Practical equals Theoretical
1. Hollow-point bullets are design to expand and fragment on impact of after entering the body of the target, tearing a large hole, and almost instantly dissipate its forward velocity and avoiding collateral damage that would occur when the bullets exit a victim and hit someone else (Nemeth, 2011). However, the Hague Convection of 1989 banned the use of the hollow point bullets because of the additional damage they inflict on human bodies, amounting to a war crime.
2. The rules of engage forbid students of armed defense and police officers from firing considering warning shots in their repertoire of defensive responses. Warning shots can be dangerous in situations where the probability of the aggressor causing harm to the officer is particularly high (Johnson, 2008). Firing of warning shots ought to be rare and infrequent, depending on the facts at time they are used.
3. A semi-automatic pistol has advantage over a revolver due its smaller size, higher magazine capacity, as well as lower recoil (Nemeth, 2011). Considering that police officers are increasingly encountering well-equipped criminals and gang members, use of semi-automatic guns is more effective compared to revolvers.
4. The aim of an incapacitating shot that destroys the medulla oblongata part of the target’s brain in order to achieve instant cessation of the hostile action and most likely kill them. This is justifiable when the life the officer or a third party is deemed to be jeopardy (Johnson, 2008). Conversely, shooting to wound is a reasonable way of stopping dangerous behavior, usually aimed at the arm or leg.
5. A verbal warning should only preceded a shooting where feasible but not where lethal force has been determined as necessary such as to prevent innocents from being seriously injured or killed, or when using the element of surprise (Nemeth, 2011).
6. It is rare for police officers in pursuit to try to shoot at a fleeing suspect’s vehicle because of the great danger it poses to bystanders. Shoot to disable the tires should be a last resort after all efforts to disable the vehicle have been unsuccessful.
7. An officer should fire immediately at a clearly lethal attacker instead of moving to fire from cover. This is because a clear shot may prove difficult from cover position and the attacker may inflict more harm while cover is sought.
8. It is tactical to fire one or two rounds at an attacker as opposed to emptying the whole magazine without making sure that the threat has been eliminated (Johnson, 2008).
9. There is need to seek cover, use containment strategies and not fire at all at a potential attacker in presence of innocent civilians unless it becomes inevitable and necessary to save lives due to the danger posed by the attacker.
10. Close quarters battles (CQB) refers to physical confrontation between or among combatants e.g. police and criminals (Johnson, 2008). Police officers train in rapid assault and precise use of lethal force, greater proficiency with weapons, and capability to reach split-second decisions so as to minimize accidental causalities.
11. A non-firearm carrying officer in security management need knowledge on firearm use in both personal and facility force protection so as to give correct advice about them to others. Also, it may help you in an attack situation.
12. The ball and dummy drill is shooting exercise devised to help shooters to overcome problems of anticipating recoil and jerking the trigger. The magazine or cylinder is loaded with a random number of both live and dummy (with power or primer) rounds and the shooter works through the rounds (Nemeth, 2011).
13. A tap, tap, drill involves ensuring the seating of magazine, racking the slide and pulling the trigger to complete the drill as quickly as possible.
14. A hang fire drill refers to the action of delay in the propellant’s igniting of a firearm. The firearm is kept pointed down range not less than 10 seconds before attempting to clear the malfunction during a live-fire (Johnson, 2008).
References:
Nemeth, P.C. (2011). Criminal Law, Second Edition. CRC Press.
Johnson, B. R. (2008). Crucial elements of police firearms training. Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications.
