Officer Apparently Murdered when his Weapon Malfunctioned

[Jeff White]

This is also under discussion in Geneal Gun Discussions:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=162906

I would like to restrict the discussion here to the training failure that contributed to this tragic death. If you want to comment on the shooter being an illegal alien or say that in your opinion Beretta autos are junk, please feel free to make those comments in the thread in GGD.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/113040473268060.xml&coll=1

Policeman was slain after gun jammed
Thursday, October 27, 2005
By DAVID HOLDEN
Times Staff Writer [email protected]

Witness accounts detailed at hearing in Daniel Golden death

Witnesses said Huntsville police officer Daniel Golden was shot to death after his pistol apparently jammed in a gun battle with Benito Albarran on Aug. 29 in front of a Mexican restaurant on Jordan Lane, a Huntsville police detective told a judge Wednesday.

Investigator Charlie Gray described witnesses' accounts of the slaying this way:

When the shooting began, Golden was walking backward and returning Albarran's fire. Then Golden raised his hands in the air in front of him and seemed to be pleading for a halt to the gunfire before he fell on his back and lost his pistol.

Albarran then stood over Golden and fired two shots into his face.

Albarran, 31, is charged with capital murder for allegedly shooting a police officer who was on duty. If convicted, Albarran would face life in prison without parole or execution by lethal injection.

Golden, 27, was answering a domestic violence call made to the 911 center by Albarran's wife, Laura, shortly before 3:30 p.m., Gray said. When Golden arrived at Jalisco, a Mexican grocery and restaurant at 2648 Jordan, Albarran came out the front door and started shooting, witnesses told investigators.

Albarran, an illegal alien, followed Gray's testimony during his preliminary hearing Wednesday through an interpreter. Albarran listened attentively with a pleasant smile.

When he was questioned by police on Aug. 29, Albarran denied knowing anything about the shooting, Gray said. He told investigators he was in back of the restaurant mowing grass when he heard the shots.

After listening to the testimony during Albarran's preliminary hearing, District Judge Susan Moquin referred the case to a grand jury for more investigation.

Eight of 14 witnesses police interviewed said they saw some portion of the shooting, Gray said, and all eight identified Albarran as Golden's killer.

After Golden was shot, Albarran bummed a cigarette and a light from a bystander, leaned against a car and smoked until other officers arrived, Gray said. Albarran was arrested about 4 p.m.

Golden's Beretta 9mm semiautomatic pistol was still loaded with nine of its original 15 rounds when investigators found it, Gray said, and one bullet had not fed properly into the firing chamber.

Police also found two revolvers, a six-shot, .38-caliber Smith & Wesson and a five-shot, .38-caliber Rossi on the ground. Police traced the revolvers and they apparently were stolen.

An autopsy report prepared by a state medical examiner concluded that Golden died from several gunshot wounds. He was wounded in the lower abdomen and twice in the head.

One of the facial wounds had powder burns indicating the shot was fired at close range, Gray said.

The only good thing that can come out of a tragedy like this, is what the rest of us can learn from it.

Officer Golden's pistol had a failure to feed and if we can believe the account here, it appears he defaulted to his level of training and raised his hands for the RSO to come help him clear his malfunction. That is speculation on my part as I don't have any information on how his department runs their ranges. But it's an educated guess as I've seen many officers do exactly that on the range. Even when the range briefing specifies that they are to stay in the fight many people just aren't comfortable doing immediate action drills or transitioning to a secondary weapon. I've seen plenty of people in carbine courses ignore their sidearm and fumble with clearing their carbine in a close in exercise.

We have to train to fight and win. How many of you carry a weapon for defensive purposes? When you go to the range, do you finish the exercise if you have a malfunction, by either transitioning to a secondary weapon or by clearing your primary and putting it back into action, or do you stop, scratch your head and try to figure out why your weapon malfunctioned? Do you intentionally set up malfunctions so you can practice staying in the fight?

Jeff

 

[Zak Smith]

He should be moving while shooting. The article states he was "walking backward." That's a decent start, but hitting someone moving sideways or diagonally is a lot more difficult. It sounds like he sustained one GSW to the abdomen before the two execution shots.

As soon as it was clear the IAD was not bringing the gun back online, a drastic change in plan was needed. IMO, hauling ass to cover or just generally away is a viable plan.

70% + of GSW victims walk out of the hospital under their own power in a few days, assuming they get to the E.R. alive.

 

[KriegHund]

Sounds like failure of training, or perhaps he thought he ran out of ammo rather than jamming?

In any case, he ough to have cleared it or inserted a new mag, if he thought he was out.

Pretty strange that he raised his hands. Trying to talk the guy out or was he in need of a range offficer?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

From a training perspective it sounds like he missed two options:

The first was to move to cover and clear the weapon before getting back into the fight.

The second was just to get the hell out of dodge.

 

[bratch]

Golden's Beretta 9mm semiautomatic pistol was still loaded with nine of its original 15 rounds when investigators found it, Gray said, and one bullet had not fed properly into the firing chamber.

I mentioned this in the other thread.

He fired 6-7 shots and appears to not have scored a hit. I've done some FOF and understand some of the dynamics and that scoring hits isn't a given but atleast 1 or 2 should be able to hit.

On top of moving and clearance seems like hitting the target is another problem.

 

[Old Fuff]

It would appear that:

1. He didn't try to clear the pistol, as the round that failed to feed was still in the breech.

2. If wounded, he may have limp-wristed the shot that jammed.

3. Apparently he didn't have a back-up weapon.

4. If he had any idea of what he might be getting into, shouldn't he have had a shotgun? Also, why no back-up?

At this point I hope the killer gets what he has coming. I noticed that both of his revolvers were stolen.

None of this offers any solutions, but perhaps it's food for thought.

 

[sacp81170a]

We have to train to fight and win. How many of you carry a weapon for defensive purposes? When you go to the range, do you finish the exercise if you have a malfunction, by either transitioning to a secondary weapon or by clearing your primary and putting it back into action, or do you stop, scratch your head and try to figure out why your weapon malfunctioned? Do you intentionally set up malfunctions so you can practice staying in the fight?

Jeff

Amen to the training to fight and win. On duty, I carry a Glock 22 left side in a triple retention holster. My shirt has the two middle buttons replaced with velcro and the buttons sewn on top so I can go for the Taurus Millenium PT-145 carried in an Uncle Mike's overarmor holster with my right hand(I'm an ambidextrous shooter, but my left eye is my dominant eye). It may seem like overkill, but I'm now carrying a Weigan customized S&W Model 640 in a pocket holster in my left BDU cargo pocket. I practice going for all 3 at every range session I can.

My department trains specifically to transition from long gun to handgun in close quarters in case of a malfunction, and we intentionally create malfunctions to clear in practical exercises. We have to qualify quarterly and in order to carry a gun as a backup, we have to qualify with it using the same method of carry as we use on duty. My chief believes in making sure his officers are prepared.

Off duty, I carry the Glock, a Sig 226, or a Para 1640 on my left side with the 640 in an IWB holster right over my right rear pocket(where I keep my wallet). Call me paranoid, but I'm the one who's goin' home after the gunfight if I can help it.

First rule of a gunfight: bring a gun.
Second rule of a gunfight: bring another gun.

 

[c_yeager]

It would appear that:

1. He didn't try to clear the pistol, as the round that failed to feed was still in the breech.

2. If wounded, he may have limp-wristed the shot that jammed.

3. Apparently he didn't have a back-up weapon.

4. If he had any idea of what he might be getting into, shouldn't he have had a shotgun? Also, why no back-up?

At this point I hope the killer gets what he has coming. I noticed that both of his revolvers were stolen.

None of this offers any solutions, but perhaps it's food for thought.

5. He was dead-on-his-feet at the time of the malfunction.

 

[Zak Smith]

5. He was dead-on-his-feet at the time of the malfunction.

I don't think that is supported by the witnesses:

When the shooting began, Golden was walking backward and returning Albarran's fire. Then Golden raised his hands in the air in front of him and seemed to be pleading for a halt to the gunfire before he fell on his back and lost his pistol.

Albarran then stood over Golden and fired two shots into his face.

 

[insidious_calm]

The article doesn't mention anything about use of cover. I'm curious if any was available. If it was why didn't he seek cover immediately, engaging the threat on his way if needed? IMO, the first thing you should do in any gunfight is seek cover, even before the first shot is fired. If you see a weapon you should seek cover immediately. Even something as small as a 4 or 5 inch tree is better than nothing. Take a knee behind it and kill the SOB shooting at you.

I have seen a complete lack of mindset in a lot of people who carry guns. It's almost like they think they are "Walker, texas ranger" or something, able to stand in the open against people with shotties and FA's. FWIW, the CCWers are worse about it than the cops, and regular cops worse about it than reserve or voluteers, although I'm not sure why. It just seems that way to me. The first rule of a gunfight is bring a gun, no doubt, but not getting shot has to be pretty high on the list too.


Edit to add: Perhaps the walking backward was toward cover? It doesn't really say what he was walking backward to. Or was he just putting distance between them? Also not a bad tactic. My only other question would be if he was hit in the abdomen first why didn't he have a vest on? In my town the taxpayers buy them for you. Why you wouldn't wear one is beyond me. They are much more comfortable than they used to be.

I.C.

 

[beerslurpy]

Hey, another worthless lesson from video games. When your weapon ceases to function, you dont just stand there and take fire. At the very least you run behind some cover first.

Asking for a timeout to clear a jam is usually something people suggest as a sarcastic comment in AR15 v AK47 threads. Never thought I would read about it in real life.

Sucks that a cop died to an illegal immigrant armed with stolen guns, but there are more than a few morals to be learned from this story.

 

[Borachon]

Sounds like the officer got shot walking up to the door and the suspect came out shooting. Probably never had a chance to get to cover. May have even been hit on the first shot. I can't blame the officer for having a malfunction or defaulting back to his range training. If somebody shot me, I'd probably be a poor shot afterward myself.

Although, maybe not. I did see "Die Hard" a bunch of times...so I know how much damage you can suck up and still keep moving if you are the Hero.

 

[Jeff White]

Borachon,
You don't have to be the hero to suck up a lot of damage and keep moving. During the now infamous 1986 shootout between two heavily armed and trained armed robbers and the FBI in Miami, the bad guy that did the killing, did it all after receiving a fatal wound in the first couple seconds of the fight.

Mindset is at the top of the triangle (Mindset, Manipulation and Marksmanship) for a reason. There are numerous examples of people continuing to function after receiving terrible wounds and actually winning the fight. Training needs to instill the attitude that the fight isn't over while you have a breath left in your body. If you give up, there is a good chance you'll die. There are documented instances where people have dropped dead in their tracks after being shot with a .22 or .25 creating a wound that may not have been fatal. And then there are people who don't give up and take incredible damage and still function. Mindset is very important. You can be skilled enough to empty your magazine into a 2 inch group at 25 yards, but if you don't have the will to fight you can still lose. And I do believe that mindset, just like everything else involved can be learned, you don't have to be born with it.

Jeff

 

[beerslurpy]

Bravo. I agree that willpower is an enormous determinant of outcome in many things. Life in general, if I may be so bold.

 

[CAnnoneer]

Mr Albarran, tuck up your sleeve please.

The officer probably was poorly prepared (no backup) and panicked (no running for cover, etc.), but his mistakes do not make the loss any less tragic, or Mr Egregious Cop-Killer any less of a POS scumbag.

 

[Borachon]

You don't have to be the hero to suck up a lot of damage and keep moving. During the now infamous 1986 shootout between two heavily armed and trained armed robbers and the FBI in Miami, the bad guy that did the killing, did it all after receiving a fatal wound in the first couple seconds of the fight.

Another one was Baby Face Nelson. Read an account of his final battle sometime. Scary stuff indeed. Guy was a flippin' maniac to take that much lead and keep going.

The Miami shootout though. The guy who did the shooting was an ex-Army guy. He'd been trained to carry the fight to the enemy and that was what he did. He was trained to fight a war, and that was what he did. Suppression fire, move and shoot...the whole nine yards.

Both sides had guys who got damaged but kept fighting. One FBI had to rack his shotgun with one hand because the other arm was useless.

So, yeah, the body can take damage and keep going. But I also don't think that either side in that fray was really laying damage on each other. I'm sure you're giving me the sign now for saying so. Here's my reasoning: The FBI was shooting mostly pistol rounds at the two bank robbers. Only SOME of those rounds were hitting.

In fact, after a quick search, I found this website describing the whole incident. http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm

Some highlights from this page.

Platt’s blood was not found anywhere inside the Monte Carlo, and because of this Dr. Anderson believes Platt did not receive any bullet wounds while he occupied the passenger compartment.

So he leaves the vehicle..and gets tagged in the upper right arm. 9mm thru his arm into his chest. Passes thru a lung and almost...but not quite...hits his heart. This wound is what they THINK ultimately killed him. But it was not the type of wound that anyone would say is immediately incapacitating. It's an ultimately fatal wound...but not an incapacitiating wound. A hit to his elbow might have been better for all concerned.

Here's the website's quote:

As Platt crawled through the passenger side window, one of Dove’s 9mm bullets hit his right upper arm, just above the inside crook of the elbow. According to Dr. Anderson, the bullet passed under the bone, through the deltoid, triceps and teres major muscles, and severed the brachial arteries and veins. The bullet exited the inner side of his upper arm near the armpit, penetrated his chest between the fifth and sixth ribs, and passed almost completely through the right lung before stopping. The bullet came to a rest about an inch short of penetrating the wall of the heart.

Two things I immediately see different about the FBI incident and what happened to the police officer in AL.

1) The FBI and the Miami bank robbers knew about each other for several minutes before the shootout. (I watched the movie with Michael Gross and the actor who played Hutch in the old "Starsky and Hutch.) The adrenaline was already kicking for many minutes before hand. I'm not sure the Huntsville cop even knew he WAS in a shootout until he got shot.

2) The bad guy only had to worry about ONE officer. He was able to inflict damage on the one officer and not give the officer time to respond. The Miami case was different. Platt had sling lead in multiple directions...the wounds he inflicted were often minor. The mexican in Huntsville could put his full attention on the officer.

 

[Ryder]

not sure the Huntsville cop even knew he WAS in a shootout until he got shot.

Sure sounds like an ambush. I only see 3 choices if I'm ambushed. Retreat, hold my ground, or charge into it. Looking back on a specific situation and saying the wrong choice was made does nothing to prove any of the other choices would have resulted in a better outcome. Distancing yourself is not a bad thing, but not always the right thing either. Could holding your ground enable you to shoot accurately enough to end the situation with the first shot? Could you throw the attacker off balance and ruin their aim by attacking?

Something to think about. Personally I let the situation dictate my action. I trust my instincts. If they don't work out at least I tried my best. I'm sorry for this officer, he tried his best. He doesn't deserve to be criticized (not directed at anyone in particular).

 

[pax]

I have heard people say that it's "just paranoid" to work on one-handed shooting skills -- let alone on one-handed malfunction clearing. But it is just barely possible that having that skill set might have saved the officer's life.

Clearing a malf one-handed isn't terribly difficult, but I'd sure hate to try to figure it out while someone was shooting at me.

pax

 

[James T Thomas]

lessons learned

Jeff White et.al.:

The training and knowledge, I believe, is already available and known.
Perhaps it was that sneaky old companion that shadows most of us; complacency! {Speculation on my part; just reviewing the information given}

Having been caught in such an "ambush," and you men are already struggling to come up with anything that may have made a difference, I know that once you have entered the enemies field of fire, only the grace of God can save you. If you do survive by indominable spirit as some do; view
http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent1/?file=vn-noderos
-then the "lesson learned" is never to get yourself or those responsible to you in such a situation again. Vigilance

The officer should have awaited additional support. The officer should have made a better reconnaisance before approaching. The officer should have made his approach around available cover. The officer should have received other firearms training than "standing, static target practice."
And my personal preference for shooting stance is to have one leg forward and knees bent. The feet on line stance for shooting leaves you in too much of an easily disturbed body balance position -should you recieve a hit. That fraction of a second required to regain you balance and stop swaying may mean the difference to survival.

The officer should have the benefit of loading one magazine at a time -one round in each -one shot at one bullseye -transitioning from one called target to another -accumulated score to emphasize that critical one shot concept instead of "blazing away rapid fire." It is so hard not to reflexively resort to that -if that has been part of your training. You will do as you have trained to do.

There are several range officers involved at THR. I would never permit the "recreational" blasting away at targets at my range. From the incident we are discussing, obviously, this can become a serious matter and quickly.
I would not permit a jovial atmosphere of any laughter, light heartedness, or joking of any kind.

{I had been responsible for a large group of men under combat conditions, and invariably had to time and again correct the inexperienced men not to fire full automatic fire, but to take well aimed single shots. That is what decided the battle time after time. The unfortunate man who does not have the self control during these times of extreme stress will be the one who resorts to "point shooting" and if he is fortunate to score a hit on the enemy then to his own harm will reflexively go to that mode the next time battle comes. It will work on occasion, but you are much better off using your sights even with heart pounding, hands trembling, chest heaving and all that.
I have seen the results of blasting away at jungle close range and with long barreled firearms and while it comforts the shooter, it does not effect the enemy to cease! I read about moving while shooting. My advise? I've had training to do it, as well as "suppressive" fire that was mentioned.
No criticism intended, but from my experience, and it is substantial, these techniques are dubious at best.}

I hope this thread continues with much input so that it may be of help to those who bear arms for the good.

 

[James T Thomas]

postscript

Officer sacp81170a:

I think your choice of the triple retention hoster is a good one! At first consideration, most would feel hindered by such a rig, however, its use does impose on you the vigilance that I mentioned previously; not to get yourself into an entrapment where you must rely on fast draw, blazing away, moving backward shooting, etc. You will have to patrol with that in mind. You are required to acess all situaions well and in advance before you commit.

Paranoid? Sir, should you ever need them, you will be so glad you have them, and you will never feel that doubt again.

Your chief sounds like a good man.

May I suggest: Learn basic military bayonet technique along with that long arm malfunction training. It's folklore of course, but Davy Crockett found that after his one good shot, that the Betsy was a formidable impact weapon as a back up. You may not have a mounted bayonet, but be assured, the "butt stroke, smash, slash, and thrust -steel barrel to vitals, is effective in it's own right. Versatile, and quick.

Sir the Japanese "sport" of Judo is worth learning for unarmed conditions; close encounters. It approximates combat more closely than any other martial art that I am familiar with, and would be a good supplament for that holster. Not the hollywood studio, old Bruce Tegner posed art, but the dynamic almost all out Olympic struggle between two strong skilled men that is typical in USJI contests. It really pits you in there. Boxing is good, but the hand (shooting hand) is too easily fractured and disabled. Karate, unfortunately falls most often into the bad training -what you'll resort to mode, Aikido is fair, but unrealistic, and all of them lack the stopping effect you need that is there in Judo. It's good for controling the "actor," but the subject is survival.
If, however, you are against multiple assailants, you have gotten youself into an ambush -again.

Was'nt "The Andy Griffith Show" based in AR? Now there was a Sherrif.
I know that comedy was silly, with deputy Don Knotts and all, but I really enjoyed the simple humor, wit, and persons dipicted on that series.
A simpler life and times. Too bad it's gone.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Might have been a training issue.

My brother was shooting competition not long ago, forget which type (IDPA maybe). He had a jam, cleared it and went on to shoot the course of fire. Other shooters gave him crap about not "playing the game" and clearing the jam rather than just shooting the course again.

He gave a reply along the lines that on a two way firing range they aren't going to let you quit.

I think it's an issue that trainers and some of the comptetion types need to look into changing. We've lost sight of the basics and what really matters.

 

[antarti]

I tend to agree with the poster who said that the officer was walking dead. He may very well have gotten shot immediately and was seeking to back off, find some cover, and regroup when the malfunction happened.

Am I the only one whose had a beretta (or any other wundernine) choke on ejecting a round? Or jam in such a way that the mag won't drop? I doubt it.

I always thought backup revolver or auto (or 2) was a given for LEOs, but I'll share a little story that shattered another "given" I had about LEOs.

After cornering a burglar trying to get into my neighbors house one night, the police were called by my wife, while I roughly kept him "boxed in" between some garbage cans. The guy had room to bolt, but wasn't. Maybe sizing me up? Who knows... the officer that arrived was very young, early twenties. When he gets out and approaches, he draws his Glock and then racks the slide, chambering a round.

I was like ***, don't you know you might need that 1st shot right away? I told him as much, and few other tidbits. His reply was that the Glocks were just issued, the dept had already had 1 AD, and he wasn't going to be the 2nd. I offered him my compact 1911, but he told me to clear out, and walked into the alley with the Glock.

I seriously hope that kid is OK today. He was a straight-laced and concientious young man, but I really question how an LEO can survive for long with those kind of considerations foremost on his mind. Just because I am anti "police state" doesn't mean I want to see LEOs dropping like flies.

 

[Smuggs]

Golden's Beretta 9mm semiautomatic pistol was still loaded with nine of its original 15 rounds when investigators found it, Gray said, and one bullet had not fed properly into the firing chamber.

6 rounds discharged and no? hits on target? Suppresion fire is all good on a battlefield but how many inocent people were down range? The news is full of multiple round engagements with no rounds on target. If police agencies don't have the funds for proper training then they don't have the funds to have officers on the street.

 

[sacp81170a]

Officer sacp81170a:

I think your choice of the triple retention hoster is a good one! At first consideration, most would feel hindered by such a rig, however, its use does impose on you the vigilance that I mentioned previously; not to get yourself into an entrapment where you must rely on fast draw, blazing away, moving backward shooting, etc. You will have to patrol with that in mind. You are required to acess all situaions well and in advance before you commit.

The triple retention gives me much peace of mind when I have to, inevitably, close with a subject and place him or her under arrest. I don't let it make me complacent or depend on it to the exclusion of vigilance and good tactics, but when you wind up wrestling on the ground with a perp, it's good to have the extra insurance.

Paranoid? Sir, should you ever need them, you will be so glad you have them, and you will never feel that doubt again.

I've had another (more senior) officer actually ask me if my hands were cold because I was wearing cut resistant gloves while on patrol. I just smiled and asked him if he knew what he was going to be putting his hands into or on during his shift. He thinks I'm a little paranoid, I think he's extremely lax and careless of his own health and well being. Well, to each his own.

Your chief sounds like a good man.

He is. Strangely enough, like me, he is prior service military. I think that's part of why he's into sound tactical training. He likes my motto: "If you're ever in a fair fight, your tactics SUCK!"

May I suggest: Learn basic military bayonet technique along with that long arm malfunction training. It's folklore of course, but Davy Crockett found that after his one good shot, that the Betsy was a formidable impact weapon as a back up. You may not have a mounted bayonet, but be assured, the "butt stroke, smash, slash, and thrust -steel barrel to vitals, is effective in it's own right. Versatile, and quick.

The "sport" of Kendo is very similar. I am a Shodan with 6 years of training.

Sir the Japanese "sport" of Judo is worth learning for unarmed conditions; close encounters. It approximates combat more closely than any other martial art that I am familiar with, and would be a good supplament for that holster. Not the hollywood studio, old Bruce Tegner posed art, but the dynamic almost all out Olympic struggle between two strong skilled men that is typical in USJI contests. It really pits you in there. Boxing is good, but the hand (shooting hand) is too easily fractured and disabled. Karate, unfortunately falls most often into the bad training -what you'll resort to mode, Aikido is fair, but unrealistic, and all of them lack the stopping effect you need that is there in Judo. It's good for controling the "actor," but the subject is survival.

LOL! It's been years since I've heard Bruce Tegner's name mentioned. Judo was my first art, and the one I 'fall' (pun intended) back to in a wrestling match. One of the more useful skills you learn in Judo is how to fall without injuring yourself. Another thing you learn in Judo is how to use your and your opponent's clothing against him. I train other officers in hand to hand technique, and I agree with you completely about using fisticuffs. Even if you subdue the perp, if you break a bone in your shooting hand you've rendered yourself useless for at least a couple of weeks.

Another consideration: when you ball up your fist and hit someone, there is a chance it will be caught on a video camera like the recent incident in New Orleans where several officers were attempting to subdue an elderly black man. Hard to defend that in court or in the press, and it was completely unnecessary from a tactical point of view, as well as from an officer safety point of view.

If, however, you are against multiple assailants, you have gotten youself into an ambush -again.

We call failing to wait for backup "Tombstone Courage." It sometimes happens that there is no backup available, and it's then that you should be most careful with your tactics.

Was'nt "The Andy Griffith Show" based in AR? Now there was a Sherrif. I know that comedy was silly, with deputy Don Knotts and all, but I really enjoyed the simple humor, wit, and persons dipicted on that series. A simpler life and times. Too bad it's gone.

I believe it was based in North Carolina. I salute you sir, for your service. Thanks for your insights. It's those hard won lessons from combat veterans such as yourself that everyone of us would do well to heed. Sadly, the officer who is the subject of this thread has become an example of what not to do. My sympathies to his fellow officers, friends and family.

 

[Navy joe]

Another training lesson should be to instill fastidious weapons maintenance in each officer's head. I own a 92, I use them in the Navy, every malf I've seen so far was a dirty follower/weak spring causing a nosedive failure to feed midway through the mag. I worked a range for the Navy a few weeks ago and saw one dirty mag jam three guns before it was isolated. Issue each officer a mag brush. I trust my 92 for carry, but I carry new clean PB magazines. The other points have been made about IADs and staying in the fight. I don't know if it will work, but I keep it in my head that if my pistol would ever break at close range my IAD would be to jam it in the offender's face and then transition to a knife or continue to bludgeon. I suppose that since I don't forsee getting in any pistol fights soon it would be responsible to practice this on a 3D target of some sort. Anything is better than calling timeout.