What are they teaching cops ?"

When I was in the service I was a shore patrol officer .I was proud when my granddaughter joined the police scouts.She and her friend are attending a Boot Camp at the police academy she is 14 and is proud of her uniform. She tells me what she learned in class every day. Today they had target practice useing airsoft guns shooting at a body shaped target.I ashed her if they were teaching her to fire twice at center mass like I was taught in the service .She told me no Granpa they teach us to fire three times...twice to the chest and once to the head. I said No that cant be right thats teaching you to kill instead of stopping the attack . She told me the instructor told the class DEAD MEN TELL NO TAILS her friend confirmed this and showed me her target 1/3 of the marks were in the head. if they are teaching cadets this WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING OFFICERS ? this really ticked me off .Im not sure how to handle this as my granddaughter dosent want me confrunting her instructor with this as they arnt susposed to talk about what they are taught .The more I think on this the madder I get.Now I wonder what else she is or will be taught .No wonder our police are acting like Nazis She still wants a carear in law inforcement BAAA Humbug she wants to be a federal agent !!!

For what it is worth, this is the same shooting pattern I was trained in some rather extensive (read..expensive..ugh) training I opted to take before going through the routine CCW class and required range shoot. 2 to the chest and 1 to the head. The chest shots being center and just a few inches high to insure the high odds of each being a lethal hit in their own right.

I just thought I'd throw that in. The instructor I had for the extended training was a federal law enforcement shooting instructor as well. It sounds like that is simply S.O.P. for training now?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I just went through the ccw class to renew yesterday The DPS instructor told us deadly force is used to STOP not kill.This only confirms the dead men tell no tales aspect of police training when you tell me your instructor tought SHOOT TO KILL this training is WRONG period

While in Highschool in the 90's, we did a project where one choice was a week crash course of police work.

I was taught this same shot pattern on a F.A.T.S.

The reason I was told was very logical. There is an advancment of tech on the streets.

First two are for the typical assailaint, the head shot are for those that wear bullet proof vest's.

So it is not an automatic three shots, the third is an option if the first two appear to impact a vest.

It is the officers responsability to decide if the third is needed in a split second.

So they still need to teach the muscle memory reflex to the body then work on the brain later with judgment and decison making.

Nothing sinister just how violence goes, you get a knife I get a phone book tapped to my stomach and bring a heavy bar. You get a gun I get a vest and a bigger gun.

Police work is a neccasary and respectable profession, but it is a violent one none the less.

I think non violence is a better answer but it will take everyone thinking the same.

reply to post by GisfridMaillor
As Paul Harvey used to say And now the rest of the story ..AS her instructor explained shoot to kill..then there is only one side of the story...yours.and the city wont get sued..thats the Real reason behind shoot to kill in police training . because of lawsuit happy people .They are not being trained to protect and serve they are being trained to kill you in a adrenilin charged situation the officer will revert to his training and KILL thats another thing im mad about is the cover your butt attitude.LEOS on here...please please tell me im wrong and the instructor is wrong if not WHY

A gun is only shoot to kill.

They are giving alot of tools to use first.

Conflict resolution, mace, tasers, batons, hand to hand submission.

If all of these fail and you have to draw your gun it is a last resort and a lethal one only.

A gun is not a tool of intimidation, it is a lethal tool.

It is used as a last resort to save your life and the lives of people around you.

You have to teach someone to know this and understand this.

Use all of your other options and only draw your firearm as a last resort.

An officer has many tools to be used and the last one to be used is a lethal one.

So yeah it is proper to teach someone to kill with a gun because it is made to kill and only kill. It is not a tool to maim with.

You are possibly forgetting the tons of other tools and ways they defuse a situation and just concentrating on a gun as a tool of intimidation to be waved around to cause fear and shoot people to maim.

An intelligent officer will use all tools available knowing the gun on your side is a last resort and is only meant to kill not blow kisses and rainbows so people will comply.

Why do you care they are being taught to shoot to kill and not the fact they are being taught to shoot at all?

I am sorry you do not approve of there method of being taught violence, maybe you should try teaching them something usefull like gardening or an art, where this will not be an issue. Not being sarcastic just honest, every thing I learned about violence was a waste. Looking back wishing I had spent my time and energy on something better.

Being taught to kill is being taught to kill.

A gun is a tool to kill.

Police are being taught to use every aveunue available before using lethal force.

Your expample of ccw training has nothing to do with this at all in any way. The two are completly seperate things.

You are not taught any of the conflict resolution things, get no anti lethal weapon training, not givin anti leathal weapons, you are taught to safely shoot a gun.

Do not mistake gun training with Police training.

If I teach you to drive a tractor are you a farmer? No you can drive a tractor.

reply to post by GisfridMaillor
The training is flawed .I was an SP in the military in so many situations an officer finds himself there isnt time for alternatives I understand this in the split second save your life situations you dont have time to play nice..you revert to your training..In this situation untrained people will empty their weapon on the person..panic this has been proven..it all involves training..and if you are trained wrong.....then what are we going to do .the words are Excessive Force .which is wrong training..a head shot is murder