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Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4746 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
BY JOHN T. MEYER, JR.
LOW-LIGHTTRAININGLOW-LIGHTTRAINING
Not just a shot in the dark
Weapon-Mounted LightsIn a recent PoliceOne.com survey, nearly half of themore than 1,100 officers polled worked in agenciesthat allowed the use of weapon-mounted lights.Here’s our take on these tools: The gun-mountedlight enhances an officer’s ability to identify andengage a target if the officer has justification/reasonto draw their gun in the first place. A gun-mountedlight is not an illumination tool; consider it an ele-ment of a law-enforcement weapons system.
With that in mind, we strongly recommend thatofficers who install lights designed to mount on apistol purchase a holster to accommodate the pistolwith the light attached. (The PoliceOne.com pollfound that roughly 40 percent of the officers polledwho used a weapons-mounted light carried a holsterthat allowed the light to remain on the handgun.)Many manufacturers make such duty holsters.
We don’t contradict manufacturer’spolicies—always verify the weapon is
DDuring a recent meeting of Team One Networkinstructors, more than 20 of us spent time discussinglow-light training, which we agreed is a critical butsometimes short-changed component of officer-sur-vival courses. What follows summarizes what wediscussed, our conclusions about how to enhancelow-light training and current doctrine dealing withweapon-mounted lights.
Training TruthsWe discovered many of us have been teaching low-light techniques for years. Most started with the FBItechnique (shown above) and then progressed to theHarries (see photos, p. 48). These days, there aremore than eight versions of flashlight techniqueswith many names, but we agreed that no matter howmany techniques you try, you must find the one ortwo that work best for you and stick with theminstead of introducing new techniques every time
you train. While instructors must know all of thetechniques in order to offer various options to theirtrainees, those officers must find what works bestfor them and then practice that technique or tech-niques until they are proficient. Just like shootingskills, consistency and reinforcement are positiveand critical factors in officer-survival training.Officers who survive deadly encounters do sobecause they fight the way they’ve been trained.
We also agreed on another issue: As instructors,we must do more that just teach flashlight-shootingtechniques. We must teach officers how to operatein low-light conditions, and how to use light anddarkness, shadow, silhouette and even “shock andawe” to gain the tactical advantage. While knowinghow to shoot a gun with a flashlight is certainly anecessary survival tool, the officer operates in low-light conditions far more than they shoot in low-light conditions.
LIGHTS ON-AND-OFF DEMOPosition one half of the students insidethe classroom looking out a window,and the other half outside.
Turn the lights on in classroom,with no lights outside;
Turn the lights on in classroom,with lights on outside;
Turn the lights off in classroom,with lights on outside; and
Turn the lights off in classroom,with the lights off outside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: If you are in a darker environment than your adversaries, it’s harder for them to seeyou than vice versa.
PATROL CAR DEMOStudents should observe what the officer looks like in the car:
With the interior light on (white);
With the overhead light on (red);
With a laptop computer or MDT on;
Holding a lit cigarette lighter;
Holding a live cell phone;
With the headlights on and off;
With the overheads on and off;
Holding a live penlight or stylus light; and
As the vehicle approaches using different lighting techniques to distract.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: It doesn’t takemuch to light you up, but light shining inyour adversary’s eyes will make a hugedifference in what they can see and howthey react.
SEARCH DRILLSStudents take turns searching andobserving inside a room. During thesearch, students should be able to identify guns and other items.Scenarios should include:
Constant-on flashlight;
Flashing and moving;
Painting and moving;
Door backlighting;
Strobe lights;
Offensive light use; and a
Hall drill (moving behind an intense,high-powered light).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how to observe, how to use light intermittently, how to move andhow to search for cover, and they shouldlearn the pros and cons of these differenttechniques.
KIM’S GAMESI learned these drills from sniper-instruc-tor schools. Students must identifyobjects and colors under time and illumi-nation pressures. They must identifyobjects held by the instructor from 15–20yards by using a flash or paint techniquefrom behind cover. We use the 15–20 yardrange because it’s the maximum effectiverange for most tactical flashlights. TeamOne Instructor John Zamrok says, “Youcan’t outshoot your light,” which meansyou must always be able to identify yourtarget. Students should make IDs from thefollowing positions:
Straight on (using only the flashlight);
With the suspect backlit;
With the suspect side-lit at 90-degreeangle; and
With one student off-center withanother student opposite of center(using only the flashlights).
They should try to identify the following items:
A handgun, stainless;
A blue or red handgun;
A screwdriver or knife;
A baseball bat;
A long gun;
A flashlight;
A badge;
A rubber hose;
A wallet; and
A spray can.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how difficult it is to identifyobjects and colors under stress withoutproper light, and how additional lightsources and the use of angles make thesituation easier.
LOW-LIGHT DRILLSHow do you teach those survival skills? Below, I’ve listed some low-light training non-shooting drills that will helpyour officers learn how to make light an ally through guided discovery. By giving students a scenario—putting them inthe middle of a situation—the officers get practical experience while discovering on their own what works best forthem. The key: Instruct the officers to observe the effects of light from numerous perspectives so they learn how tomake effective use of light under real-world conditions.
��
We must teach officers how to…
use light & darkness, shadow,
silhouette & even “shock & awe” to
gain the tactical advantage.
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ES
YS
UR
EF
IRE
Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4746 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
BY JOHN T. MEYER, JR.
LOW-LIGHTTRAININGLOW-LIGHTTRAINING
Not just a shot in the dark
Weapon-Mounted LightsIn a recent PoliceOne.com survey, nearly half of themore than 1,100 officers polled worked in agenciesthat allowed the use of weapon-mounted lights.Here’s our take on these tools: The gun-mountedlight enhances an officer’s ability to identify andengage a target if the officer has justification/reasonto draw their gun in the first place. A gun-mountedlight is not an illumination tool; consider it an ele-ment of a law-enforcement weapons system.
With that in mind, we strongly recommend thatofficers who install lights designed to mount on apistol purchase a holster to accommodate the pistolwith the light attached. (The PoliceOne.com pollfound that roughly 40 percent of the officers polledwho used a weapons-mounted light carried a holsterthat allowed the light to remain on the handgun.)Many manufacturers make such duty holsters.
We don’t contradict manufacturer’spolicies—always verify the weapon is
DDuring a recent meeting of Team One Networkinstructors, more than 20 of us spent time discussinglow-light training, which we agreed is a critical butsometimes short-changed component of officer-sur-vival courses. What follows summarizes what wediscussed, our conclusions about how to enhancelow-light training and current doctrine dealing withweapon-mounted lights.
Training TruthsWe discovered many of us have been teaching low-light techniques for years. Most started with the FBItechnique (shown above) and then progressed to theHarries (see photos, p. 48). These days, there aremore than eight versions of flashlight techniqueswith many names, but we agreed that no matter howmany techniques you try, you must find the one ortwo that work best for you and stick with theminstead of introducing new techniques every time
you train. While instructors must know all of thetechniques in order to offer various options to theirtrainees, those officers must find what works bestfor them and then practice that technique or tech-niques until they are proficient. Just like shootingskills, consistency and reinforcement are positiveand critical factors in officer-survival training.Officers who survive deadly encounters do sobecause they fight the way they’ve been trained.
We also agreed on another issue: As instructors,we must do more that just teach flashlight-shootingtechniques. We must teach officers how to operatein low-light conditions, and how to use light anddarkness, shadow, silhouette and even “shock andawe” to gain the tactical advantage. While knowinghow to shoot a gun with a flashlight is certainly anecessary survival tool, the officer operates in low-light conditions far more than they shoot in low-light conditions.
LIGHTS ON-AND-OFF DEMOPosition one half of the students insidethe classroom looking out a window,and the other half outside.
Turn the lights on in classroom,with no lights outside;
Turn the lights on in classroom,with lights on outside;
Turn the lights off in classroom,with lights on outside; and
Turn the lights off in classroom,with the lights off outside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: If you are in a darker environment than your adversaries, it’s harder for them to seeyou than vice versa.
PATROL CAR DEMOStudents should observe what the officer looks like in the car:
With the interior light on (white);
With the overhead light on (red);
With a laptop computer or MDT on;
Holding a lit cigarette lighter;
Holding a live cell phone;
With the headlights on and off;
With the overheads on and off;
Holding a live penlight or stylus light; and
As the vehicle approaches using different lighting techniques to distract.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: It doesn’t takemuch to light you up, but light shining inyour adversary’s eyes will make a hugedifference in what they can see and howthey react.
SEARCH DRILLSStudents take turns searching andobserving inside a room. During thesearch, students should be able to identify guns and other items.Scenarios should include:
Constant-on flashlight;
Flashing and moving;
Painting and moving;
Door backlighting;
Strobe lights;
Offensive light use; and a
Hall drill (moving behind an intense,high-powered light).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how to observe, how to use light intermittently, how to move andhow to search for cover, and they shouldlearn the pros and cons of these differenttechniques.
KIM’S GAMESI learned these drills from sniper-instruc-tor schools. Students must identifyobjects and colors under time and illumi-nation pressures. They must identifyobjects held by the instructor from 15–20yards by using a flash or paint techniquefrom behind cover. We use the 15–20 yardrange because it’s the maximum effectiverange for most tactical flashlights. TeamOne Instructor John Zamrok says, “Youcan’t outshoot your light,” which meansyou must always be able to identify yourtarget. Students should make IDs from thefollowing positions:
Straight on (using only the flashlight);
With the suspect backlit;
With the suspect side-lit at 90-degreeangle; and
With one student off-center withanother student opposite of center(using only the flashlights).
They should try to identify the following items:
A handgun, stainless;
A blue or red handgun;
A screwdriver or knife;
A baseball bat;
A long gun;
A flashlight;
A badge;
A rubber hose;
A wallet; and
A spray can.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how difficult it is to identifyobjects and colors under stress withoutproper light, and how additional lightsources and the use of angles make thesituation easier.
LOW-LIGHT DRILLSHow do you teach those survival skills? Below, I’ve listed some low-light training non-shooting drills that will helpyour officers learn how to make light an ally through guided discovery. By giving students a scenario—putting them inthe middle of a situation—the officers get practical experience while discovering on their own what works best forthem. The key: Instruct the officers to observe the effects of light from numerous perspectives so they learn how tomake effective use of light under real-world conditions.
��
We must teach officers how to…
use light & darkness, shadow,
silhouette & even “shock & awe” to
gain the tactical advantage.
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ES
YS
UR
EF
IRE
Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4746 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
BY JOHN T. MEYER, JR.
LOW-LIGHTTRAININGLOW-LIGHTTRAINING
Not just a shot in the dark
Weapon-Mounted LightsIn a recent PoliceOne.com survey, nearly half of themore than 1,100 officers polled worked in agenciesthat allowed the use of weapon-mounted lights.Here’s our take on these tools: The gun-mountedlight enhances an officer’s ability to identify andengage a target if the officer has justification/reasonto draw their gun in the first place. A gun-mountedlight is not an illumination tool; consider it an ele-ment of a law-enforcement weapons system.
With that in mind, we strongly recommend thatofficers who install lights designed to mount on apistol purchase a holster to accommodate the pistolwith the light attached. (The PoliceOne.com pollfound that roughly 40 percent of the officers polledwho used a weapons-mounted light carried a holsterthat allowed the light to remain on the handgun.)Many manufacturers make such duty holsters.
We don’t contradict manufacturer’spolicies—always verify the weapon is
DDuring a recent meeting of Team One Networkinstructors, more than 20 of us spent time discussinglow-light training, which we agreed is a critical butsometimes short-changed component of officer-sur-vival courses. What follows summarizes what wediscussed, our conclusions about how to enhancelow-light training and current doctrine dealing withweapon-mounted lights.
Training TruthsWe discovered many of us have been teaching low-light techniques for years. Most started with the FBItechnique (shown above) and then progressed to theHarries (see photos, p. 48). These days, there aremore than eight versions of flashlight techniqueswith many names, but we agreed that no matter howmany techniques you try, you must find the one ortwo that work best for you and stick with theminstead of introducing new techniques every time
you train. While instructors must know all of thetechniques in order to offer various options to theirtrainees, those officers must find what works bestfor them and then practice that technique or tech-niques until they are proficient. Just like shootingskills, consistency and reinforcement are positiveand critical factors in officer-survival training.Officers who survive deadly encounters do sobecause they fight the way they’ve been trained.
We also agreed on another issue: As instructors,we must do more that just teach flashlight-shootingtechniques. We must teach officers how to operatein low-light conditions, and how to use light anddarkness, shadow, silhouette and even “shock andawe” to gain the tactical advantage. While knowinghow to shoot a gun with a flashlight is certainly anecessary survival tool, the officer operates in low-light conditions far more than they shoot in low-light conditions.
LIGHTS ON-AND-OFF DEMOPosition one half of the students insidethe classroom looking out a window,and the other half outside.
Turn the lights on in classroom,with no lights outside;
Turn the lights on in classroom,with lights on outside;
Turn the lights off in classroom,with lights on outside; and
Turn the lights off in classroom,with the lights off outside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: If you are in a darker environment than your adversaries, it’s harder for them to seeyou than vice versa.
PATROL CAR DEMOStudents should observe what the officer looks like in the car:
With the interior light on (white);
With the overhead light on (red);
With a laptop computer or MDT on;
Holding a lit cigarette lighter;
Holding a live cell phone;
With the headlights on and off;
With the overheads on and off;
Holding a live penlight or stylus light; and
As the vehicle approaches using different lighting techniques to distract.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: It doesn’t takemuch to light you up, but light shining inyour adversary’s eyes will make a hugedifference in what they can see and howthey react.
SEARCH DRILLSStudents take turns searching andobserving inside a room. During thesearch, students should be able to identify guns and other items.Scenarios should include:
Constant-on flashlight;
Flashing and moving;
Painting and moving;
Door backlighting;
Strobe lights;
Offensive light use; and a
Hall drill (moving behind an intense,high-powered light).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how to observe, how to use light intermittently, how to move andhow to search for cover, and they shouldlearn the pros and cons of these differenttechniques.
KIM’S GAMESI learned these drills from sniper-instruc-tor schools. Students must identifyobjects and colors under time and illumi-nation pressures. They must identifyobjects held by the instructor from 15–20yards by using a flash or paint techniquefrom behind cover. We use the 15–20 yardrange because it’s the maximum effectiverange for most tactical flashlights. TeamOne Instructor John Zamrok says, “Youcan’t outshoot your light,” which meansyou must always be able to identify yourtarget. Students should make IDs from thefollowing positions:
Straight on (using only the flashlight);
With the suspect backlit;
With the suspect side-lit at 90-degreeangle; and
With one student off-center withanother student opposite of center(using only the flashlights).
They should try to identify the following items:
A handgun, stainless;
A blue or red handgun;
A screwdriver or knife;
A baseball bat;
A long gun;
A flashlight;
A badge;
A rubber hose;
A wallet; and
A spray can.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how difficult it is to identifyobjects and colors under stress withoutproper light, and how additional lightsources and the use of angles make thesituation easier.
LOW-LIGHT DRILLSHow do you teach those survival skills? Below, I’ve listed some low-light training non-shooting drills that will helpyour officers learn how to make light an ally through guided discovery. By giving students a scenario—putting them inthe middle of a situation—the officers get practical experience while discovering on their own what works best forthem. The key: Instruct the officers to observe the effects of light from numerous perspectives so they learn how tomake effective use of light under real-world conditions.
��
We must teach officers how to…
use light & darkness, shadow,
silhouette & even “shock & awe” to
gain the tactical advantage.
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ES
YS
UR
EF
IRE
Grey background = Shirt Color (doesn't "print")
TO REGISTER FOR A CLASS, PLEASE CONTACT:Team One Network
Patsey Drew-Rios, Training Coordinator711 Avondale DriveSterling, VA 20164Office: 703.421.2970Fax: 703.444.5354Email: [email protected]
TO HOST OR SCHEDULE A CLASS, PLEASE CONTACT:Team One Network
John T. Meyer, Jr.620 Richards Ferry RdFredericksburg, VA 22406Phone Number: 540.752.8190 Fax Number: 540.752.8192E-mail: [email protected]: www.teamonenetwork.com
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Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4746 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
BY JOHN T. MEYER, JR.
LOW-LIGHTTRAININGLOW-LIGHTTRAINING
Not just a shot in the dark
Weapon-Mounted LightsIn a recent PoliceOne.com survey, nearly half of themore than 1,100 officers polled worked in agenciesthat allowed the use of weapon-mounted lights.Here’s our take on these tools: The gun-mountedlight enhances an officer’s ability to identify andengage a target if the officer has justification/reasonto draw their gun in the first place. A gun-mountedlight is not an illumination tool; consider it an ele-ment of a law-enforcement weapons system.
With that in mind, we strongly recommend thatofficers who install lights designed to mount on apistol purchase a holster to accommodate the pistolwith the light attached. (The PoliceOne.com pollfound that roughly 40 percent of the officers polledwho used a weapons-mounted light carried a holsterthat allowed the light to remain on the handgun.)Many manufacturers make such duty holsters.
We don’t contradict manufacturer’spolicies—always verify the weapon is
DDuring a recent meeting of Team One Networkinstructors, more than 20 of us spent time discussinglow-light training, which we agreed is a critical butsometimes short-changed component of officer-sur-vival courses. What follows summarizes what wediscussed, our conclusions about how to enhancelow-light training and current doctrine dealing withweapon-mounted lights.
Training TruthsWe discovered many of us have been teaching low-light techniques for years. Most started with the FBItechnique (shown above) and then progressed to theHarries (see photos, p. 48). These days, there aremore than eight versions of flashlight techniqueswith many names, but we agreed that no matter howmany techniques you try, you must find the one ortwo that work best for you and stick with theminstead of introducing new techniques every time
you train. While instructors must know all of thetechniques in order to offer various options to theirtrainees, those officers must find what works bestfor them and then practice that technique or tech-niques until they are proficient. Just like shootingskills, consistency and reinforcement are positiveand critical factors in officer-survival training.Officers who survive deadly encounters do sobecause they fight the way they’ve been trained.
We also agreed on another issue: As instructors,we must do more that just teach flashlight-shootingtechniques. We must teach officers how to operatein low-light conditions, and how to use light anddarkness, shadow, silhouette and even “shock andawe” to gain the tactical advantage. While knowinghow to shoot a gun with a flashlight is certainly anecessary survival tool, the officer operates in low-light conditions far more than they shoot in low-light conditions.
LIGHTS ON-AND-OFF DEMOPosition one half of the students insidethe classroom looking out a window,and the other half outside.
Turn the lights on in classroom,with no lights outside;
Turn the lights on in classroom,with lights on outside;
Turn the lights off in classroom,with lights on outside; and
Turn the lights off in classroom,with the lights off outside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: If you are in a darker environment than your adversaries, it’s harder for them to seeyou than vice versa.
PATROL CAR DEMOStudents should observe what the officer looks like in the car:
With the interior light on (white);
With the overhead light on (red);
With a laptop computer or MDT on;
Holding a lit cigarette lighter;
Holding a live cell phone;
With the headlights on and off;
With the overheads on and off;
Holding a live penlight or stylus light; and
As the vehicle approaches using different lighting techniques to distract.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: It doesn’t takemuch to light you up, but light shining inyour adversary’s eyes will make a hugedifference in what they can see and howthey react.
SEARCH DRILLSStudents take turns searching andobserving inside a room. During thesearch, students should be able to identify guns and other items.Scenarios should include:
Constant-on flashlight;
Flashing and moving;
Painting and moving;
Door backlighting;
Strobe lights;
Offensive light use; and a
Hall drill (moving behind an intense,high-powered light).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how to observe, how to use light intermittently, how to move andhow to search for cover, and they shouldlearn the pros and cons of these differenttechniques.
KIM’S GAMESI learned these drills from sniper-instruc-tor schools. Students must identifyobjects and colors under time and illumi-nation pressures. They must identifyobjects held by the instructor from 15–20yards by using a flash or paint techniquefrom behind cover. We use the 15–20 yardrange because it’s the maximum effectiverange for most tactical flashlights. TeamOne Instructor John Zamrok says, “Youcan’t outshoot your light,” which meansyou must always be able to identify yourtarget. Students should make IDs from thefollowing positions:
Straight on (using only the flashlight);
With the suspect backlit;
With the suspect side-lit at 90-degreeangle; and
With one student off-center withanother student opposite of center(using only the flashlights).
They should try to identify the following items:
A handgun, stainless;
A blue or red handgun;
A screwdriver or knife;
A baseball bat;
A long gun;
A flashlight;
A badge;
A rubber hose;
A wallet; and
A spray can.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how difficult it is to identifyobjects and colors under stress withoutproper light, and how additional lightsources and the use of angles make thesituation easier.
LOW-LIGHT DRILLSHow do you teach those survival skills? Below, I’ve listed some low-light training non-shooting drills that will helpyour officers learn how to make light an ally through guided discovery. By giving students a scenario—putting them inthe middle of a situation—the officers get practical experience while discovering on their own what works best forthem. The key: Instruct the officers to observe the effects of light from numerous perspectives so they learn how tomake effective use of light under real-world conditions.
��
We must teach officers how to…
use light & darkness, shadow,
silhouette & even “shock & awe” to
gain the tactical advantage.
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ES
YS
UR
EF
IRE
Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4948 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
unloaded before you attempt to mount or remove a light.Installing a light on the gun requires fine motor skills.Attempting to do this with the gun loaded could cause theofficer to laser themselves, or worse, have an involuntaryreflex action and subsequent negligent discharge.
Furthermore, we also strongly believe it’s impracticaland unsafe if you must draw your weapon but then have tounload it in order to install the tactical light. And finally,such holsters address the issue of reholstering as well—being forced to remove your light before holstering hin-ders your ability to promptly de-escalate a situationand may force you to handle a loaded weapon in a dan-gerous manner.
In addition, the justification for drawing and pointingthe firearm should not change simply because the officerhas a light on the firearm. Officers must still carry both aprimary flashlight and a secondary flashlight even if theyhave a weapon-mounted light, because the time spent usinga light as an operational tool far exceeds the time spent fir-ing a weapon with a light. Indeed, similar doctrine hasaddressed for many years lights mounted on long guns.Having these lights eliminates any concern the officerwould have to draw his gun to be able to employ a light.
Again, when mounted to the gun, a light becomes part
of a weapons system. Therefore, we must teach our officersto point the light-equipped firearm weapons system in asafe direction at all times, and point the light-equippedfirearm at someone only when justified. Once drawn, how-ever, the light-equipped firearm carried at a ready posi-tion can and should project sufficient ambient light fornavigation.
Officers should also check their firearm for proper oper-ation with a gun-mounted light attached prior to anydeployment. In some cases, the additional weight hasaffected firearm performance, and adding a light may alsoaffect the firearm’s handling characteristics if you don’ttrain with it attached.
SummaryMost police shootings occur at night. Many officers workingnightshift spend a high percentage of their working hoursin the dark, and many officers who work dayshift may findthemselves searching dimly lit buildings during the middleof the day. But with adequate, realistic training, an addi-tional light will increase the officer’s ability to handle diffi-cult, low-light situations.
Instructors should strive to provide realistic trainingscenarios that give students experience they can use in thefield. The bottom line: Gun-mounted lights will aid identifi-cation and enhance the officer’s tactical ability, which in turn will increase the safety of officers and the publicthey serve.
JOHN T. MEYER JR. is president of TeamOne Network, LLC, a company established totest, evaluate, train and market various man-ufacturers’ officer survival-related products.Meyer spent 15 years with Heckler & Koch,Inc., and was a lieutenant with the DODPolice, where he served as a special reaction team leader. He is vice presidentof the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, amember of the Policeone.com advisory board and the Police One TrainingNetwork, and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement TrainersFirearms Committee.
LOM
For more Meyer:www.PoliceOne.com/meyer
A gun-mounted light is not an illumination tool;
consider it an element of a law-enforcement weapons system.
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Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4746 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
BY JOHN T. MEYER, JR.
LOW-LIGHTTRAININGLOW-LIGHTTRAINING
Not just a shot in the dark
Weapon-Mounted LightsIn a recent PoliceOne.com survey, nearly half of themore than 1,100 officers polled worked in agenciesthat allowed the use of weapon-mounted lights.Here’s our take on these tools: The gun-mountedlight enhances an officer’s ability to identify andengage a target if the officer has justification/reasonto draw their gun in the first place. A gun-mountedlight is not an illumination tool; consider it an ele-ment of a law-enforcement weapons system.
With that in mind, we strongly recommend thatofficers who install lights designed to mount on apistol purchase a holster to accommodate the pistolwith the light attached. (The PoliceOne.com pollfound that roughly 40 percent of the officers polledwho used a weapons-mounted light carried a holsterthat allowed the light to remain on the handgun.)Many manufacturers make such duty holsters.
We don’t contradict manufacturer’spolicies—always verify the weapon is
DDuring a recent meeting of Team One Networkinstructors, more than 20 of us spent time discussinglow-light training, which we agreed is a critical butsometimes short-changed component of officer-sur-vival courses. What follows summarizes what wediscussed, our conclusions about how to enhancelow-light training and current doctrine dealing withweapon-mounted lights.
Training TruthsWe discovered many of us have been teaching low-light techniques for years. Most started with the FBItechnique (shown above) and then progressed to theHarries (see photos, p. 48). These days, there aremore than eight versions of flashlight techniqueswith many names, but we agreed that no matter howmany techniques you try, you must find the one ortwo that work best for you and stick with theminstead of introducing new techniques every time
you train. While instructors must know all of thetechniques in order to offer various options to theirtrainees, those officers must find what works bestfor them and then practice that technique or tech-niques until they are proficient. Just like shootingskills, consistency and reinforcement are positiveand critical factors in officer-survival training.Officers who survive deadly encounters do sobecause they fight the way they’ve been trained.
We also agreed on another issue: As instructors,we must do more that just teach flashlight-shootingtechniques. We must teach officers how to operatein low-light conditions, and how to use light anddarkness, shadow, silhouette and even “shock andawe” to gain the tactical advantage. While knowinghow to shoot a gun with a flashlight is certainly anecessary survival tool, the officer operates in low-light conditions far more than they shoot in low-light conditions.
LIGHTS ON-AND-OFF DEMOPosition one half of the students insidethe classroom looking out a window,and the other half outside.
Turn the lights on in classroom,with no lights outside;
Turn the lights on in classroom,with lights on outside;
Turn the lights off in classroom,with lights on outside; and
Turn the lights off in classroom,with the lights off outside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: If you are in a darker environment than your adversaries, it’s harder for them to seeyou than vice versa.
PATROL CAR DEMOStudents should observe what the officer looks like in the car:
With the interior light on (white);
With the overhead light on (red);
With a laptop computer or MDT on;
Holding a lit cigarette lighter;
Holding a live cell phone;
With the headlights on and off;
With the overheads on and off;
Holding a live penlight or stylus light; and
As the vehicle approaches using different lighting techniques to distract.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: It doesn’t takemuch to light you up, but light shining inyour adversary’s eyes will make a hugedifference in what they can see and howthey react.
SEARCH DRILLSStudents take turns searching andobserving inside a room. During thesearch, students should be able to identify guns and other items.Scenarios should include:
Constant-on flashlight;
Flashing and moving;
Painting and moving;
Door backlighting;
Strobe lights;
Offensive light use; and a
Hall drill (moving behind an intense,high-powered light).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how to observe, how to use light intermittently, how to move andhow to search for cover, and they shouldlearn the pros and cons of these differenttechniques.
KIM’S GAMESI learned these drills from sniper-instruc-tor schools. Students must identifyobjects and colors under time and illumi-nation pressures. They must identifyobjects held by the instructor from 15–20yards by using a flash or paint techniquefrom behind cover. We use the 15–20 yardrange because it’s the maximum effectiverange for most tactical flashlights. TeamOne Instructor John Zamrok says, “Youcan’t outshoot your light,” which meansyou must always be able to identify yourtarget. Students should make IDs from thefollowing positions:
Straight on (using only the flashlight);
With the suspect backlit;
With the suspect side-lit at 90-degreeangle; and
With one student off-center withanother student opposite of center(using only the flashlights).
They should try to identify the following items:
A handgun, stainless;
A blue or red handgun;
A screwdriver or knife;
A baseball bat;
A long gun;
A flashlight;
A badge;
A rubber hose;
A wallet; and
A spray can.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how difficult it is to identifyobjects and colors under stress withoutproper light, and how additional lightsources and the use of angles make thesituation easier.
LOW-LIGHT DRILLSHow do you teach those survival skills? Below, I’ve listed some low-light training non-shooting drills that will helpyour officers learn how to make light an ally through guided discovery. By giving students a scenario—putting them inthe middle of a situation—the officers get practical experience while discovering on their own what works best forthem. The key: Instruct the officers to observe the effects of light from numerous perspectives so they learn how tomake effective use of light under real-world conditions.
��
We must teach officers how to…
use light & darkness, shadow,
silhouette & even “shock & awe” to
gain the tactical advantage.
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ES
YS
UR
EF
IRE
Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4746 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
BY JOHN T. MEYER, JR.
LOW-LIGHTTRAININGLOW-LIGHTTRAINING
Not just a shot in the dark
Weapon-Mounted LightsIn a recent PoliceOne.com survey, nearly half of themore than 1,100 officers polled worked in agenciesthat allowed the use of weapon-mounted lights.Here’s our take on these tools: The gun-mountedlight enhances an officer’s ability to identify andengage a target if the officer has justification/reasonto draw their gun in the first place. A gun-mountedlight is not an illumination tool; consider it an ele-ment of a law-enforcement weapons system.
With that in mind, we strongly recommend thatofficers who install lights designed to mount on apistol purchase a holster to accommodate the pistolwith the light attached. (The PoliceOne.com pollfound that roughly 40 percent of the officers polledwho used a weapons-mounted light carried a holsterthat allowed the light to remain on the handgun.)Many manufacturers make such duty holsters.
We don’t contradict manufacturer’spolicies—always verify the weapon is
DDuring a recent meeting of Team One Networkinstructors, more than 20 of us spent time discussinglow-light training, which we agreed is a critical butsometimes short-changed component of officer-sur-vival courses. What follows summarizes what wediscussed, our conclusions about how to enhancelow-light training and current doctrine dealing withweapon-mounted lights.
Training TruthsWe discovered many of us have been teaching low-light techniques for years. Most started with the FBItechnique (shown above) and then progressed to theHarries (see photos, p. 48). These days, there aremore than eight versions of flashlight techniqueswith many names, but we agreed that no matter howmany techniques you try, you must find the one ortwo that work best for you and stick with theminstead of introducing new techniques every time
you train. While instructors must know all of thetechniques in order to offer various options to theirtrainees, those officers must find what works bestfor them and then practice that technique or tech-niques until they are proficient. Just like shootingskills, consistency and reinforcement are positiveand critical factors in officer-survival training.Officers who survive deadly encounters do sobecause they fight the way they’ve been trained.
We also agreed on another issue: As instructors,we must do more that just teach flashlight-shootingtechniques. We must teach officers how to operatein low-light conditions, and how to use light anddarkness, shadow, silhouette and even “shock andawe” to gain the tactical advantage. While knowinghow to shoot a gun with a flashlight is certainly anecessary survival tool, the officer operates in low-light conditions far more than they shoot in low-light conditions.
LIGHTS ON-AND-OFF DEMOPosition one half of the students insidethe classroom looking out a window,and the other half outside.
Turn the lights on in classroom,with no lights outside;
Turn the lights on in classroom,with lights on outside;
Turn the lights off in classroom,with lights on outside; and
Turn the lights off in classroom,with the lights off outside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: If you are in a darker environment than your adversaries, it’s harder for them to seeyou than vice versa.
PATROL CAR DEMOStudents should observe what the officer looks like in the car:
With the interior light on (white);
With the overhead light on (red);
With a laptop computer or MDT on;
Holding a lit cigarette lighter;
Holding a live cell phone;
With the headlights on and off;
With the overheads on and off;
Holding a live penlight or stylus light; and
As the vehicle approaches using different lighting techniques to distract.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: It doesn’t takemuch to light you up, but light shining inyour adversary’s eyes will make a hugedifference in what they can see and howthey react.
SEARCH DRILLSStudents take turns searching andobserving inside a room. During thesearch, students should be able to identify guns and other items.Scenarios should include:
Constant-on flashlight;
Flashing and moving;
Painting and moving;
Door backlighting;
Strobe lights;
Offensive light use; and a
Hall drill (moving behind an intense,high-powered light).
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how to observe, how to use light intermittently, how to move andhow to search for cover, and they shouldlearn the pros and cons of these differenttechniques.
KIM’S GAMESI learned these drills from sniper-instruc-tor schools. Students must identifyobjects and colors under time and illumi-nation pressures. They must identifyobjects held by the instructor from 15–20yards by using a flash or paint techniquefrom behind cover. We use the 15–20 yardrange because it’s the maximum effectiverange for most tactical flashlights. TeamOne Instructor John Zamrok says, “Youcan’t outshoot your light,” which meansyou must always be able to identify yourtarget. Students should make IDs from thefollowing positions:
Straight on (using only the flashlight);
With the suspect backlit;
With the suspect side-lit at 90-degreeangle; and
With one student off-center withanother student opposite of center(using only the flashlights).
They should try to identify the following items:
A handgun, stainless;
A blue or red handgun;
A screwdriver or knife;
A baseball bat;
A long gun;
A flashlight;
A badge;
A rubber hose;
A wallet; and
A spray can.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The studentsshould learn how difficult it is to identifyobjects and colors under stress withoutproper light, and how additional lightsources and the use of angles make thesituation easier.
LOW-LIGHT DRILLSHow do you teach those survival skills? Below, I’ve listed some low-light training non-shooting drills that will helpyour officers learn how to make light an ally through guided discovery. By giving students a scenario—putting them inthe middle of a situation—the officers get practical experience while discovering on their own what works best forthem. The key: Instruct the officers to observe the effects of light from numerous perspectives so they learn how tomake effective use of light under real-world conditions.
��
We must teach officers how to…
use light & darkness, shadow,
silhouette & even “shock & awe” to
gain the tactical advantage.
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ES
YS
UR
EF
IRE
Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4948 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
unloaded before you attempt to mount or remove a light.Installing a light on the gun requires fine motor skills.Attempting to do this with the gun loaded could cause theofficer to laser themselves, or worse, have an involuntaryreflex action and subsequent negligent discharge.
Furthermore, we also strongly believe it’s impracticaland unsafe if you must draw your weapon but then have tounload it in order to install the tactical light. And finally,such holsters address the issue of reholstering as well—being forced to remove your light before holstering hin-ders your ability to promptly de-escalate a situationand may force you to handle a loaded weapon in a dan-gerous manner.
In addition, the justification for drawing and pointingthe firearm should not change simply because the officerhas a light on the firearm. Officers must still carry both aprimary flashlight and a secondary flashlight even if theyhave a weapon-mounted light, because the time spent usinga light as an operational tool far exceeds the time spent fir-ing a weapon with a light. Indeed, similar doctrine hasaddressed for many years lights mounted on long guns.Having these lights eliminates any concern the officerwould have to draw his gun to be able to employ a light.
Again, when mounted to the gun, a light becomes part
of a weapons system. Therefore, we must teach our officersto point the light-equipped firearm weapons system in asafe direction at all times, and point the light-equippedfirearm at someone only when justified. Once drawn, how-ever, the light-equipped firearm carried at a ready posi-tion can and should project sufficient ambient light fornavigation.
Officers should also check their firearm for proper oper-ation with a gun-mounted light attached prior to anydeployment. In some cases, the additional weight hasaffected firearm performance, and adding a light may alsoaffect the firearm’s handling characteristics if you don’ttrain with it attached.
SummaryMost police shootings occur at night. Many officers workingnightshift spend a high percentage of their working hoursin the dark, and many officers who work dayshift may findthemselves searching dimly lit buildings during the middleof the day. But with adequate, realistic training, an addi-tional light will increase the officer’s ability to handle diffi-cult, low-light situations.
Instructors should strive to provide realistic trainingscenarios that give students experience they can use in thefield. The bottom line: Gun-mounted lights will aid identifi-cation and enhance the officer’s tactical ability, which in turn will increase the safety of officers and the publicthey serve.
JOHN T. MEYER JR. is president of TeamOne Network, LLC, a company established totest, evaluate, train and market various man-ufacturers’ officer survival-related products.Meyer spent 15 years with Heckler & Koch,Inc., and was a lieutenant with the DODPolice, where he served as a special reaction team leader. He is vice presidentof the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, amember of the Policeone.com advisory board and the Police One TrainingNetwork, and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement TrainersFirearms Committee.
LOM
For more Meyer:www.PoliceOne.com/meyer
A gun-mounted light is not an illumination tool;
consider it an element of a law-enforcement weapons system.
PH
OT
OS
CO
UR
TE
SY
SU
RE
FIR
E
PH
OT
OJO
HN
ME
YE
R
Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com July/August 2005 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 4948 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July/August 2005 Request your charter subscription: www.lawofficermagazine.com
unloaded before you attempt to mount or remove a light.Installing a light on the gun requires fine motor skills.Attempting to do this with the gun loaded could cause theofficer to laser themselves, or worse, have an involuntaryreflex action and subsequent negligent discharge.
Furthermore, we also strongly believe it’s impracticaland unsafe if you must draw your weapon but then have tounload it in order to install the tactical light. And finally,such holsters address the issue of reholstering as well—being forced to remove your light before holstering hin-ders your ability to promptly de-escalate a situationand may force you to handle a loaded weapon in a dan-gerous manner.
In addition, the justification for drawing and pointingthe firearm should not change simply because the officerhas a light on the firearm. Officers must still carry both aprimary flashlight and a secondary flashlight even if theyhave a weapon-mounted light, because the time spent usinga light as an operational tool far exceeds the time spent fir-ing a weapon with a light. Indeed, similar doctrine hasaddressed for many years lights mounted on long guns.Having these lights eliminates any concern the officerwould have to draw his gun to be able to employ a light.
Again, when mounted to the gun, a light becomes part
of a weapons system. Therefore, we must teach our officersto point the light-equipped firearm weapons system in asafe direction at all times, and point the light-equippedfirearm at someone only when justified. Once drawn, how-ever, the light-equipped firearm carried at a ready posi-tion can and should project sufficient ambient light fornavigation.
Officers should also check their firearm for proper oper-ation with a gun-mounted light attached prior to anydeployment. In some cases, the additional weight hasaffected firearm performance, and adding a light may alsoaffect the firearm’s handling characteristics if you don’ttrain with it attached.
SummaryMost police shootings occur at night. Many officers workingnightshift spend a high percentage of their working hoursin the dark, and many officers who work dayshift may findthemselves searching dimly lit buildings during the middleof the day. But with adequate, realistic training, an addi-tional light will increase the officer’s ability to handle diffi-cult, low-light situations.
Instructors should strive to provide realistic trainingscenarios that give students experience they can use in thefield. The bottom line: Gun-mounted lights will aid identifi-cation and enhance the officer’s tactical ability, which in turn will increase the safety of officers and the publicthey serve.
JOHN T. MEYER JR. is president of TeamOne Network, LLC, a company established totest, evaluate, train and market various man-ufacturers’ officer survival-related products.Meyer spent 15 years with Heckler & Koch,Inc., and was a lieutenant with the DODPolice, where he served as a special reaction team leader. He is vice presidentof the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, amember of the Policeone.com advisory board and the Police One TrainingNetwork, and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement TrainersFirearms Committee.
LOM
For more Meyer:www.PoliceOne.com/meyer
A gun-mounted light is not an illumination tool;
consider it an element of a law-enforcement weapons system.
PH
OT
OS
CO
UR
TE
SY
SU
RE
FIR
E
PH
OT
OJO
HN
ME
YE
R
