offi cer down: Overwhelming Physical Force: The Carl Everett/Linda Mason Incident
weapon retention techniques won’t work. In such cases, the simplest, most eff ective option is to lock your gun in place—whether in your hand or still holstered—and then immediately counterattack. Aggressively attack vital, exposed parts of your assailant’s anatomy that will cause him to instinctively react to protect them, such as the eyes, throat or groin, and then fol- low up against one target after an- other until you have disabled him and/or regained control of your weapon. An eye is often the best target to attack fi rst because it is fragile and easy to reach in most situations. If you damage one eye, the other will tear up and squint, temporarily blinding him and signifi cantly reducing his ability to continue his attack, especially if you can break free and back away from him. Don’t just poke him in the eye. Grab the side of his face and squeeze as you smash the tip of your thumb into his eyeball, and then dig in as hard as you can. T is will severely distract him, and, since hu- mans instinctively reach up to protect their eyes when they are threatened, it will almost certainly cause him to let go of your gun. You can then follow up by attacking another key target.
If you can’t attack his eyes, go for his throat or groin, and keep up the attack until you break free or have rendered him inca- pable of further aggression. Another option is to utilize a backup weapon, but it must be brought into action before he can counter- attack. For that reason, it is very important that the backup weapon be carried in a loca- tion where it can be drawn and employed rapidly under high-stress conditions. When a backup weapon isn’t available, another op- tion is an improvised weapon, like a pen, walkie-talkie, mini-fl ashlight or handcuff s. Regardless of the weapon you choose, move decisively and without hesitation, use maxi- mum force, and aim for the most vulnerable and vital target available.
It is important to consider that backup
“we need a simple, easily retained, easy-to-execute technique to fall back on in those situations in which conventional weapon retention
techniques won’t work.”
weapons are also vulnerable to disarmings. For this reason, a backup gun can become a serious liability when struggling over your duty sidearm. It may be your only option if the suspect gets your duty gun and is about to use it against you, but it is dangerous to try to draw it as long as you are still struggling for control of your primary gun. On the other hand, a backup knife may still be an option, because its sharp blade and compact size make it less vulnerable to a disarming. Furthermore, it can be used to slash, stab and parry in a variety of ways, it doesn’t need to be re- loaded, it won’t jam, it causes fearfully distracting wounds, and it is otherwise ex- tremely eff ective at very close range. In the event that the disarming attempt occurs after you have drawn your duty gun, you may want to consider emptying it by dropping the magazine and discharg- ing the remaining round. While this leaves you with an empty gun, it may be your best option if it appears that your assail- ant is about to get it away from you. But keep in mind that the gun must be fi red in a safe direction that doesn’t put any in- nocent parties at risk. Any object that is large and solid enough to stop the rounds you are carrying will do, and don’t rule out your attacker. Deadly force is clearly justifi ed when someone is trying to disarm you, and shooting him is the surest way to stop his aggression.
If your assailant is holding onto the
slide while trying to pry your gun out of your hand, you can probably disable it temporar- ily by discharging the round in the chamber. In most cases, the slide won’t move back far enough to eject the empty case from the chamber, thereby making it nec- essary to rack the slide before the gun can be fi red again. T is will enable you to quickly get the gun back into action if you need it, but it is also puts you at grave risk if your opponent manages to disarm you and knows enough about au- toloaders to rack the slide. If that happens, you will have to use your backup weapon, execute a disarming technique, or use hard empty hand techniques to disable him. While it is vital to be properly trained
and mentally prepared to do whatever it takes to retain control of your fi rearm, it is equally important to maintain a high level of awareness. T e best way to do this is to make it a habit to always be aware of the position of your duty gun relative to those around you. Like all habits, this habit is acquired through repetition. T erefore, the best way to develop it is to consciously put it into practice on every call and in every street contact you make, no matter how mundane the situation may seem. T is takes commitment and eff ort, but weapon awareness can eventually become second nature. Once you have established this habit, it will remain in the back of your brain even when your main focus is else- where. When coupled with proper training and mental toughness, it will signifi cantly improve your ability to prevent and, if nec- essary, respond to disarming attempts. Stay alert, stay safe, and keep fi ghting no matter what.
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