Whats The Lesson Here?

[Defender]

I always found this one to be very interesting.

 

https://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/6199620-Why-one-cop-carries-145-rounds-of-ammo-on-the-job/

[chances R]

What a story!  Interesting he carries a 9 now instead of a .45.  Ammo count higher I guess is the reason.

[Sidecarist]

I've read about this one somewhere else. It does show that determination and never giving up count for a lot. In the end the officers better training won out, but it could have gone the other way.

I don't know if the 9mm vs 45 argument even matters those hits with a 9mm wouldn't have stopped the guy either. I wouldn't argue with the officer about swithcing to 9mm. He's been there and seen the elephant and I'm glad that he survived to teach others about it.

The lesson for me I'd NEVER give up, and NEVER stop thinking. Officer Garmin stayed in the fight and figured out what he needed to do to win.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

Don't expect "Hollywood" reactions to being shot with a pistol...ANY pistol . If you shoot someone you may well have to shoot them several times with a handgun to change their channel. Some people are just tough SOBs and will not stop fighting until they are dead. Plan accordingly.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Cruel Hand Luke

[Jamie Jackson]

Enlightening article barewoolf, thanks for posting this.

 

I too read this article before and there are some lessons to be learned indeed. Primarily... as Randy has previously said "handguns suck" as defensive tools (I agree 100%)...but they are very likely to be "the" tool we have when things go down.

 

With quality modern handgun ammunition the caliber question isn't as significant as it once was. Having seen the wounds from most handgun calibers I can honestly say it's nearly impossible to tell what caliber someone was hit with...skin is very elastic and the majority of entrance wounds are very tiny holes...The terminal effect is dependent on the structure damaged and the persons response to it. Unless it's a CNS hit (the "brainbox"), people take a loooong time to bleed out enough to affect their level of consciousness.

 

From the article"In this free-for-all, the assailant had, in fact, been struck 14 times. Any one of six of these wounds — in the heart, right lung, left lung, liver, diaphragm, and right kidney — could have produced fatal consequences…“in time,” Gramins emphasizes."

 

Statistically "average gunfights" are close range and end in 3-5 rounds from what I read...I couldn't imagine any gunfight being "average" nor would I count on any statistical data. While I could never envision myself carry 145 rounds of ammo, I can certainly understand why this officer would want to consider having more rounds available in his future!

fwiw...I don't think it's totally a "spray & pray" scenario in this case, the officer was getting some good hits...the BG just didn't choose to stop his attack...there are some determined evil people out there...and from FOF training I've learned to appreciate that a moving twisting "target", under pressure, is a challenge to get good solid hits on...and that's only with SIMS rounds coming at me.

 

This is another good point:

"Gramins, also empty, escaped his squad — “a coffin,” he calls it — and reloaded on his run to cover behind the passenger-side rear of the Bonneville.

 

Mobility and good cover. Not that an auto body is "good cover", but it would beat the heck out of sitting still and taking incoming rounds.

 

Just a few thoughts/observations and opinions ...