Skills and Mindset — The AUFIRE Trainer
Just before SHOT, a buddy with the LAPD's Metropolitan Division told me I needed to check out the AUFIRE training system and then see it. AUFIRE is short for Actions Under Fire. I'm very glad [...]
What’s New At SHOT Show 2023 — Day 2
https://youtu.be/dp08Bfw1DTc A conversation with Mike Wood, author of "The Newhall Shooting — A Tactical Analysis: Survival Lessons from One of Law Enforcement's Deadliest Shootings." Be sure to follow American Cop on Instagram @americancop_magazine.
CARS AND CRASHES | In ‘N Out
I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of cops dying. I hate seeing updates via ODMP.com (Officer Down Memorial Page) every time a cop is killed. In the last decade, I’ve been [...]
OFFICER SURVIVAL | Perception
The rain was pouring down on us as we took up positions of cover on the quiet residential street. We’d responded en-masse to deal with a deranged man who’d just stabbed his father — luckily [...]
Good Enough
One of the most beneficial soft skills one can develop is to complete a task well enough that it may ensure mission success. Whether it’s finishing a work project, going to the gym, or even [...]
Training Rule #2 and Don’t Shoots
Someone once said - know the rules well enough so that you can know when to break them. However, there are some rules we should not break. Gunsite's Four Safety Rules can be on [...]
STREET LEVEL | Morale Building: No Programs, Please!
Somewhere in the basement there’s a cigar box contain-ing military medals and commendations. The only mementos of that period on display in my home are the lone surviving photo of my best friend, killed on [...]
Managing Expectations
When learning any skill, it is incumbent upon you as an apprentice to also manage your expectations regarding how much and how long it will take to achieve the desired skill level. Before learning a [...]
Shooting in Virtual Reality
Scenario-based training in my academy class involved role players – often more than one - and evaluators spread out across the grounds of the academy. In addition to those people were the scenario coordinators, a [...]
Self-Defense
The term "self-defense" means different things to different people. To a police officer, self-defense differs significantly from defensive tactics or DT, as it is known in the law enforcement training community. From a civilian perspective, [...]
Like a box of chocolates – vehicle stops and approaches
“Life is like a box of chocolate; you never know what you’ll get until you bite into one.” Whether pro-active policing is still a thing or not, working street cops will make traffic stops. [...]
Review – Active Shooter Response Training: Lone Wolf to Coordinated Attacks
Once again, Active Killer events are back at the forefront of everyone's mind. While there are a lot of questions, there are not always enough well-researched and thoughtful answers. This article reviews author Scott Hyderkhan's [...]
You Have Got To Stop The Bleeding – medical training and equipment
Which are you more likely to use: Medical skills? Defensive firearms skills? Before we look at the numbers, I’ll say that on the day you need either one, that skill set will be the most [...]
Dark Angel Medical Direct Action Response Training: Essential Lifesaving Skills
Basic first aid training was once considered sufficient for law enforcement officers. That is no longer the case. When survival is measured in seconds, will you know what to do? Just as we train for [...]
IMMEDIATE CASUALTY CARE IWB SERIES | Essential Trauma Gear Made Practical
Immediate Casualty Care was founded by Jon Grabo, a full-time firefighter and paramedic, to provide training and low-profile gear for private security, on and off duty first responders and the prepared citizen. Jon wanted [...]
A SILENT KILLER | Mitigating Exposure Risks from Lead at Shooting Ranges
The risk of lead poisoning is a very real safety hazard that every agency and officer needs to take heed of and take steps to mitigate. Every shooter does, as well. It’s a hidden [...]
Why? Why did they choose their gun? Why do they continue training?
Why anyone makes the decisions they make is an interesting topic. What are the Whys behind the firearm someone chooses, taking their first class, venturing across the country to train once, and then doing it [...]
Mantis Blackbeard AR-15 Dry Fire Training System: Now Available with Integrated MantisX
Although dry fire training is essential to improving one's skills as a shooter, dry fire with most semi-autos has its issues. Racking the slide or charging handle after every trigger press to reset the hammer [...]
A Practical Reload – topping off your pistol while retaining rounds
This third article will cover the mechanics of a tactical reload in both forms. The desired end state is a pistol, carbine, or sub-gun with a round in the chamber, a full magazine in the [...]
Working the Thumb Safety for new 1911/2011 Shooters
It has been interesting to watch the re-invention of STI into Staccato and, simultaneously, see the resurrection of a 1911-style pistol into the police duty-use world. I used a 1911 pistol on patrol and in [...]