As a long-time police academy instructor and instructor trainer for defensive tactics, officer survival, and weapons retention and disarmament, I feel more than qualified to answer a question I’ve seen popping up on a few expert loops in the recent days. The original question was, “What kind of martial arts technique is best to disarm a knife-wielding suspect who is on the attack.? The answer is quite simple. There is no foolproof technique. The suspect has initiated deadly force and that force must be responded to with the amount of force that’s necessary to stop the threat to the officer’s safety. The officer must defend himself with deadly force, if possible.

There is a long-standing, proven rule that an officer cannot draw, point, and fire his/her weapon if the attacker starts the assault from a distance of 21 away from from the officer (not 25 feet, and not 30 feet), such as in the photo above. We measured this distance to be exactly 21 feet from the attacher’s front foot to the officer’ front foot.

However, if the officer already has his weapon drawn, in the ready position, he’ll be able to effectively fire a round to stop the threat. Remember, officers are taught to shoot center mass, not shoot to kill, or to shoot a weapon from the attacker’s hand. That stuff is for TV. In the photo above, the officer’s weapon is still in his holster and he should be contemplating other means of survival, such as running for cover, or preparing to go into a defensive tactics mode – hand-hand combat, with the almost certainty of being cut. I have nasty scars on all five fingers on my right hand, and my head, as proof of this tactic.

In the two photos above the officer would easily be able to stop the threat by firing a round or two.

As my former mentor, a salty old sheriff’s captain, once told me, “Never bring a knife to a gun fight, son. You’re bound to lose a perfectly good knife.”

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Yonkers, 43

Barry County Michigan Sheriffs Office

Deputy Yonkers was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 17, 2008, while working an undercover drug deal. He leaves behind a wife and five children.

Sergeant Michael King, 50

University City Missouri Police Department

Sergeant King was shot and killed on October 31, 2008, while sitting in his patrol car at an intersection. He is survived by his wife.

Officer Frank Russo, 47

Schaumburg Illinois Police Department

Officer Russo suffered a fatal heart attack on November 1, 2008, while struggling to arrest a criminal suspect. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, sister, and parents.

Officer Nathaniel Burnfield, 27

South Strabane Township Pennsylvania Police Department

Officer Burnfield was struck and killed by a dump truck while he worked an accident scene.

Detective Joseph Airhart, Jr.

Chicago Police Department

On November 4, 2008, Detective Airhart succumbed to gunshot wounds he received seven years earlier during a raid on the home of a bank robbery suspect. The shooter received a sentence of life plus 132 years for the shooting and robbery.

* * *

Thanks to ODMP

My surgeon ran into a few difficulties so please bear with me. I hope to be back online soon. In the meantime, why don’t you chat among yourselves about the topics you’d like to see covered on The Graveyard Shift. I’ll be checking in tomorrow as often as the pain and fever allows. Thanks for understanding.

The Bulletin Board

Press release provided by The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) has announced the selection of Detective Sergeant John Jedrejczyk of the City of Passaic (NJ) Police Department as its Officer of the Month for August 2008.

San Jose Mercury News

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In an effort to become more visible and approachable, San Jose police officers who patrol the downtown entertainment zone will soon be hitting the city sidewalks on two-wheeled motorized scooters.

Thanks to Jonathan Hayes for filling in for me while I was unconscious. I’m really looking forward to his next topic.

Deputy Sheriff Randy Hamson

Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department

Deputy Hamson was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at an accident scene on August 16, 2004 . He succumbed to his injuries on October 24, 2008. He is survived by his wife, three children, his parents, and two brothers.

Officer Shane Figueroa, 25

Phoenix Arizona Police Department

Officer Figueroa was killed in an automobile accident on October 25, 2008. He was responding to a call when the accident occurred. The driver of the truck that hit the officer’s patrol vehicle was wanted by police on four outstanding warrants.

Officer Figueroa leaves behind a wife and three-month-old daughter.

Lieutenant Frank Stecco, 42

Fairfax County Virginia Police Department

On October 21, 2008, Lt. Stecco drowned while participating in helicopter water rescue training. He is survived by his wife, three children, and mother.

* Thanks to ODMP

How do officers know, at a glance, when they’re addressing a ranking officer from another department? Well, the answer is as clear as everything else pertaining to law enforcement – it depends. Police departments use many symbols of rank designation. Some department supervisors wear white shirts (some departments issue white shirts to all officers), while others issue gold badges to their higher-ranking officers. But the easiest way to tell an officer’s rank is to look at his collar insignia. Each pin is a representation of that officer’s rank.

Collar insignias beginning with the top ranking officer (chief).

An eagle (birds) on each collar – Colonel, or Chief (some chiefs prefer to be addressed as Colonel).

Oak leaf on each collar – Major

Two bars on each collar – Captain

One bar on each collar – Lieutenant

Three stripes – Sergeant

Two stripes – Corporal

Chevron, or single stripe – Private, or line officer

* An officer without a collar insignia is normally a private.

Other pins and medals worn by officers may include (from top to bottom):

– Name tag.

– Award ribbons – Community service award, length of service, expert marksman, lifesaving award, medal of valor.

– Pistol expert (to earn this award the officer must consistently shoot an average of 95% or better on the range).

– FTO pin worn by field training officers.

– K9 pin worn by K9 officers

– FTO pin issued by the state of Virginia.

Pins on the back of name tags, ribbons, etc. are used to attach the insignias to an officer’s uniform. A small clasp (similar to an ear ring backing) is pressed over the pin tips to hold them in place. The clasps often fall off during scuffles with rowdy bad guys, and (if the officer is not wearing a bullet-resistant vest) can result in the pin tips puncturing the officers skin.

Sheriffs and chiefs may also wear a series of stars to indicate their rank.

The Bulletin Board

– The 200 word short story contest is now closed. We’ve received tons of excellent entries. In fact, the response was overwhelming. Good luck to you all!

– Police officers in New York (Suffolk) rescued a 70-year-old man from a burning building. One of those officers also saved a drowning man earlier in the month.

– Massachusetts authorities are investigating the abuse of overtime by seven police officers. How much money was involved? The dollar amount is a shocking $80,000 – $100,000 for the first six months of this year.

– Philadelphia police will be holding a memorial service today for Andy, a police dog that was accidentally shot while searching a building for bank robbery suspects.