20 Feb 02

I received a call this afternoon from a friend with a large, midsouth police department. Tom Givins and I did a training program with this department's drug enforcement unit just one month ago. Great timing, as it turns out!

Last night, this department experienced its most significant shooting incident in several years. The officers involved were all Tom's and my students. Officers were conducting a buy/bust at a motel when a gang of five, armed robbery suspects attempted to hold them up. Two confronted our officers directly. One waited outside, and two more were in a getaway car parked nearby.

The first of the suspects, upon casually producing a pistol and pointing it in the direction of our officers, was immediately shot several times in the upper torso. So sudden and aggressive was our officers' response, the suspect never got a shot off and was down within seconds. He was DRT. Officers used a wonderful close-quarters technique, taught to them by Tom. Seeing the unhappy lot of his colleague, the second suspect bolted and ran out of the building. He was arrested a short time later.

One of the occupants of the getaway car was also arrested, as was the fourth suspect who was waiting outside. Both surrendered meekly and were not injured.

The fifth suspect, driving the getaway car, got out, hijacked another car, and then started to drive away. He had one hand on the steering wheel. In the other he had a pistol, which he stuck out the window and started shooting at officers. Our officers, on foot, drew and fired at the moving suspect, striking him several times. He was arrested at a nearby hospital shortly thereafter. His wounds were debilitating, but he is expected to survive.

In all, we had one suspect DRT, one critically wounded, and three more arrested without incident. None of our officers were injured.

Officers reported that their training on rotating, steel targets, made by Steve Camp at Bitterbilt, was extremely helpful when they engaged moving targets. Being able to track the target and allow the shot to break as the gun continues to move is an important skill which surely came in handy. Also critical was that fact that officers were trained to move aggressively during the draw and during reloading. In fact, so effective were their lateral movements, that suspects became confused and were unable to effectually respond.

Our officers where shooting S&W 4056s with 180gr HP rounds. I don't know the brand.

Good show guys!

/John