Trigger Pull Tactical

Trigger Pull Tactical ExclusiveMorale Patches

2011-06-21T10:29:00.002-05:00

Medals of America $25.00 Gift Card Memorial Day Giveaway

2011-05-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

In honor of Memorial Day and the service all of our current and former Veterans provide to this great nation, Trigger Pull Tactical has teamed up with Medals of America to giveaway a $25.00 gift card for use on their site. Contest rules are as follows...

Submit a comment to his post below, saying what you plan on doing on Memorial Day to honor our Veterans. Such as: attending a local Memorial Day Service, buying a Veteran's meal at a restaurant, donating Wounded Warrior Project, etc...

The contest will run until Tuesday May 31st at 12:00 A.M. Make sure you leave your e-mail address in the comment so you can be contacted if you win. Trigger Pull Tactical will pick the winner and submit the name and information to the Medals of America Contest Website.

Comment away folks and have a safe Memorial Day Weekend
Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Trooper About to be Executed Gets Saved by Back-up - Great Story

2011-05-04T18:26:00.001-05:00

The beginning of this story is played out a thousand times a night across America. A third shift Trooper pulls over a suspected drunk driver, does field sobriety tests, and would then take the violator to jail. Except this punk, fought the Louisiana Trooper, then grabbed a revolver from his vehicle and shot the Trooper in the head, but only grazed him. The Trooper had previously called for emergency back-up before the shooting, and just as the turd was standing over the Trooper and getting ready to execute him, some deputies showed up and kicked some ass. I've trained shooting through the windshield before, and I imagine I could do it in the heat of the moment, but this warrior actually did (see the picture below). The deputy driving had the training, experience, ability, and quick thinking that got made him able to save the Troopers life, by shooting through the windshield and hitting the would be murderer.

Thank God for those deputies and their training...

--- Associated Press ---

BATON ROUGE, La. — A drunk driving suspect shot a Louisiana state trooper early Wednesday, grazing the trooper's head, and was preparing to shoot the downed trooper again when he was wounded by West Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputies, state police said.

Col. Mike Edmonson, commander of state police, said the suspect was standing over the trooper, revolver in hand, when the deputies arrived. One deputy fired at the suspect through the windshield of his own patrol car. Another got out of the car and fired. It was unclear how many times the suspect was hit. State police said he was hospitalized in serious condition.

The trooper was hospitalized in stable condition.

"He's going to be OK," Edmonson said. "I told him he's got a hard head."

The identities of all involved were not immediately released.

Edmonson and Lt. Doug Cain, a state police spokesman, said the trooper pulled the driver over around 2:30 a.m. The trooper, believing the man to be intoxicated, was about to place him under arrest. The man fought with the trooper, wrestling with him before breaking away, running to his car and getting a revolver.

The trooper immediately called for backup. At some point the suspect fired. The trooper was hit in the head and knocked to the ground.

"When the two West Baton Rouge Parish deputies drove up, he was standing over the trooper," Edmonson said.

Cain said state police believe the man was about to fire again at the prone trooper when deputies arrived.

"There's no doubt in our minds these deputies saved his life," Edmonson said.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Screw U Bin Laden Patch - Exclusively from Trigger Pull Tactical

2011-05-02T18:58:00.001-05:00

In commemoration of Bin Laden finally being killed like the murderer he was, purchase a Trigger Pull Tactical exclusive "Screw U Bin Laden" Patch. I had these made up a few months ago and still have some left. Get 'em while they're still available, and show your American pride. Never in my lifetime have I seen a nation so happy that someone was hunted down, killed, and dropped off the side of a ship. I'm actually glad our nation can finally agree on something as a whole. Makes me truly proud of America.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

22 Year Old Shoots at SWAT While Wearing Homemade Explosives

2011-04-29T16:13:00.002-05:00

Incidents like this were unthinkable 25 years ago. Yet somehow in the last decade this has become the monthly norm. Here we have a 22 year old punk, shooting a patrol officer in the chest(all is well, he had a vest on) then barricading himself in his apartment while SWAT surrounded the complex. Eventually the turds says he will surrender, but quickly comes out of the house, shoots at the SWAT members, and is killed. He had homemade explosives strapped to his body when he was shot, but they didn't detonate. Police were unable to help the male, due to the explosives. Had to wait for render safe EOD team. It's getting crazy out there boys, stay alert - stay alive.

COLUMBIA, SC — It all started when a newspaper delivery man noticed he was being followed by the driver of a black Ford Explorer. That deliveryman called the police, who stopped the driver, 22-year-old Blakely Hilton Jernigan.

This is when things went sideways.

As Patrol Officer Alexander Broder approached Jernigan’s vehicle, according to The State, Jernigan fired a handgun directly at the officer’s chest from close range.

We can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Officer Broder was wearing his department-issued body armor. He survived, but Jernigan continued on to his apartment, initiating an hour-long SWAT standoff.

Jernigan’s father was called on to help negotiate. Hopes were high as it looked like the young man would be surrendering though a back door, but that’s when he plowed through the door and fired an AK-47 at two of the SWAT officers, according to The State.

Those officers fired back, killing Jernigan, whose body remained in the backyard while a bomb squad scoured the apartment. His body was strapped with homemade explosives.

Here’s what officers found in the apartment, according to the State:

“An undetermined amount of cocaine and marijuana, a second AK-47, machetes and other knives with long blades, and an explosive powder that had been used to construct the homemade explosive devices.”

The stove was also on, filling the place with gas, which could have been deadly if a flash grenade were used.

Read the full version on The State newspaper, which also happens to be the paper of the deliveryman who called police in the first place.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Get Exclusive Morale Patches Now

2011-04-23T11:47:00.004-05:00

Trigger Pull Tactical Exclusive Morale Patch Collection

If you do not use Google Checkout and are more familiar with PayPal then follow this link to PayPal, log in to your account, and send the full amount for the patches you want plus $1.00 for shipping. Send the money to triggerpull@triggerpulltactical.com Just make sure you type what patches you are purchasing in the memo section when you send money, along with your address. Thanks...

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Motivational Poster of the Week

2011-04-22T21:07:00.001-05:00

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Why Cops Don't Kill More Bad Guys

2011-04-16T07:49:00.001-05:00

What can I say, all the below reasons factor into if and when an officer makes the decision to pull the trigger. I totally agree that today's law enforcement drifts away from hiring individuals who have the "warrior mindset" built in coming on this job. In fact I know a lot of departments and agencies that go out of their way not to hire combat veterans because they are afraid they'll be to aggressive. They'd rather hire an accountant who's looking for a thrill. Enjoy and apply the below points to your department.

--- By Chief Joel Shults at PoliceOne.com
News from ILEETA 2011: Why aren't cops killing more bad guys?
With police officer deaths headed toward as many as 200 this year (approximately half of line of duty deaths have been by murder) police trainers are asking themselves some hard questions about what’s going wrong

For statistical perspective the most recent FBI annual crime report is that 48 officers were feloniously killed. In contrast police officers shot and killed 403 (three additional suspects were killed by police using something other than a firearm) in the same period. In that same reporting year 261 persons were justifiably killed by civilians, 215 by firearms.

In the context of millions of officer-citizen contacts daily across the nation, the number of lethal encounters resulting in the death of an officer or suspect is statistically small. Eighty percent of officers report being in a deadly force confrontation in which they had to decide whether or not to pull the trigger. By raw numbers police officers do a stunningly effective job of dealing with potentially deadly encounters without killing offenders. Even so, the impact of those police deaths on families, agencies, and the social fabric and American psyche is immeasurable and unacceptable.

Researchers have known for decades that soldiers have a reluctance to kill even in the heat of battle. Military training has changed to create both a mindset and skill base to increase kill ratios. The question of whether law enforcement should be killing more people than they currently are has dramatic social and ethical implications for a free society. The answer to that question in terms of tactics and officer survival is that police officers should be shooting more often and more effectively.

Why aren’t cops killing more bad guys?

Lack of Warrior Spirit — Some trainers and supervisors believe that aggressive characteristics necessary for surviving intense, highly physical encounters are intentionally selected out by current recruitment and testing methods. Dr. Alexis Artwohl, co-author of Deadly Force Encounters suggests that the warrior spirit is actually alive and well in American culture. Research by Ron Borsch, manager of South East Area Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bedford, Ohio reveals that a significant number of active shooters are stopped by unarmed civilians initiating action on their own. Artwohl cites evidence that 90 percent of people are highly resilient and able to respond effectively to unusual circumstances. Regardless of the any deficiency in the recruits they can be trained for effectiveness.

Discomfort with Firearm — Vicki Farnam, longtime firearms trainer and author of Teaching Women to Shoot: A Law Enforcement Instructor's Guide, states that her experience tells her that many officers do not “have a relationship with their weapon.” Although Farnam’s specialty is training female shooters, with fewer American boys growing up around guns the weak gun relationship is not limited to females.

Ignorance of Biology — Artwohl expressed concerns about expectations that officers exceed human capacity and operate outside the rules of physics when it comes to responding to deadly force encounters. Research on reaction and response time shows how quickly events unfold. Officers may be unaware of the level of preparation needed to respond to danger signs. Police officer and longtime trainer Joe Ferrara urges trainers to recognize how officers can increase efficiencies to reduce their response time by even fractions of a second that might provide a life-saving edge in an armed encounter.

Ambush — Brian McKenna, author of Officer Down! Lessons from the Streets, expressed frustration with the idea that since ambush situations are random and unpredictable that there is nothing we can do about them. McKenna believes that ambushes are under-reported in officer murder statistics because of reporting methodologies. Richard Fairburn, author of Building a Better Gunfighter, is among many firearms trainers who believe that better training with ambush situations in mind can help officers survive these kinds of attacks.

Fear of the Aftermath — John Bostain, a senior instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, believes that police officers should be thoroughly trained on post-shooting protocol. A level of comfort with the realities of officer involved shootings could reduce hesitation. Both Bostain and Artwohl cited statistics showing overwhelmingly favorable outcomes for officers who kill offenders, both legally and emotionally despite the common perception that shooting a suspect has universally disastrous consequences. Surveys show that lag time in deciding to shoot is correlated to fears of these kinds of consequences.

Misunderstanding of the Law — Bostain and McKenna believe that officers are hesitant to shoot because of fears that they are not legally justified. Bostain cited clear Supreme Court guidelines, including Graham V. Connor, that bear little resemblance to common false beliefs that minimum force options must be exhausted before escalating to more effective responses.

Negotiation Culture — McKenna noted that there is a common practice of issuing repeated verbal commands prior to using deadly force. He postulated that the practice comes from a misreading of Tennessee V. Garner and the policies that arose from that watershed decision. Officers who face deadly adversaries and refrain from shooting are often rewarded for their restraint. Even in situations where observers would agree it was foolish to take the risk of not making decisive aggressive intervention, restraint is valued over lawful force options. Force instructors seldom use the word “kill,” deferring to euphemisms like “neutralize the threat,” “take care of the situation,” and “we don’t shoot to kill we shoot to stop the threat.”

Segmented Training — McKenna urges firearms trainers and arrest control tactics instructors to merge their training. He observed that the separation of these two disciplines results in inconsistent training messages to officers.

Uncomfortable Distances — Ferrara related a case where an officer faced an armed man who stood behind an eight year-old boy. Even though the target was exposed from just above the waistline the officer was afraid to take the shot. Better marksmanship for distance shooting can be accomplished according to former Ft. Worth firearms trainer Dorcia Meador. Meador’s department is credited with an 88 percent shot placement compared to what Fairburn cites as a national rate of less than 30 percent. McKenna reports that very close combat encounters are common and close range shooting training does not address the dynamics of real world encounters.

Lack of Research Data — Other than the FBI studies on murders of police officers there is a deep lack of national data on officer encounters. While an officer’s murder is studied in detail and reported to a national database, killings by police officers are not. Encounters where shots are not fired or where there is no lethal outcome occur in the vacuum of their own agency reports. In other words, we only study the failures and not the successes.

Acceptance of Violence Against Officers — Offenders who assault officers are poorly prosecuted. This reflects a cultural attitude that officers are expected to take the brunt of violent behavior as part of the job rather than treating officers as crime victims from law breakers who fail to lawfully submit to arrest. Even within the police subculture there is a level of acceptance of battery against officers that may influence officer attitudes in dealing with “minor” violence that may be a precursor to a deadly attack.

Training for officer survival can reduce the success of attacks on police officers. Essential components are better training based on the discovered realities from research and the education of officers in the realities of their professional imperative to kill when circumstances dictate a lethal response.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

25th Anniversary of the Miami FBI Shootout

2011-04-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

Over the years in the various academies and classes I've been too, I've heard the famous 1986 FBI Miami shootout mentioned a hundred or more times. I would often wonder about the incident, and think how powerful it must have been to be mentioned that many times, so many years later. I'm glad not only the FBI, but all the other agencies learned something from that tragic day. Hopefully all Federal agencies are working together with locals better than they did back then. Be safe out there...

By Curt Anderson
Associated Press

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The FBI commemorated one of the bloodiest events in its history Monday on the 25th anniversary of a Miami shootout that killed two agents and wounded five others, leading the bureau to adopt more powerful weapons, better body armor and improved tactics in violent confrontations.

FBI Director Robert Mueller and William Webster, the FBI director when the gun battle with two bank robbers took place, were among several hundred law enforcement personnel who gathered to honor the memories of agents Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry Dove. Also present was a survivor who was wounded in the shootout, retired agent John F. Hanlon Jr.

"I'm very, very proud of what we did that day. We all did our duty. And we did the best we could," Hanlon said. "They laid down their lives gallantly for their country."

On April 11, 1986, the FBI agents were closing in on a pair of robbers who had shot several guards during a string of bank and armored car robberies. Following them in cars through a quiet neighborhood south of Miami, agents saw the pair loading a weapon and decided to make a traffic stop that ended with one agent ramming the suspects' car.

Hanlon said that earlier that morning Grogan, a 25-year veteran of the FBI, knew they'd probably run into trouble once they caught the men later identified as William Matix, 24, and Michael Lee Platt, 32.

Quoting Grogan, Hanlon said: "There's not going to be any trial when we find these guys."

As soon as their car stopped, the suspects opened fire with a shotgun and a .223-cal. Ruger Mini-14 rifle, which packed more power and carried more ammunition than anything the agents had. Some had semiautomatic handguns and one had a 12-gauge shotgun, but many only were armed only with difficult-to-reload revolvers. Only two wore body armor, and even that wasn't strong enough to stop the rifle's rounds.

Grogan, 53, and 30-year-old Dove were both shot and killed by Platt with the rifle. Platt also shot the five other agents who survived before one of them _ Edmundo Mireles Jr. _ shot and killed both suspects despite having use of only one arm. He survived and was awarded the FBI's Medal of Valor.

Mueller called the shootout "one of the most difficult and dangerous days in the history of the bureau." More than 140 shots were fired in a little over five minutes. One witness said he thought an episode of TV's "Miami Vice" was being filmed until he saw the blood.

Webster, who is also a former federal judge and ex-CIA director, said the Miami battle changed FBI thinking on weaponry. Before then, use of more powerful firearms was considered too risky because of possible injuries to bystanders.

"This brought home that we were outgunned. We shouldn't let that happen again," Webster said. "We translated some of that day into improvements to make (agents') chances of survival that much better."

FBI agents now carry a .40-cal. semiautomatic handgun and all have access to body armor in potentially violent situations. Training was changed so that agents could better cope with similar confrontations.

Since 1925, 36 FBI agents have been killed in the line of duty, including one who died in the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. At Monday's ceremony, each name was read aloud and a single rose placed in a vase to memorialize them.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Decent 3 Man Room Entry Video

2011-04-11T10:00:00.002-05:00

Ran across this video of some officers doing some 3 man room entries somewhere in a cold climate. Not bad tactics, although I prefer to make quick entries on approach. The crash guy should be ready to throw the crash quickly, instead of a 30 second process leading up to deployment. Overall, good video. Also check out the TPT YouTube page for more of my favorite videos.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Gotta Love Those Bastards - Motivational Photo

2011-04-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

I guess you either train in your dress uniform across the Pacific pond or you can just kill your fellow soldiers to move up the chain. :) Enjoy

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

When You Believe Off-Duty is Really "On-Duty"

2011-04-06T10:00:00.013-05:00

Just had this article sent to me, and I thought it was well written. I know for a fact that many agencies consider off-duty cops still part of their force. Heck some of my old agencies used to let you drive your departmental squads off-duty just because it gave the impression there were more officers working than their really was. This type of mentality has its draw backs. Of course we've seen our share of blue-on-blue shootings especially in the big cities due off-duty officers taking police action. Thus, I believe you always have to way the "What do you gain, what do you lose?" mentality when taking police action off-duty. However, sometimes the action being taken is to save your own life. With crime at an all time high (yeah I don't give a rats hind what the experts and FBI stats say) and police officer's being murdered almost daily, you have to protect yourself and your loved ones. So do yourself a favor... carry off duty as much as possible and follow some of the guidelines below to help you be a 24/7 warrior.

--- By Lindsey Bertomen at Officer.Com ---

Some factors have changed in police work today, specifically the density of officers to citizens in any given community. A glaring example is this: Tucson started 2011 with more than 40 fewer officers when its recent tragedy occurred. And Oakland, Calif., had to face a mass officer layoff after mourning the loss of four of its own.

If I had been at any of the hundreds of incidents against law enforcement officers in the country annually, I would have intervened. Anyone who has shouldered the weight of the badge would have intervened. The likelihood of a fellow officer being in a position to help is statistically low, but any one of us would, provided we don't become part of the problem. There are rules to which off-duty officers must adhere.

As I write this article, a single concept has massaged my primary focus. There have been 11 felonious homicides against peace officers in the past 24 hours. There have been 14 officer deaths as of early February. Deadly and devastating assaults against officers have clearly risen. As a firearms tactics writer, my job is to keep the officer safety dialogue alive, to help keep officers alive.

Trainers have always adhered to the mantra "off duty is off duty," meaning it is advisable not to get involved. However, if the situation requires intervention, preparation for an incident will improve the outcome every time. Just for clarification, most incidents against police officers happen when they are on duty. However, the concept of "semper vigilantes" should be the mantra for off-duty officers.

Foremost, off-duty actions must demonstrate an immediacy in the protection of life or property. Every agency must have a policy for officers off duty, especially for incidents like an officer unwittingly being dragged into a neighbor dispute. Policies must take into account, and protect, the officer from the predatory neighbor. The courts' have upheld that if the officer's actions are a result of enforcing the law or protecting the public and falls within the scope of their employment, the conduct is reasonable.

For example, in Schilt v. New York City Transit Authority (New York Supreme Court), the court deliberated whether or not the officer invoked his peace officer powers to ensure his vehicle would be repaired by the motorist during a collision/confrontation between an off-duty officer and a motorist. The rule is, if it furthers the interest of the officer, they are no longer a disinterested party. We expect officers to operate as disinterested parties. Whenever they don't, it becomes a chink in the armor of immunity.

Prepare

Preparation for an off-duty incident should include four major factors:

* Mental rehearsal
* Physical conditioning
* Mindset
* Equipment

Mental rehearsal

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."
— Thomas Jefferson

After the 1996 Olympics, research studies were initiated to identify winning routines and attitudes of the top athletes. Mind you, the studies were really identifying the top athletes of the top athletes. What these studies found was never a surprise. Top athletes have physical routines that create habituation, which often goes by the misnomer "muscle memory." All good athletes practice to achieve physical endurance, conditioning and skills. What distinguished the 5-percenters from the achievers were the concepts of imagery and emotional control. The imagery part includes mental rehearsal. The emotional control includes an internal dialogue. If one attends a Calibre Press Street Survival Seminar, this is called "positive self talk."

Mental preparation needs to include drills that bring the officer to reality when in the middle of an incident, and when the dust has momentarily settled. I am a firm believer in including a "check 6" with shooting drills. This is an old aviation term (actually the origin is sometimes disputed) for looking at the rear of the craft. It was adopted by firearms trainers to ensure peripheral awareness.

Checking 6 is done like this: When there is a pause in the incident, good shooters are trained to "reholster reluctantly." The shooter goes into decock, (finger off trigger), kicks the safety on (finger off trigger) for an M1911 or gets the finger off the trigger for a DAO. The officer s-l-o-w-l-y goes to low ready. Using the "this side toward enemy" philosophy, meaning the gun is still pointed at the greatest perceived threat, the officer looks left and right approximately 270 degrees.

Speaking of checking 6, I have to say it: BLACKHAWK! makes a concealment holster called the Check-Six for M1911 style handgun carry. The company makes it for many models (I have carried a Kimber in one) but the Check-Six/M1911 combination keeps everything out of the way when sling carrying an AR-15.

When the officer is at Check 6, he or she needs to go through a mental checklist. The only way the officer can prepare for this checklist is to mentally rehearse for it ahead of time, here and now. Here are a few suggestions for the checklist, which should be modified for appropriateness, depending on the needs of the individual officer.

1. Have I communicated to others around me?
2. It is likely I do not know how many rounds I fired? I have a fresh magazine and I will insert it now.
3. If I can handcuff the suspect, I will.
4. Is the situation stable?
5. What are my assets?
6. I must render first aid.
7. I must announce who I am and that I am rendering first aid.

Physical conditioning

Besides physical fitness, officers should be conscious of their competence in simple physical tasks required for the job. For example, at a local agency, the firearms training program started many of their shooting drills from the "low ready," never beginning or ending with a holstered gun. When they did fire from the holster, it was from the duty holster, even for officers in non-uniform assignments.

I can tell you from personal experience that sometimes an officer needs to holster quickly and go to other tools. If it is not practiced, situations like looking at the holster when going to scabbard (a no-no in the business), or missing the holster, can range from embarrassing to injurious. Lack of this physical conditioning may delay the officer's response or worsen the situation.

Mindset

Mindset is an attitude or bearing of personal success. Half of this equation has already been resolved. As officers, we know that winning and prevailing is part of why we were first employed. The other half of the equation is our attitude of preparation. We prevail because we maintain a level of fitness, keep our lives unsullied and prefer to end our shifts on our feet.

The internal dialogue is part of the mindset, which I routinely practiced while negotiating the fatal funnel or sneaking through a dark alley. I routinely told myself that I will win any fight, I will not die in a dark alley nor will I give up, regardless of the situation.

The phenomenon of mindset, by the way, is why poor administrative decisions are especially stressful to officers. Succinctly, poor administrative decisions make officers feel as if their ability to control a situation is usurped.

Equipment

No officer should rely on "lowest bidder" equipment and we don't. However, we also need to maintain a familiarity with our equipment and choose tools that make tactical sense for the assignment or the situation. I had a conversation with Rob Pincus of I.C.E. Training about off-duty training. Pincus offers a system approach to training, called Combat Focus Shooting. I.C.E. Training classes can be brought to the agency. Like most firearms trainers, Pincus advocates strong side carry that is as similar as possible to duty carry.

Pincus tells me, "The more consistent your off-duty carry set up is, the more efficient your training can be. Most companies manufacturing "duty guns" also manufacture compact versions that are easier to conceal, but consistent in operation. The next step is carrying as close to strong-side hip as possible."

Strong-side carry is best, but I am also a believer in pocket carry. This year at SHOT Show I got to see Magnum's new Rapid Deployment Apparel line, low key tactical clothing with cotton ripstop outer material and subtle extras like a place to insert knee pads and reinforced pockets, which are carry friendly. I recommend mocha or desert sage for discreet colors.

I actually practice the hand-in-pocket-shrugged-shoulder look that keeps my J-frame indexed in my hand for a ready draw in a deteriorated situation.

Foremost, "I'm a cop" clothing should be strictly avoided. I prefer subdued, "non-tactical" colors that make a person look like he or she is going for a stroll rather than a warrant service. Fortunately, everyone likes the ripstop BDU look with pockets on the thighs because they are comfortable.

Duty calls

Law enforcement officers are effective because of their sense of duty and decision making skills. Sometimes their sense of duty is overwhelming. While every situation is unique, being ready for a quick transition to duty status can't hurt.

Lindsey Bertomen is a retired police officer who teaches at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif. He welcomes comments at lbertomen@letonline.com.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

In Memory of Our Beloved Somali Pirates

2011-04-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

The Generation "S" of Law Enforcement

2011-04-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Being a graduate of 4 academies, I can say that I've experienced the expression in the below article. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars stand out as well as most veteran and reservists who served honorably. These warriors make the best students/cadets and often the best police officers. Forget all that crap about PTSD and "military officers are too ruff on the public", that's junk and only supported by idiots who didn't serve and are jealous. I think we do have a new generation of L.E. coming into our career field at all levels from local, county, state, and federal. As seen below they often give the ultimate sacrifice, not just in the war, but at home...

--- Lt. Dan Marcou at Police One.com ---

The 'S' Generation: A new breed of LEOs enters our ranks
Honoring one fallen warrior’s memory as we look ahead to the new line of law enforcers taking up the fight to protect our country and out communities

A while back I was teaching an academy class when at one point I asked, “Let me see the hands of those who have been in the military.” One bright young man with a contagious smile raised his hand. I could see he was a warrior so I asked, “Iraq or Afghanistan?

Still smiling, he humbly answered, “Iraq and Afghanistan.”

As the class progressed I could not help but notice the bearing and maturity of this young veteran who had stuck his neck out to serve his country and now was training to risk the same neck to serve his community. I was inspired to write these yet unpublished words, which I would like to share with you now.

The ‘S’ Generation
After September 11, 2001, thousands of young Americans were moved by the events of that fateful day and flocked to enlist in the fight against global terrorism. They joined the United States Army, The Marines, The Navy, The Coast Guard, The Air Force, The National Guard, and Reserves. Since then, many of them have been deployed repeatedly in war zones throughout Afghanistan and Iraq.

These young adults have seen things most people will never see, and performed repeated acts of courage out of a sense of duty to God, Country, and their buddies serving along-side them. Many have done these things before they even reached their 21st birthday.

These honorable young warriors have guarded the Khyber Pass and taken Baghdad. Some of them rolled into Tikrit and fought their way inch by inch through the steaming streets of Falujah. These warriors are now finishing their terms of enlistment, which many have even chosen to extend.

This generation has risked it all because United States of America was attacked. They courageously volunteered, and joined committing all to the fight. While many Americans wavered and vacillated at home these young warriors never did. They risked all against an enemy as dangerous as any ever faced on a battle field and they triumphed over and over again and continue to do so.

The Good News
Now these same American Heroes are trickling back to resume their lives in “the World,” and academy instructors are finding them choosing to extend this record of service by joining the ranks of law enforcement.

All of you have heard of the “Baby Boomers,” “Generation X” and “Generation Y” and the “Millenials.” Many of you have discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each. Might I offer that is a new generation emerging that could be dubbed the “S” for “Service Generation,” or even the “September 11th Generation.”

Some of these recruits arrived imbued with a taste of service and wish to continue to serve. Others were inspired by older members of their units, who were already police officers at home, who answered the call of their reserve units and donned fatigues to join their units in the desert.

Academy instructors can enter a class and spend an hour with the students and pick out with great accuracy the students, who have “extended their tour of service,” into law enforcement. There is a certain visible, commitment, maturity, knowledge, base, skill base and record of sacrifice that one can not help but notice subtly on display. This can only be good news for law enforcement.

These young veterans are joining with non-military recruits, who do not have the same experience, but are similarly motivated by the dangers of a post-9/11 world. The words serve and protect have great meaning to this generation.

The Future
It bodes well for law enforcement that such a large number of honorably motivated young veterans are joining the law enforcement ranks. They bring to the table discipline as well as unique life experiences. It has left many an academy instructor to ponder if they are seeing the same amazing attributes possessed by “The Greatest Generation,” returning home from victory in World War II as 1945 gave way to 1946.

Could there be a changing of the guard? Has the next greatest generation, Generation S, arrived? Is it a distinct generation of young Americans forged in the fire of war and honed by service to God and country? Are they stepping forward, laying down the sword, while they pick up the shield. Are they about to lift American Law Enforcement to new heights? Only time will tell...

A Fallen Warrior
I would like to dedicate the above column to the memory of the young warrior, Craig Birkholz, who inspired these words in my imagination. This Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin Officer was gunned down from ambush as he was responding to assist fellow officers who had just come under fire. In life, Craig set a standard for his agency, our profession, and an entire generation.

Craig Birkholz — the young warrior— represented his generation and our profession well. He has given the “last full measure of devotion,” and on March 26, 2011 he became the 50th police officer laid to rest this year. A bullet silenced his young heart, but only served to send his noble spirit soaring as the sad but beautiful wailing of the bag pipes played, and the harsh, echoing crack of the 21-gun salute crossed the skies.

I will close with the words Craig closed each one of his memos with, for those who might wish to pick up his fallen standard and carry on:

“Stay Safe, Stay Strong, and Stay Positive.”

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

MuzzleJab - Help Support Those Fighting the Real Fight: Cancer

2011-04-01T10:00:00.009-05:00

If you haven't heard of MuzzleJab clothing company, which I'm sure most of my readers haven't, then I'm hear to inform. MuzzleJab was founded by some Warriors and friends who wanted to do more for those who Cancer has stricken. They decided to create a clothing company with hip designs and upbeat graphics. The clothing is really cool, I've seen the shirts, worn one, and they are super stylish. They have a great blend and the designs are similar to those seen in the current Mixed Martial Arts world.

MuzzleJab is hosting a "Endless Summer Event Sale" at a downtown Washington D.C. bar on May 7th, 2011. I may be in the area that weekend and am thinking of attending, I hope you decide to do the same. Your ticket gets you into the event, open bar, and access to all the clothing. The clothing may seem high priced, but remember that the profit goes to those who have the worst disease that doesn't discriminate.

Check out MuzzleJab's website

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Funny Military Photo - If Only the Insurgents Followed Instructions

2011-03-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

"Death by PowerPoint"

2011-03-29T10:00:00.007-05:00

I've said it for years and it still holds true today. PowerPoint is a great learning tool for a 5 to 10 minute presentation followed by hours of hands on learning. Unfortunately in law enforcement this is not usually the case. I've even noticed more and more military presentations headed towards hour long PowerPoint classes. The worst was a firearms course I went to once that spent 25 plus hours of 40 in a classroom on a PowerPoint; ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place, unfortunately in this career I don't find much use for it. I've always been a believer in doing. I remember when I joined the Marines, I never saw one PowerPoint presentation. Just hip-pocket classes taught by squared away drill instructors. I spoke to a young Lance Corporal a while back and we talked about boot camp. He told me he spent a lot of time in the classroom watching PowerPoint presentations. I'm sure it was nice to sit in a chair all day, but I assure you he didn't learn more. Check out this article on the topic...

---- Val Van Brocklin - on Officer.Com

Biting the PowerPoint Bullet

I can remember being told by a friend nearly 10 years ago that if I was going to be a national presenter, I needed to learn PowerPoint. I had seen that writing on the wall. I'd ask an agency if they had a 35 mm slide projector and the person on the other end of the phone would pause and then say something like, "Gee, I don't know. I haven't seen one around for years. There's a second hand store where I may be able to get one." I dodged the PowerPoint bullet (pun intended) a while longer by buying my own slide projector and carousel from a thrift store and carrying it in my checked luggage. This was before there was a baggage fee.

Then, like the rest of the presentation and training world, I bit the PowerPoint bullet. I took a PowerPoint class at my local Microsoft retailer and began bullet pointing, animating, adding entrance sounds, and - voila - ending up with a handout when I was done. I also didn't have to rehearse as much, because I had a PowerPoint cue card - so much slicker than shuffling through index cards - to prompt me if I forgot my lines and no one need be the wiser.

But let's take a look at how our brains work and how PowerPoint bullets can make us flat line.

PowerPoint isn't rocket or brain science

It's pretty amazing how few people - myself included - who jump on the PowerPoint bandwagon ever pause to consider that there is little to no research to show that PowerPoint aids learning, retention or application of information. In my opinion, it was designed for the presenter, not the learner.

Presenter-centered training (which is a lot of training) basically goes like this:

1. You pick or are assigned your topic.
2. You gather and organize your information.
3. You present your information.

True to its name, the focus is on the trainer and what she's going to say. PowerPoint is designed with the above steps in mind. I always found it helped me do this.

Learner-centered training, in contrast, proceeds:

1. You decide what you want officers or recruits to do.
2. You assemble the information they must have to do it.
3. You present the information in a way that engages them to listen, learn, remember and act.

If we want to create anything other than hot air and a ready-made handout that will never be used, we need to use PowerPoint with step 3 of the learner-centered model in mind.

Brain science basics

There's lots of scientific research on how people learn, retain, transfer and apply information - that is, how our brains work (or don't) when presented with information.

My ah hah PowerPoint insights have so far come mostly from 3 books:

1. Beyond Bullet Points - Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire by Cliff Atkinson.
2. The Presentation Secret of Steve Jobs - How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo.
3. Brain rules - 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina.

These books cite lots or primary sources. Here's what they taught me about how we learn.

The eye of a needle

Many trainers assume that if learners are paying attention theyll get the information the way it's being presented - like a feeding tube from the speaker's mouth to the learner's brain.

But our brains use 3 kinds of memory:

* Sensory memory - this is where our listeners briefly store their initial sight and sound impressions of us. The capacity here is potentially unlimited but these memories may last only seconds.
* Working memory - also called short-term memory. This is our learners' present attention. It's a temporary holding area for information that may or may not get integrated into our 3rd kind of memory.
* Long term memory - this is where our learners store information for up to a lifetime. This is where we want our information to end up. We also want the learner to be able to access and apply the information from their long term memories. Capacity here is also potentially unlimited.

The rub is that working memory has very limited capacity - maybe 3 or 4 chunks at a time. That feeding tube of information from our mouths to our learners' long-term memory has to be threaded through the eye of working memory's needle.

Two channels

Since Alan Paivio's work in the 1970s, it has become widely accepted brain science that we receive and process new visual and verbal information through 2 separate but related channels:

* The visual channel and
* The verbal channel.

So, PowerPoint is great, right? It works the visual channel while we talk and work the verbal channel. Not really. Text on a screen is visual but working memory quickly verbalizes written words and sends them through the verbal channel. As you are reading this you are undoubtedly hearing the words in your head.

That means text on a PowerPoint slide competes with and distracts from what you're saying. But, you say, if I'm simply reading the text aloud, there's no competition. Maybe not, but if all you're going to do is read your PowerPoint slides aloud save everyone time and just email the presentation to your learners. There's also the redundancy effect problem.

The redundancy effect

We process verbal information at a different speed than visual. Working memory converts visual text into verbal information, but it's being processed at a different speed than the speaker's voice reading the text. Ever watch a movie where the sound was out of sync with the video? It's distracting and harder to follow. That's what happens when presenters read their PowerPoint slides. Learners may not be aware of why they're frustrated like they would be if the movie was out of sync, but they're frustrated and out of kilter just the same.

Richard Mayer (web link below) conducted an experiment well-known in the brain science world that investigated the redundancy effect. One audience viewed a multi-media presentation in which the same material was both narrated and appeared as text on a screen. The second audience heard the same narration but the redundant text was removed.

Contrary to conventional wisdom and practice, removing the text improved learning. The second audience retained 28% more information and was able to apply 79% more creative solutions using the information than the first audience.

First kill all the PowerPoint

To paraphrase gun advocates,
"PowerPoint doesn't kill learning, Presenters kill learning."

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Funny Picture "Go Army" Picture

2011-03-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

Sorry soldiers, but I had to post this one. I don't think I've ever even seen a retired Marine who was this big, much less an active duty soldier. Recruiting standards must be a little lax these days. Moto run anybody?

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Hilarious Motivational Photo of the Week

2011-03-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

You gotta love messing with the locals. How true is this photo...

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
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Funny "You're Not Tactical" Video of the Week

2011-03-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

Thank God the Marine Corps hadn't instituted the mandatory use of reflective belt/vests for PT when I was still in. I do know they now require it, and I've been on bases recently and seen soldiers, airmen, and Marines all wearing these stupid reflective straps. The only benefit to these straps is the money it makes some defense contractor who has the bid to sell them on the base. Sometimes, I wonder about our military. Without further delay, this video says it all...

Thanks Ranger Up for the video.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Kyle Lamb in New 5.11 Promo Video

2011-03-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have already seen this since it has been making its rounds across the internet since late last week. I finally watched the full thing, and figured I'd post it up here for those of you that don't view fifteen different tactical sites every week to stay up-to-date. This new promotional video was made by 5.11 using operator Kyle Lamb as an advertisement for all their new lines of gear, especially the multi-cam uniforms. I really liked the ending, and since it is kind of funny I thought I'd post it. I used to wear 5.11 tactical pants all the time to work, but I find them heavy and I don't necessarily believe they have the best design. However, 5.11 is a tried and true brand that will last with the ages, so you can't really beat the company down. Without further shameless plugging...

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

3 More Tactical Patches 4 Sale - Zombie Response Team, OPSEC, & Screw U - Bin Laden

2011-03-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

Finally got three more custom Velcro patches that are not available anywhere but Trigger Pull Tactical:

OPSEC Patch - short for Security. If you're an operator, then you've heard this term.

- Screw U Bin Laden - The patch says it all!

- Zombie Response Team - We are all zombie hunters at heart.

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered some of the other patch designs. I shipped all previous orders today. Check out the three new designs below. As usual, all my patches come with one sided Velcro. If you don't want the Velcro, just remove the stitching and sew it on. These patches look great on kits, uniforms, tactical bags, and gear.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Flash Bang Safety

2011-03-20T10:00:00.021-05:00

With the recent loss of Charlotte-Mecklenburg SWAT Officer Fred Thornton, flash bang safety has taken a front row seat in the tactical law enforcement world lately. It is believed that Officer Thornton had pulled the pin on the flash bang at the scene of a SWAT call out, and then replaced that pin. Later at his residence, Officer Thornton then tried to replace that pin with a new one. During this the device detonated and claimed the life of Officer Thornton.

I'm guilty myself of replacing pins on devices after pulling the pin. As you will read below this is a total no no. As well every operator I worked with carried flash bangs and it is recommended that this is unnecessary now, since use of the device is usually planned out ahead of time. Hopefully Officer Thornton's death is not in vein, and instead more officers and military operators lives are saved in the future by using his death as a way to bring attention to this dangerous tool.

Six Rules of Flash Bang Safety by retired Springfield MO, Major Steve Ijams at Officer.Com.
Designed to distract and divert suspect(s) attention during elevated risk police operations, Noise Flash Diversionary Devices (NFDDs) have been a mainstay with tactical teams since the early 1990s. Persons exposed to the bright light, loud report, and slight elevation of atmospheric pressure will, hopefully, “turn away from their original focus of attention.” In dynamic police circumstances, this can be lifesaving. Unfortunately, events transpiring in North Carolina and Texas during the past two weeks have reminded us once again that NFDDs can have traumatic — even life-threatening — effects as well.

Tactical policing has taken many positive steps in recent years, but as we advance the dialogue in some areas — such as rethinking our focus on dynamic entry — we seem stuck in others. One such area is a failure to recognize and adequately address the potential dangers of noise flash diversionary devices. I have little information concerning the Texas incident, and only today reviewed an email from Chief Rodney Monroe of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which provided the preliminary results of their internal investigation into the tragic death of SWAT Officer Fred Thornton. The focus of this article will not be on the two most recent events — though I will reference the Charlotte-Mecklenburg case in response to the recently-released investigative information. The focus will instead be on the past tragedies in general, and the common threads that seem to bind them together.

I have provided NFDD instructor/training since 1991, and investigated and provided testimony in many of the flash bang injury cases that have occurred since then. I have attempted to take the primary information gathered in these cases and summarize it, in hopes of preventing such negative outcomes from occurring in the future.

NFDD Safety Considerations
As I wrote in 2005, the primary causative factor in the one previous death (Langford v. Gates, 43 Cal. 3d 21, 729 P.2d 822 (1987)) and numerous serious injuries has been intimate contact with the device — either by officers during handling or suspects following hand deployment. Here are six key safety issues:

1.) Know and Obey the Law — This begins with a recognition that NFDDs are destructive devices controlled by Federal law, and it is illegal and dangerous to treat them any other way. I continue to be amazed by teams that treat flash bangs like M4 magazines, hanging casually off raid vests in the trunks of their cars. ATF Rul. 2009-3 addresses the storage of explosive materials in official response vehicles, and was issued to create balance between reasonable access and safety. One can only imagine what is in store for those overseeing a program where a negative NFDD outcome (injury, theft, etc.) occurs, and it is later determined to have been preventable, had federal law simply been followed.

2.) Technical Understanding — The most important aspect of individual NFDD safety is a mastery of the M201A1 fuze, and ensuring that NFDD handlers have a clear understanding of the mechanical processes involved with igniting the device. One should not assume that this is adequately covered in basic NFDD training, and in the absence of this knowledge the operator is incapable of taking the necessary macro view (overall NFDD safety) towards preventing a micro process (accidental pin removal/spoon extension/primer ignition). This macro view involves far more than checking to see if the legs are bent on the pin, and includes such things as pouch design/tension and procurement, sling attachments in relation to the NFDD, placement of the device on gear to minimize trauma should an accidental ignition occur, and strict compliance with handling rules.

3.) Limiting Team Member Physical Exposure/Proximity — During the early days of my teams’ explosive entry program, I was sent to the Oklahoma Miner Training Institute for certification in commercial surface blasting. Lead instructor Mickey Bradley set the tone for explosives safety the first day with Rule #1: Avoid touching or getting close to explosives whenever possible.

The same rule applies to NFDDs today. Team leaders and commanders must take an objective pre-event look at who will be issued flash bangs, how and when they will be accessed and carried, and why. The default for many agencies has been, “SWAT team members are issued and carry flash bangs.” I respectfully disagree. As the team leader and then commander of my agencies full time tactical team — and one who has been involved in over 100 operational NFDD deployments — we only had one deployment that was spontaneous as compared to pre-planned. I'm not suggesting that no one carry flash bangs for spontaneous need, just that the default “everyone” carries flash bangs is illogical and exposes multiple officers to unnecessary risk.

4.) Mode/Method of Carry/Handling — It is incumbent on team leaders and commanders to ensure that NFDDs are carried and handled in a well thought out and appropriate manner, consistent with contemporary training and practice. This begins with an absolute mandate that the devices be carried in pouches with the pin legs bent safe as received from the factory, and the pull ring contained in the redundant safety (see #5 below). This process continues with specific team policy, guidance, and direction related to the timing in which prepping (straightening of one-partial straightening of the other) of the pin legs is approved, and then rotating from redundant safe and removed from the fuze head.

This policy, guidance, and direction must clearly state that the pin will not be removed from redundant safe and pulled unless it is contemporaneous to the actual deployment. This final step can be done in approximately one second, and when balancing the risks associated with an “early pull” and the time saved, the “pin in” wins every time.

Should the operator remove the pin at the appropriate time and then determine that deployment is unsafe or unnecessary, the appropriate response is to deploy the live device to a safe “coming out” location, which was identified during the pre-raid briefing in order to address this particular problem-should it occur. This is addressed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police National Policy Center in their Flash Bang training key #587. The key further states that attempts at re-pinning are dangerous and should not be attempted.

In the days following the Charlotte-Mecklenburg tragedy, an email was circulated that suggested the involved officer had, “removed the pin in advance of a high risk operation, the spoon was held in place with tape, and the device ignited when he was attempting to re-insert the pin.”

The threads that followed in response were universal disbelief. I regret that I was not in the “universal disbelief” camp. I had personal knowledge of two NFDD injury cases in which operators testified under oath that they had routinely removed pins from their NFDDs in advance of deployment, leaving the spoon to be held in place only by the tension of the pouch itself. Believe it. Things like this can happen (absent rock solid training, policy, procedure, and random equipment checks by team leaders/commanders to validate learning and compliance). The release by Chief Monroe provided the preliminary results of the investigation which are outlined in the sidebar item by PoliceOne Columnist Dan Marcou.

5.) Use the Safest Munitions Available — The M201A1 is a proven fuze, but like any machine sometimes things can break. This is especially true when it comes to the legs of a pull pin that might get straightened, bent, then straightened again. In 1999, Combined Tactical Systems began offering their NFDDs standard with a redundant safety, which requires a conscious rotation of the pin ring before it could be pulled and removed.

This mechanical lock effectively prevents the pin from getting snagged on gear and accidentally being pulled, which has been a factor in several of the unintentional ignitions observed. Other manufactures offer this additional safety as an option, and regardless of the brand you chose any argument that you can't afford the cost or the extra safety contributes to a loss of operational speed should fall on deaf ears-no pun intended.

6.) Use Bang Sticks — The single most likely way to reduce the probably of operational contact injury to officers and citizens alike is to deploy the NFDD on a bang stick. This not only ensures the device is out of the officers hand when the pin is pulled, it ensures it is placed high in the room and away from people and combustible material — like couches — inside. Add to that the fact that a flash bang can almost always be placed away from the entry point, which further draws the suspect's attention from the team as they clear the door.

The NFDD continues to be a viable tool in tactical policing today, but those in control and command of SWAT teams today need to critically analyze their programs, recognize the risks involved, and take the necessary steps to ensure the officers and citizens they serve are as safe as they reasonably can be. We need to keep the families and friends of Fred Thorton and Richard DeLeon in our thoughts and prayers.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

High Speed Motivational Picture

2011-03-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

This should motivate all you warriors out there. Just a high speed poster created by Tango Down Tactical.

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull

Funniest Non-Law Enforcement Video Ever

2011-03-16T17:32:00.000-05:00

Let me first say, I don't normally post stuff like this on here, because this is not just a random blogging style site. I try to focus on tactical information, gear, and officer involved shootings. With that being said, when I saw this video I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. I just had to share this with my fellow warriors out there. I know some of you are deployed overseas in "The Stan" & Iraq and you need a good laugh. Just know there are fat kids in the cities back home having CRUMP contests! After all this is what we fight for. Now go enjoy...

Keep Doing God's Work Warriors,
Trigger Pull