78% of people who assault police officers are intoxicated

95% of police officers who reach cover during a shooting incident are
ultimately uninjured.


As a means of providing information about crisis situations, statistics are of comfort largely to statisticians who are rarely in such circumstance. Still, the point of using such statistics as John Farnam uses them is to emphasize the value of seeking cover as quickly and expeditiously as possible.
The emphasis on seeking cover is especially important in light of the
traditional training techniques that use square ranges with a dozen people
on the line. This training system is economically efficient. It also
teaches to stand flatfooted while engaging hostile. Too many people trained
using this system are shot by assailants that are much less experienced in
using firearms the the defender. It is of note that those with the least
amount of training are the most likely to move as the engagement begins.
Those trained in the traditional square range system that has many shooters
on the line at the same time are less likely to move. The trained also are
accustomed to setting up their shot on a static target. The end result is
that the predator is shooting at a stationary target at arms length and the
defender is anticipating a stationary target that is elsewhere as his shot
breaks.
For several years now the ATSA Study Group has tested and retested a
technique that regularly gives the same results. Antagonist and defender
are placed at 4ft. Both are placed in a confined area 7ft by 7ft.
When the assailant produces a weapon the defender steps to a 45degree angle
as he produces his weapon. In variably the attacker gets off the first
shot. Each time we do the test we see that 50 to 75 per cent of the time
the attacker misses his first shot. If the defender continues to step to
the 45, again changing the angle of attack, the attacker regularly misses on
follow-up shots. Our conclusion is that even small amounts of movement that
changes the geometry of the attack can be helpful.

Skip Goechenour