Weapon Defense Training
Sometimes the familiarity of everyday occurrences, the tasks we carry out and the places we become familiar with, the very "normality" of what we do on a regular basis, becomes our deadliest enemy!
"Complacency Kills!" and "Familiarity breeds contempt!"
Two well-known sayings, but sayings which nonetheless are very, very true.
No area of occupation demonstrates not only the veracity of these statements, but the fatal consequences which can derive from them better or more graphically than that of Law Enforcement.
In the many years I have spent training officers in defensive tactics, I have, sadly, encountered many instances of the fatal outcome of the insidious workings of familiarity. Officers have died, often - in a manner proving the point - it has been long-term veteran officers who have been killed, carrying out functions which they have done countless times before; so many times and without incident, that carelessness crept in, corners were cut, precautions were not taken, and - suddenly - without warning the familiar became horrifically different and the officers died!
Detective Eric Smith of the Jackson Mississippi Police Department was shot and killed inside the Headquarters building while interviewing a murder suspect. 23 yr. old Jeremy Powell was being questioned about the stabbing death of a man more...