The Firearms Instructor Issue 50 29 E very year the FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, issues statistical reports on crime and various associated ele- ments. One such “Uniform Crime Report Publication” called Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assulted reminds everyone of the reality of Law Enforcement work. The incidents of law enforcement officers being killed with their own handgun has at times been a percentage that is statistically high. Remembering the basics of weapon retention will aid in reducing these statistics. The first thing you must remember is that every encounter is an armed encounter– you bring the weapon. Nowadays, agencies rely on various types of duty holsters to offset the handgun being removed and/or taken. Some examples include: Level II (serpa auto- lock) up to Level III. I remember when the administrators of our department were look- ing at various holsters – some of which the officer would have to break forward then pull straight up to clear. When you have an encounter that goes south, so to speak, many of those fine motor skills and techniques learned in the classroom leave us somehow and we are back to basic street survival. This is where having a firm foundation in the basics of weapon retention can save you life. This firm foundation in weapon retention basically comes in the form of departmen- tal development and officer retention of information. When statistical information dictates there is a concern or problem, agen- cies should address the problem(s) immedi- ately to avoid injury and/or possible loss of life and further increases in known statisti- cal information. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department did just that by develop- ing a program that became a springboard for national attention (James W. Lindell). Many agencies copy this department’s curriculum when formulating their training programs or a program very similar. Here are a few sta- tistics for thought: (1975) 128 law enforce- ment officers were killed and of these, 26 were killed with their own handgun (20.3%); (2007) 57 law enforcement officers were killed, and of these, 2 were killed with their own handgun (3.5%). This reveals that the auto-lock type holsters and weapon reten- tion training does have a profound effect on the survival of the officer. For the sake of this article, I will divide weapon retention into two categories: 1) the handgun is still in the holster when attacked; 2) the handgun is already out and then you are attacked. In both of these situations, the officer is placed in a defensive-reactive posi- tion then on to a counter-buying time and/ or control of the situation. I remember one of my instructors saying that “if nothing else” you should fall to the ground on your holster and grasp your handgun/holster so that your body weight will prevent removal. Here are a few scenarios for you to ponder... SC EN ARIO 1: WEAPON IS IN THE HOLSTER, ASSAILANT TRIES TO REMOVE FROM BEHIND SC EN ARIO 2: WEAPON IS IN THE HOLSTER, ASSAILANT HAS HANDS ON THE WEAPON In this scenario, it doesn’t matter which hand the assailant uses to attempt to remove the weapon – even if both hands are used. Execute a lower forearm block/strike. Here, the first task at hand is to secure the weapon – your hand(s) over their hand(s) exerting a downward force. Remember the wrist lock technique? Most all law enforcement personnel have been exposed to it, and this is defi- nitely the time to use it. Peel the assailant’s hand off the weapon/holster as yo turn your body – “Think circle.” This is applicable on either the right or left hand of the assailant.