You don’t want to be in an “overcome by events” moment when you need to make a critical decision, according to R.K. Miller, Law Officer’s Train the Trainer columnist and a retired police lieutenant.
“Remember your deep breathing,” he says. “Power yourself down, and make the big decision in the calm.”
The big decision he’s referring to is whether or not to use lethal force, a topic that was one of the core focuses of his Tactical Truths workshop, which was featured during the Law Enforcement Education Program at the 2013 SHOT Show.
Remember these 10 truths next time you find yourself making the critical decision.
1. The subject must be a lethal threat or perceived as one.
2. Shoot what you know, not what you think. Don’t fall victim to the “Jack in the Box” effect.
3. Did a minimum number of officers fire; were a minimum number of rounds fired?
4. You should have less lethal options.
5. You should have advanced training skills with your weapons.
6. You should render first aid as necessary.
7. You must use crisis reduction techniques.
8. If you use force, refrain from using profanity.
9. If you use force, you must tell the truth.
10. Is the situation immediate, or is it imminent? Remember that those two words do not mean the same thing.
