Cops and Armed Citizens

[Anonymous]

I read this great article written by veteran Sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith who makes some good points as she talks about guns and her life in law enforcement. She’s also not bad to look at either, but let me continue by saying that while I fully believe in gun rights (I am an NRA member btw) I don’t think firearms are a replacement for good hand to hand combatives training. Close combat is much more than combat shooting, and the real experts know this and train that way. The military which has had to deal with house to house fighting in Iraq has learned this lesson all to well.

As a military contractor I spent a lot of time training Noncombat personnel how to deal with combat in case their convoy was hit or their post was attacked. One exercise I was cut off on a second floor of a building and low on ammunition. On the other side of the wall I heard the squad securing the room and a few seconds later they kicked down the door and joined me on the balcony.

I wasn’t spotted so I made my move and attacked the first soldier their the door and had a good handle on him, but his partner turned and shot me point blank in the back with two stinging simunition rounds. Not a fun day, and the soldier felt so bad he apologized on the spot.

Despite the pain I told him no, and that he did the right thing and didn’t hesitate. He protected his partner and made his move. To me the killer instinct or having the courage to act is the hardest thing to develop in people. Anyone can be trained in weapons and tactics, but the ability to get mean when they’re coming through the wire is something that is awakened in someone not trained.

Later the Sergeant in charge told me not to take things to that level since the group wasn’t ready for the type of combat at that point in the training. So I played the role the client wanted me to play, but when I took away from it was that if you’re in close combat when you get beyond guns you’re taking the fight even further. So enough with the training stories…listen to what the Sergeant has to say.

Cops and Armed Citizens

By Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith

I grew up around guns. My dad, a farmer by trade, was also an auxiliary deputy with the local sheriff

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