There is a great article on CF Easts site. I have copied the text. The link is here:
http://www.ccijax.com/action/index.php/fitness/pop-up-extended/be_ye_predator_or_be_ye_prey/
I have just finished attending the conference of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET). Though not many seemed to know it, it was here in Jacksonville, during the week of January, Third. Many nationally known writers, and instructors were in town to present programs.
I spent much more time assisting other firearms instructors, or presenting my three classes, than attending, but I did sit in a session by a retired Alaskan Trooper, Jeff Hall. Jeff is now an adjunct for the NRA. His presentation was fantastic, and it gave me a fresh and dynamic view of training for my brother and sister officers to win deadly confrontations. I credit any original ideas expressed here, to Jeff, but on many points I was already in concert with his viewpoint.
One of Jeff’s major points was a need for revision on our winning priorities in combat situations. We viewed several videos that I routinely use to teach. His perspective has given me a renewed interest in draining the shallow end of the gene pool. Mr. Hall is concerned that the trainer’s constant mantra of seeking cover has caused many officers to lose, or suffer injury when they should have pressed the fight and won. He pointed out that the slowest bullet around, the 45, travels at about 850 feet per second. He wisely insists that if you can not travel 851 feet per second, that you should attack rather than seek cover. Things are obviously even more drastic with rifle rounds approaching or passing 3,000 feet per second.
The differences between predator and prey were examined in detail. Probably no predator is more tactical than cats, he said. His cats, when exposed to the outside, sniff the air, and scan for enemies before leaving cover. They roll in the cat box to cammie up for their missions. His analogy went into the cat’s bringing live mice into the house, releasing them and stalking them. If the mouse faces the cat, it slinks around the rodent with keen interest, but is does not approach head on. When the mouse runs, the cat pounces, grabs and shakes it, only to release and continue the game until the captor dies.
He used other animal analogies, like Police K9s, bears, and cougars. All will chase down and take down prey trying to flee. Unlike the trained police dog, the wild animals are usually deterred by a face to face confrontation, even with a human or other smaller animal. He told of a brother who saved his sibling by charging a black bear with a handgun that would not have been up to the task of killing the beast. He said the man had to make himself the “bigger bear.”
Most of you have seen the videos of the South Carolina Trooper, or Georgia Deputy killed in the line of duty. In both cases, inferior adversaries prevailed because their attack was more vicious than the officers were able to comprehend. In both cases, the officers tried to disengage, create distance, and seek cover. In both cases, the officers would have been more likely to survive had they pressed the attack, and become the “bigger bear.”
I submit to you, that if you unleash the “bigger bear” in you, that you are more likely to prevail in a deadly confrontation. Our aggression must be controlled, so unlike the criminal predator, we can not arbitrarily execute the suspect as they did Officers Coates, and Dinkweiller. We can however press the attack as reasonably necessary to prevent bodily harm to us or another, or to protect anyone’s life, including our own.
During this attack to save your life and win the fight, you can not stop until the job is done, the suspect’s aggression has ended, and the threat to your life has ended. One shot is almost never enough. Remember Platt in the FBI, Miami Shootout. He received fatal wounds in the initial contact, but was still able to fix 7-8 FBI Agents in place and aggress into the front line of agents, killing and wound all who hunkered down behind the closest cars.
In future articles and training we will examine shot placement and its roll in winning. Center of mass may not be the best option for face to face, life and death battles. Until then, start a regimen of clearing and verifying you firearms and making ten smooth and fast draws each day, work or not. It will help you pass the first half of 2005 qualifier, but may well save your life. Two good hits early in the gunfight can not hurt. If that does not work 13 more and a reload should do the trick.
I am in no way advocating that you fill the neighborhood with lead. Part two to practice, program, requires your shots hit their mark. Many recent attacks on police were in the face of great odds in our favor, like the North Hollywood shootout. Remember the controlled part of our aggression. Bad guys are not required to control theirs. They have already rejected the constraints of society.
If you are already behind cover when the fight starts, don’t leave it. If you have no cover or it is not immediately adjacent to you, shoot and move, and repeat like shampooing.
Until next time, start drawing, be the “bigger bear,” and reserve your place at the fireside with your grandchildren.
Sarge
they have both decided it would be a good idea to learn firearm safety. Does any one here at BRANDX have any suggestions as to where to attend classes taught by people that are truly interested in helping others to learn how to shoot and the safety aspects that coincide.
