards or more should not be ignored. Besides giving offi cers an advantage at greater distances (most off end- ers are not profi cient at long-range shooting either), this will increase their confi dence, which improves performance under stress at all distances. In addition, training should be conducted under a variety of environ- mental conditions, including rain, darkness and temperature extremes. Family Concerns. Franks’ fear for his wife’s safety also created a serious dis- traction that, besides forcing him to make the critical mistake of rushing into the hot zone, probably negatively impacted his ac- curacy. In addition to making it harder to focus exclusively on neutralizing Barnes, it
probably caused him to rush his shots as well. T is is another reason why it is a good idea to do some planning with your fam- ily. If, by planning ahead, they are able to expeditiously reach a place of safety on their own, you can focus more eff ectively on ter- minating the threat. One-Handed Shooting. Despite his training to the contrary, Franks fought the entire gunfi ght one-handed. Even Franks himself can’t understand why he did it, but the suddenness and intensity of the ambush may have had a lot to do with it. During force-on-force training, for example, it is very common for offi cers to use one hand when shooting at close range, even when they have never been trained to do so. Very likely, this is because their natural instincts demand it. Instantaneous return fi re, not pin-point accuracy, is the most crucial el- ement in winning a close-range gunfi ght. T e subconscious mind knows this, in- stincts take over, and the offi cer pulls the trigger as soon as the gun clears the holster. Frank was in a similar situation, although at a much greater distance. He was suddenly coming under such heavy fi re that he sim- ply pulled his gun and blazed away at his attacker without taking the time to take a two-handed grip on the weapon. T is point reinforces the importance of training offi cers to shoot one-handed, but from a broader perspective, it illustrates the impor- tance of taking instincts into consideration when training for lethal encounters. When the techniques we learn are not congruent with our natural instincts, they may break down under stress. Intense, repetitive training and frequent practice can overcome this dangerous tendency to some extent, but it is generally easier and much safer to develop techniques that are con- gruent with our instincts. T is will help ensure that our conditioned responses don’t come into confl ict with our instincts when both are
needed to win the fi ght. Grip. Capt. Franks points out that he had a poor grip on his gun as he drew, which ham- pered his ability to shoot well. Grip is one of the basic components of shooting, and it starts with your initial grip on the gun even before you start to draw. If the initial grip is off , it won’t
improve as you engage your target unless you take time to readjust it, and time is a precious commodity in a gunfi ght.
No doubt, Franks’ poor grip aff ected his performance; therefore, it is important to consider why it happened. Franks puts the blame—with good justifi cation—on his hol- ster. He explained that the style of the holster he wore, which was dictated by department policy, was a high-ride design chosen for its weapon retention capabilities. T e design didn’t fi t with his personal build and drawing style, and he had never managed to become fully comfortable with it. When he suddenly came under fi re, he wasn’t able to manipulate the awkward design smoothly, and wound up with a poor grip on his weapon. It is absolutely essential that offi cers be al- lowed to carry equipment they can handle comfortably and with maximum profi ciency under stress. T e gun and holster in particu- lar must fi t the offi cer’s hand, body structure, and personal drawing and shooting style. Obviously, some limits must be placed on the offi cer’s choice of equipment (in a hos- pital setting like Franks’, for example, the close quarters inside the hospital, frequent contact with emotionally disturbed persons, etc., make a high-security rig essential), but uniformity and the personal preferences of decision-makers should never overshadow the need for personal fl exibility within reasonable guidelines. When that happens, the profi - ciency of the line offi cers who must use the equipment in the real world may suff er, often with serious consequences for the offi cers, the department and/or the public.
On the other hand, the harsh reality is that some administrators still insist on uniformity in fi rearms, holsters and other vital offi cer safety equipment. In that case, the line offi cer has the responsibility to himself, his citizens, and even his family and fellow offi cers, to make do with the equipment he is issued. It takes a lot of extra time and commitment to hone our skills to a fi ne point when our equipment doesn’t fi t us, but with so much on the line, we just have to work harder. Train hard and train often, and then train some more, if that’s what it takes to compensate for inadequate equipment. Return to Question 7
50 The Police Marksman Mar-Apr 2015
www.policemarksman.com
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