Fayette deputies
test weapons proficiency at shooting range
When a situation
escalates to a police officer drawing his or her weapon, chances are the
whole situation has gone south. Deadly force may be necessary.
Like it or
not, police officers have to be ready for such situations, and armed officers
of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department took to the shooting range
last week to see how ready they are.
Although it's
not required by the state, the department has all its employees "qualify"
each year by scoring 80 percent or better on a 50-round shooting course
that tests their weapons proficiency. In timed drills, deputies shoot
at two targets from three, seven, 15 and 25 yards away.
Those who don't
pass the first time out get a second chance to qualify along with remedial
instruction. Most times, it's a matter of evaluating the deputy's technique
and improving a few things, said Sgt. Scott Ward, a firearms instructor
who is in charge of the department's shooting range.
"Usually
it's something mechanical we can work on," Ward said.
All deputies
use the Glock .40 cal. handgun. But the holsters vary due to special security
safeguards designed so the weapon can't be snatched out by a bad guy during
a struggle.
Ward says it's
all about how quickly you can get the weapon out of the holster and in
shooting position. "And the stance," he remembers.
"It just
takes practice," Ward said, admitting that he practices drawing his
weapon at home sometimes. "My holster, for example, they say you
shouldn't use on the road it until you've drawn from it 250 or 300 times."
That's a recommendation
from the manufacturer designed to make sure the lawman (or lawwoman) is
comfortable with how it works.
The idea is
to unholster the weapon efficiently in 1.5 seconds or less, said Lt. David
Moorman, another of the department's ten firearms instructors. For comparison's
sake, the first round of the 50-round course involves shooting the target
suspect twice in three seconds from a distance of three yards.
With 1.5 seconds
to raise and aim the gun, 1.5 seconds are left to fire two shots.
"That's
plenty of time," Moorman said.
Naturally,
it gets progressively tougher, with two targets to hit in different sequences
and distances going back to 7 and 15 yards on the edge of the "combat
zone" where most police shootings take place. Then they shoot from
25 feet, where a wooden support stand can be used to steady the shooter.
Fayette's other
law enforcement agencies use the firing range for practice by scheduling
dates ahead of time, said Lt. Col Wayne Hannah, who oversees training
for the sheriff's department.
The sheriff's
department also uses the range year-round to simulate other firearms situations
such as low light shooting, weapon retention and reloading skills.
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