An interesting article
"76S.W.A.T. MARCH 2004 What iI t is imperative to understand that within the American psyche lies a deeply imbued sense of fair play, rooting for the underdog, and a compassion for those perceived as, “not fairly matched.” In testifying on behalf of officers in both Federal and Superior court, I find that juries both want and need to know why an officer resorted to deadly force utilizing a firearm towards a suspect armed with “just a knife”— even if the suspect’s violent act could be stopped in no other manner. If you are casually dismissing the foregoing you are delusional as to the role of the judicial system in such matters. In any application of deadly force you will be questioned, challenged and held accountable over an extended period of time for actions carried out in mere seconds, and it will be these actions and decisions upon which you are judged. Laws differ from state to state so, to avoid extensive deliberation, let’s agree that deadly force may be used to prevent imminent great bodily injury or death to one’s self or others based upon the “reasonable man” standard and the totality of the circumstances. With this in mind, it would be prudent to understand, in depth, the dangers and limitations imposed when confronting a suspect armed with an edged weapon. What are the dangers of edged weapons? Having seen the results firsthand on many occasions in the field I can honestly relate that it can be nothing short of catastrophic. Aseemingly insignificant puncture wound can result in significant internal blood loss that anyone short of a full surgical staff on site would be powerless to abate. Slashing wounds not only cripple and eviscerate tissue, but the attendant blood loss can result in death in short order. Firearms have been employed by man for a very short time in the scheme of things. Edged weapons, however, have been utilized since the dawn of man. Modern society has distanced most of us from the offensive use of such tools to the extent that their effectiveness and destructive potential is far from appreciated by the vast majority of the populace resulting in the, “He’s only got a knife” frame of mind. The twenty-one foot rule is fairly standard throughout law enforcement and many of us have taught around this model for years. However, recently at International Tactical Training Seminars in Los Angeles, California we constructed the real-world, knife attack target system seen in the accompanying photos. Training many hundreds of military, law enforcement and civilian personnel on this system over the last year has been eye opening. This system has also been used by I.T.T.S. to defend officers in court. First, this is a training tool and as such is subject to certain limitations, though the benefits far outweigh the deficits. When officers train on this they realize this is a training evolution. They have eye and ear protection. They have evolved through earlier firing courses in the day to the level that allows them to safely engage the mover. They have been instructed throughout these evolutions what to expect, the speed with which the targets will be encountered, how lag time will come into play and yet they are still astounded at the speed at which the targets close the distance from a standing stop to a nose-on position mere inches away from their muzzles. The one over (M0re comminh)
"76S.W.A.T. MARCH 2004 What iI t is imperative to understand that within the American psyche lies a deeply imbued sense of fair play, rooting for the underdog, and a compassion for those perceived as, “not fairly matched.” In testifying on behalf of officers in both Federal and Superior court, I find that juries both want and need to know why an officer resorted to deadly force utilizing a firearm towards a suspect armed with “just a knife”— even if the suspect’s violent act could be stopped in no other manner. If you are casually dismissing the foregoing you are delusional as to the role of the judicial system in such matters. In any application of deadly force you will be questioned, challenged and held accountable over an extended period of time for actions carried out in mere seconds, and it will be these actions and decisions upon which you are judged. Laws differ from state to state so, to avoid extensive deliberation, let’s agree that deadly force may be used to prevent imminent great bodily injury or death to one’s self or others based upon the “reasonable man” standard and the totality of the circumstances. With this in mind, it would be prudent to understand, in depth, the dangers and limitations imposed when confronting a suspect armed with an edged weapon. What are the dangers of edged weapons? Having seen the results firsthand on many occasions in the field I can honestly relate that it can be nothing short of catastrophic. Aseemingly insignificant puncture wound can result in significant internal blood loss that anyone short of a full surgical staff on site would be powerless to abate. Slashing wounds not only cripple and eviscerate tissue, but the attendant blood loss can result in death in short order. Firearms have been employed by man for a very short time in the scheme of things. Edged weapons, however, have been utilized since the dawn of man. Modern society has distanced most of us from the offensive use of such tools to the extent that their effectiveness and destructive potential is far from appreciated by the vast majority of the populace resulting in the, “He’s only got a knife” frame of mind. The twenty-one foot rule is fairly standard throughout law enforcement and many of us have taught around this model for years. However, recently at International Tactical Training Seminars in Los Angeles, California we constructed the real-world, knife attack target system seen in the accompanying photos. Training many hundreds of military, law enforcement and civilian personnel on this system over the last year has been eye opening. This system has also been used by I.T.T.S. to defend officers in court. First, this is a training tool and as such is subject to certain limitations, though the benefits far outweigh the deficits. When officers train on this they realize this is a training evolution. They have eye and ear protection. They have evolved through earlier firing courses in the day to the level that allows them to safely engage the mover. They have been instructed throughout these evolutions what to expect, the speed with which the targets will be encountered, how lag time will come into play and yet they are still astounded at the speed at which the targets close the distance from a standing stop to a nose-on position mere inches away from their muzzles. The one over (M0re comminh)