I had hoped to take an ‘active shooter’ course and it may still happen, but I’m not holding my breath. The course is outdoors, but you still have to stay somewhere. How are these little motels and franchises going to sanitize the rooms? Anyway….
Let me share a few things I have learned in my research about dealing with active shooters. You’re not going to like this.
You must have equipment on you and it must function and work everytime. You will not have time to retrieve a firearm from your car in the parking lot or unlock it from a portable safe, or go back to your office for it before you are overflowing with dead and dying. As much as I hate it, when the shooter is done killing, you have little justification to use deadly force.
RELIABILITY IS KING. If your gun jams occasionally, your ammo clicks instead of bangs, it is junk. This means your weapon system can’t be a bargain basement deal or ultra-tight bull-seye weapon. The same applies to mouse fart pistols or gimmick guns. (two shot .38 spl derringers, NAA mini revolvers, cell phone guns, belt buckle guns, pen guns) I would step away from homemade reloads for several reasons, but the most important here is reliability.
If you are with family and friends, don’t you have an obligation to secure them somewhere safe first before you go looking for trouble? One option is to entrust the lives of your loved ones to someone else. How about a spouse, or best friend, maybe the other coach on the little league team? How far removed from you can you trust that person to protect your child or loved one? Maybe it is best if you take care of that yourself.
You must not draw your weapon until you close the distance and see the active shooter shooting at innocent people. Any cop, off duty or on, coming on the scene will engage anyone not identified as an LEO with a gun out. As soon as you can, you need to get the gun holstered or at least put it out of sight and have empty hands.
I’m going to assume if you are an LEO your department has plans in place to assist in identifying other off-duty officers from your department who are responding. What about neighboring communities, state police and other visiting LEO? If you don’t know, maybe you should ask? If you’re an LEO in a different jurisdiction maybe you should seriously consider that you could be shot and killed by accident.
Part of the CCW community’s belief system is the armed citizen has a role to play in disasters like an active shooter. If you are trapped in the situation you need to act with what you think is an appropriate response. Your only options are: take cover, call 911, withdraw or engage. You may be able to combine several into a survivable plan.
Forcing yourself into an active shooter situation is very risky. However, you may be where police response is 10 minutes if you are lucky. I can name little communities, unincorporated villages that contract with state and neighboring communities for police protection. You may be the only onsite resource.
Stop! Think! Now do it the least stupid way possible.
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| Imagine the confusion, how many off duty LEOs are there? And into that confusion you want to insert yourself? |
Let me share a few things I have learned in my research about dealing with active shooters. You’re not going to like this.
You must have equipment on you and it must function and work everytime. You will not have time to retrieve a firearm from your car in the parking lot or unlock it from a portable safe, or go back to your office for it before you are overflowing with dead and dying. As much as I hate it, when the shooter is done killing, you have little justification to use deadly force.
RELIABILITY IS KING. If your gun jams occasionally, your ammo clicks instead of bangs, it is junk. This means your weapon system can’t be a bargain basement deal or ultra-tight bull-seye weapon. The same applies to mouse fart pistols or gimmick guns. (two shot .38 spl derringers, NAA mini revolvers, cell phone guns, belt buckle guns, pen guns) I would step away from homemade reloads for several reasons, but the most important here is reliability.
If you are with family and friends, don’t you have an obligation to secure them somewhere safe first before you go looking for trouble? One option is to entrust the lives of your loved ones to someone else. How about a spouse, or best friend, maybe the other coach on the little league team? How far removed from you can you trust that person to protect your child or loved one? Maybe it is best if you take care of that yourself.
You must not draw your weapon until you close the distance and see the active shooter shooting at innocent people. Any cop, off duty or on, coming on the scene will engage anyone not identified as an LEO with a gun out. As soon as you can, you need to get the gun holstered or at least put it out of sight and have empty hands.
I’m going to assume if you are an LEO your department has plans in place to assist in identifying other off-duty officers from your department who are responding. What about neighboring communities, state police and other visiting LEO? If you don’t know, maybe you should ask? If you’re an LEO in a different jurisdiction maybe you should seriously consider that you could be shot and killed by accident.
Part of the CCW community’s belief system is the armed citizen has a role to play in disasters like an active shooter. If you are trapped in the situation you need to act with what you think is an appropriate response. Your only options are: take cover, call 911, withdraw or engage. You may be able to combine several into a survivable plan.
Forcing yourself into an active shooter situation is very risky. However, you may be where police response is 10 minutes if you are lucky. I can name little communities, unincorporated villages that contract with state and neighboring communities for police protection. You may be the only onsite resource.
Stop! Think! Now do it the least stupid way possible.
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