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34 Law Enforcement Technology June 2014 www.officer.com FIREARMS distance 15 Tips for close quarters shooting By Richard Nance "A nother shoplifter. Third one this week", you recall as you grab the seemingly compliant suspect by the arm and unsnap your cuff case. Just then, he spins and reaches frantically into his waistband. In a flash of steel, you're starring down the barrel of a gun. Sound unlikely? Think it can't happen to you? Think again. According to the FBI's 2012 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, 24 of the 44 officers killed with firearms were between zero and five feet from the offender when shot. Despite this indisputable data, most officers receive far too little training for this fast-paced, hyper-violent range of combat. While one might assume close distance translates to easier hits with a handgun, that's not necessarily the case when you're facing a real adversary as opposed to paper and a scoring ring. Many fail to account for the fact that when so close to your adversary, time frames are dramatically compressed and contact distance weapons like edged weapons and bludgeons come into play. Even an unarmed assailant would present a deadly threat if he managed to disarmed you. Although reading an article is no substitute for realistic and consistent training in this oft-neglected skill set, I've compiled 15 tips that might serve as the foundation upon which you can develop your own close quarter shooting regimen. Here's my list, in no particular order. 1. Forget the "Speed Rock" This decades-old technique was developed to create enough space to draw your gun The According to the FBI's 2012 Law Enforcement Offcers Killed and Assaulted report, 24 of the 44 offcers killed with frearms were between zero and fve feet from the offender when shot. LET_34-39_DeadDistance0614.indd 34 5/20/14 1:46 PM