From: callison@essex.ecn.uoknor.edu (James P. Callison)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Bad tactical position ( was Psychology in Defense)
Date: 20 Nov 92 13:46:23 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

In article <Z3iFuB3w164w@upchrch.UUCP> upchrch!joel@peora.sdc.ccur.com (Joel Upchurch  ) writes:
#viking@iastate.edu (Dan Sorenson) writes:
#
#The rule to remember is that nobody shoots as well under stress as
#they do when they're calm. He could be shooting asprin tablets at 100
#yards and not be able to hit the broad side of a barn when somebody
#is trying to kill him. In a situation like that you're lucky if you've
#got control of your sphincters much less your fine muscle coordination.
#
#Remember in real life policemen miss the people they're shooting at
#eighty percent of the time. They had to shoot a lot better than that
#to qualify.

Good point; bad analogy. When cops qualify, they're not just calm,
but they're also (a)standing on the line (i.e. not out of breath)
and (b) shooting at stationary targets. When they're in the field,
they're often out of breath and/or possibly off balance (such as
when they first enter the scene), and they're shooting at a moving
target which will potentially shoot back. There are mental concerns
there, but there are also important physical and physiological
concerns. 

Which brings up the point: Why don't they do the qualifying under
more realistic conditions (aside from the fact that most cops don't
have to fire their weapons in the field, and some good cops might
not pass the qualifier)?

##       Same here.  However, the object is to shoot to stop.  Certainly
## a shot to the thigh or knee is a shot that stops mobility.  My thought
## is that, if you're afraid of his buddies jumping you, stopping him with
## a shot to the thigh or knee is a stop but not a kill; the specific
## circumstances here could throw the case either way depending on the
## actions of the perp, the shooter, and the DA and jury opinions.

#2. Shooting somebody in the thigh won't kill them.
#        Keep in mind that if you hit a major artery they are going
#        to bleed to death in a few minutes.

If you hit the femoral artery, the perp is as good as dead. Very
quickly, in fact, as the heart is pumping directly into it.

#3. Somebody on the ground poses no threat.
#        Unless you've already searched him, the first time your
#        attention wanders he pulls out a gun and shoots him.
#
#I hate to think about the civil suit when the perp takes your
#grandfather to court for permenently disabling him with a kneecap
#shot.

"You mean to tell me that this frail, little old man managed to
permanently injure you, a 6'6", 250lb former Marine, while you
were attempting to rob him of all his worldly possessions? How 
is that _possible_?" :-)
If his lawyer can't get him off, he should've given the perp all
his money and shot the lawyer!

				James

James P. Callison       Microcomputer Coordinator        OU Law Library 
Callison@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu   /\    Callison@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu
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