LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

The public continues to feed upon the misconceptions and media hiperbole. The Member will have his day in court and is, like civilians, innocent until proven guilty. His promotion is not linked to an allegation but on his seniority and performance. Two concepts which elude the media.

bc.ctvnews.ca

An RCMP officer who is awaiting trial on three criminal charges for shooting a suspect – and was later disciplined for an alleged road rage incident – is back on active duty in B.C.’s Fraser Valley, CTV News has learned.

21 FOOT RULE, A TERM COINED by SALT LAKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S SERGEANT TUELLER, "HOW CLOSE IS TOO CLOSE?"

"Tueller examined how far away an assailant with a knife would have to be for an officer to be able to respond to a sudden deadly force attack by drawing and firing their sidearm. He timed volunteers to see how far they could cover certain distances, and timed how long it would take the average officer to draw and fire from the holster. The distance he focused on was seven yards (21-feet), and how an armed assailant could cover that distance in 1.5 seconds; not enough time for the average officer to draw a holstered firearm and fire two accurate shots to centre mass."

Photo courtesy of Dave Brown

"The 21-foot rule became part of police culture, and has been widely taught at law enforcement seminars in the U.S., but to our knowledge has never been recognized by a court in Canada. Other studies done in Canada have even suggested the action/reaction gap might be further than 21 feet."

Blue Line 2020

Action is faster than reaction.

"Draw and point firearm. Clearly you are justified in drawing and pointing your sidearm. Don’t hesitate. Based on the essence of the 21-foot rule, you run the risk of not being able to respond in time should the offender suddenly commit to an attack. The value of Tueller’s research is that action always beats reaction, and an assailant can attack from a greater distance than was once thought possible before you have enough time to draw your gun from the holster, acquire the target, and discharge accurate shots in time to stop the threat. Drawing and pointing a firearm is also a show of force that may discourage the offender from wanting to complete the act and run the risk of being shot."