The VALOR Project truly surprised me with information that changed what I thought I knew about self- and buddy-care in combat for law enforcement officers. Law enforcement shares many similarities with the military, though the missions are very different. Due to the the similarities, law enforcement frequently adopts methods, tools and techniques pioneered in military service.
Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), developed by the US military in the wake of the Battle of Mogadishu, is one of those protocols that is finding widespread acceptance in law enforcement. What if TCCC doesn’t properly prepare law enforcement officers for the realities of civilian combat? Is it possible that police officers are not learning the things they need to stay alive if wounded in combat?
That’s where the VALOR Project comes in. [Read More…]
Being killed by your own firearm is not the way any of us wants to go. Unfortunately, many law enforcement officers have been disarmed and subsequently killed with their own gun. Some citizens have also met this unfortunate end. There are three things that can help prevent being disarmed by an assailant: awareness, retention holsters and weapon retention training.
While this article will focus on the carrying of handguns, excellent retention techniques exist for the long gun as well. In many ways, retention of a shotgun or rifle is easier than that of a handgun. [Read More…]
A Smith & Wesson .38 revolver and a pair of handcuffs were typically the only things carried on a police officer’s duty belt when the first Taser was being developed. Now a Taser is typically just one of seemingly dozens of gadgets hanging off a cop’s Sam Browne.
The Taser has earned a place on that belt due to its ability to quickly subdue combative criminals, while reducing the number of injuries and deaths to officers and suspects.
But, has the Taser been so successful that it has become a crutch for law enforcement officers? Are officers using the Taser when other force options are more appropriate? [Read More…]
Two Louisiana police officers were called murderers after they killed a young, unarmed man one night by repeatedly shooting him in the back. The officers claimed the man was armed, but no gun was ever found.
In the aftermath, the police chief was fired, the officers were dragged through the legal system and the community lost faith in the police force.
What went wrong? [Read More…]
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