Gunfighting? A much younger me once asked my father if he ever drew his weapon and fired in the course of duty; had he ever participated in an actual gunfight? Was it like those we watched on the television or at the movies — Dirty Harry, etc.? His answer was usually stoic, reverent, and largely dismissive, albeit a “yes” with a huge disclaimer attached. No heroics, mainly survival, to paraphrase. A person is trying to kill you, after all. Pistol training, to some degree, goes out the window. You point, you shoot, you maintain cover, you protect citizens and your fellow officers. It’s all pure adrenaline. Thanks to bodycams, the internet, and sites such as YouTube, we are directly in the firing line. There, we witness the lightning-fast changes in situational demands, and the shock of terror when things suddenly become deadly. It’s all Hollywood to most — Cops-‘n-Robbers — Dad would say, until that first round zings just past your skull.
I imagine the task of describing one such encounter in a 500-word column with any degree of impact was a difficult task, yet here it is. Originally published in the Gainesville Times, Tuesday, September 6, 1988, Prof. Alex Taylor lays bare the never-ceasing danger to all police. It could have been written yesterday. (‘cept the .38 part!)
