Sentinel Blue Tier One Team

The **Sentinel Blue Tier One Team** (T1) the principal competitive team of the Los Angeles Precision Shooting Team, also known as Sentinel Blue. It represents the team not only in LEM matches but also in official non-LEM exclusive matches such as IPSC, USPSA and IDPA championships and events, it also represents Sentinel Blue in exhibition matches, at official events and in advertising. The Sentinel Blue Tier One Team is the most active component of Sentinel Blue and competes year-round at various local, state, national and international matches, competitions, exhibitions and local shooting meetups.

## Background

*Main article: Law Enforcement Multigun*

After the Los Angeles Precision Shooting Team was founded in 2017, founder LAPD sergeant Thomas Howe decided to focus on two directions; Sentinel Blue itself and representing the marksmanship, tactics and training of its law enforcement members in various Law Enforcement Multigun (LEM) events, and a core competitive team which would represent Sentinel Blue as a whole in state, national and international competitions of both LEM and standard categories. In late 2017, the Sentinel Blue Tier One Team (T1) was formed with its original lineup of members being Thomas Howe as team captain, and members HSI agent Zach Shanahan, LASD detective Todd Desmond, and LAPD detective Steven Ellis. The Sentinel Blue Tier One Team saw its first female member in 2020 when HSI agent Maggie Marks joined, in 2022 its second female member ICE officer Sonia Knight joined. In 2020, Thomas Howe stepped down from competitive shooting to focus on the coordination of Sentinel Blue, Steven Ellis took over the captaincy of T1. Zach Shanahan stepped down in 2022 to focus on his career change as the HSI Los Angeles firearms and tactics instructor, he stayed active in Sentinel Blue by becoming their head coach. In 2023, Todd Desmond stepped down to focus on his family and work. Shanahan and Desmond were replaced by Sonia Knight and James Wells respectively.

### Law Enforcement Multigun Categories

Sentinel Blue primarily competes in Law Enforcement Multigun (LEM) events, LEM categories consist of:

* **Agency**: A category which permits standard issued or personally owned handguns, rifles and shotguns. These weapons are only allowed to be modified in ways permitted by the member's individual agency for duty use.
	+ **Agency Plus**: Agency Plus is a variation of the standard Agency category, Agency Plus allows members to use additional modifications otherwise not allowed for duty use however it limited such modifications to ones that the competitor is able to install themselves and none that effect how the weapon itself functions. The most common modifications in this category are the addition of magwells to handguns, shotshell holders to shotguns, and the use of different rifle optics based on personal preference.
* **Standard**: A category which only permits the standard issued handgun, rifle and shotgun of each member's respective agency. Unlike the Agency category, Standard category weapons cannot be modified in any way from standard, apart from the addition of iron sights to rifles which otherwise don't have them. Standard is the least popular category, as while sourcing standard handguns is simple enough, sourcing standard rifles and shotguns for each agency is often complicated and costly. Most members who take part in Standard category events have their rifle and shotgun supplied by their respective agency or in some instances by the manufacturer of the weapon itself.
	+ **Standard Plus**: Standard Plus is a variation of the Standard category, Standard Plus allows 'closest approximation' for rifles and shotguns. Sourcing standard rifles and shotguns is one of the hardest aspects of competing in the Standard category, Standard Plus allows rifles and shotguns to be substituted that are the closest possible approximation of the member's agency's respective weapons. This is especially helpful for weapons which are either no longer produced or are only produced in limited quantity to each individual agency.
* **Unlimited**: Unlimited is the open category, weapons are permitted with any modification of the member's choosing, including muzzle breaks, compensators and optics. The use of optics and compensators are optional and will come down to personal preference and affordability.
	+ **Unlimited Plus**: Unlimited Plus is a lesser used category which allows competitors to set rules for specific modifications based on prearranged criteria. This includes limiting the use of compensators, optics and/or other modifications in order to make the competition fairer for all competitors.

The Sentinel Blue Tier One Team also competes in various IPSC, USPSA and IDPA championships in their respective categories.

### Notable LEM Championships

Some of the notable LEM competitions the Sentinel Blue Tier One Team competes in include:

* **Law Enforcement Multigun Championship**: The first of its type, the Law Enforcement Multigun Championship (LEMC) is held annually on the second weekend in November in Tucson, Arizona. Despite LEM not having an official governing body, LEMC is considered the 'official' LEM championship.
* **Ultimate Law Enforcement Challenge**: The Ultimate Law Enforcement Challenge (ULEC) is the second official LEM category championship and is held annually in March throughout the world. It was held in Kentucky, United States in 2021, Rotorua, New Zealand in 2022, and Lisbon, Portugal in 2023. ULEC is currently the only international LEM championship, however both LEMC and LEO 2-Gun allow competitors from any countries to compete.
* **Southern California LEM Championship**: The Southern California LEM Championship (SCLC) is an annual LEM championship consisting of teams from throughout Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. It is held annually on the second Saturday in August in San Bernardino, California.
* **California Ultimate Outlaw Multigun**: The California Ultimate Outlaw Multigun (CUOM or COMB) is an outlaw (unsanctioned) multigun challenge held annually in either late June to early July in Sacramento, California. CUOM has been held since 2007, however 2023 was the first year it added LEM events to its roster.
* **LEO 2-Gun**: The LEO 2-Gun is a 2-Gun challenge held bi-annually in September in Columbus, Georgia.

### T1 Competition History

* **2017**: Law Enforcement Multigun Championship: 2nd Place
* **2018**: Ultimate Law Enforcement Challenge: 3rd Place
* **2018**: Law Enforcement Multigun Championship: 1st Place
* **2019**: Ultimate Law Enforcement Challenge: 2nd Place
* **2019**: Law Enforcement Multigun Championship: 2nd Place
* **2020**: Did not compete
* **2021**: Ultimate Law Enforcement Challenge: 1st Place
* **2021**: Southern California LEM Championship: 2nd Place
* **2021**: Law Enforcement Multigun Championship: 1st Place
* **2022**: Ultimate Law Enforcement Challenge: 2nd Place
* **2022**: Southern California LEM Championship: 1st Place
* **2022**: LEO 2-Gun: 3rd Place
* **2022**: Law Enforcement Multigun Championship: 1st Place
* **2023**: Ultimate Law Enforcement: 1st Place
* **2023**: Southern California LEM Championship: 2nd Place
* **2023**: California Ultimate Outlaw Multigun: 1st Place
* **2023**: Law Enforcement Multigun Championship: 1st Place

## Current Members

### Steven Ellis

* **Agency**: Los Angeles Police Department
* **Role**: Captain
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited
* **Joined**: 2017
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Staccato Firearms

### James Wells

* **Agency**: El Monte Police Department
* **Role**: Member
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited
* **Joined**: 2021
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Taran Tactical Innovations

### Margaret Marks

* **Agency**: Homeland Security Investigations
* **Role**: Member
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited
* **Joined**: 2020
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Tactical Goddess, Taran Tactical Innovations

### Sonia Knight

* **Agency**: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
* **Role**: Member
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited
* **Joined**: 2022
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Tactical Goddess, ZEV Technologies

## Former Members

### Thomas Howe

* **Agency**: Los Angeles Police Department
* **Role**: Captain (Founder)
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited (formerly)
* **Joined**: 2017
* **Left**: 2020 (replaced by Margaret Marks)
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Infinity Firearms

### Zach Shanahan

* **Agency**: Homeland Security Investigations
* **Role**: Member
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited (formerly)
* **Joined**: 2017
* **Left**: 2022 (replaced by Sonia Knight)
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Agency Arms

### Todd Desmond

* **Agency**: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
* **Role**: Member
* **Category**: Agency, Standard, Unlimited (formerly)
* **Joined**: 2017
* **Left**: 2023 (replaced by James Wells)
* **Sponsors**: TacWorks Academy, Smith & Wesson Performance Center