Sorry to say it, but it appears that Uvalde Chief screwed up real bad.

[TimW]

... on the floor in front of a bunch of kids... do you start firing?

Firing? No. That describes being imprecise.
Fire? If a clear shot was available, absolutely.
Hand-to-hand? Without question. If it was the only choice/chance it would be cowadice NOT to try.

 

[Gofirstclass]

In your situation if I had a shot I'd take it. That assumes that by me taking a shot I'm not going to be hitting any kids.

Not wanting to toot my own horn here, but I was probably a better shot than any other cop I worked with. When I got into the shootout I was in, I was ~43' from the guy with the shotgun. I didn't have to use my sights at all to put him down with one shot. That only comes from firing 8,000-10,000 shots a year over a period of several years. Not only did I shoot at my own qualifications (I ran about a dozen or so qualifications a year because I was a firearms instructor), I was a PPC competition shooter with an level of "Master", and I also fired hundreds of rounds a month on my own at the range, just 'cause. That much shooting builds confidence and competence.

Yes, under the situation you described I would definitely take the shot.

 

[bahamabreisus]

Gofirstclass, I have great respect for what you have done. I also have many friends in law enforcement. WE have some armchair quarterbacks here. I don't believe anyone knows what they would actually do when faced with this situation. Thank you for what you did.

 

[km1125]

In your situation if I had a shot I'd take it. That assumes that by me taking a shot I'm not going to be hitting any kids.

Not wanting to toot my own horn here, but I was probably a better shot than any other cop I worked with. When I got into the shootout I was in, I was ~43' from the guy with the shotgun. I didn't have to use my sights at all to put him down with one shot. That only comes from firing 8,000-10,000 shots a year over a period of several years. Not only did I shoot at my own qualifications (I ran about a dozen or so qualifications a year because I was a firearms instructor), I was a PPC competition shooter with an level of "Master", and I also fired hundreds of rounds a month on my own at the range, just 'cause. That much shooting builds confidence and competence.

Yes, under the situation you described I would definitely take the shot.

That's an easy assumption to make sitting at a keyboard. If your shot also killed one or two kids behind him, was that still a "good shoot" or not?

Of ALL the LEO's you know, what percentage would you think are similarly experienced and capable?? (that would include feds too)? Now, how many actual officers would that translate to, and what would be the probability that they'd be within any reasonable distance of any "mass shooter" scenario across the country?

With significant numbers of experienced LEO retiring and moving to different professions, what's the forecast on that kind of experience and capability in the LEO community going forward??

 

[boatman37]

Most aren't as 'experienced' as GFC in firearms training. I was probably 'average' when it came to firearms training when I was an LEO. I did my annual training (600 rounds IIRC) and would shoot maybe another 300-500 rounds a year on my own. The average classroom is maybe 25-30' at it's longest point? I am pretty confident I could hit center mass from that distance. The issue is what is behind the target? Even the best 'trained' shooters aren't likely to fire with kids in the background. Then there is the issue of body armor. I would imagine the victims in these scenarios are likely to be down on the floor either sitting or laying. This presents an easier decision in the shoot/no shoot decision process.
But the fact is, every scenario will be different so each will have to be determined at that moment based on training and instinct. But to hit a target from 10 yards away, pretty easy even with average training. Most trained LEO's could likely do it without aiming (yes we were trained to pint and shoot also)

 

[Gofirstclass]

That's an easy assumption to make sitting at a keyboard. If your shot also killed one or two kids behind him, was that still a "good shoot" or not? If there was a chance that my bullet would pass through the bad guy and hit a child I would not take the shot.

Of ALL the LEO's you know, what percentage would you think are similarly experienced and capable?? (that would include feds too)? I knew one federal officer who was as good a shot as I was. He's probably the only one. Now, how many actual officers would that translate to, and what would be the probability that they'd be within any reasonable distance of any "mass shooter" scenario across the country? This question is so unreasonable that I won't respond to it. Too much speculation and guessing.

With significant numbers of experienced LEO retiring and moving to different professions, what's the forecast on that kind of experience and capability in the LEO community going forward??

No way of knowing the answer to that. That a person was a cop for years does not make him a good shot. Practice, practice, practice are what makes a good shooter.

Don't you have a book to read or something?