Originally Posted by
AMC
"Even in an agency that wants to treat muzzling as a use of force, it appears these cops are reasonable in doing so."
Have you seen the Ca POST Use of Force Policy Guidlines that came out last week? This is likely going statewide.
As to the topic, coming up on 29 years in law enforcement, the majority of it in patrol working nights (by choice). Currently in charge of Firearms Training for my department. As the posters above have noted, this is a training issue.....as in a complete lack of same for the overwhelming majority of cops. Especially when it comes to lowlight concerns. Currently, recruits in the Academy recieve some minimal, check the box training for lowlight shooting.....and then will likely never shoot in lowlight again for the rest of their career. Everyone knows its a glaring problem....they just don't care cause it's not their money the city will pay out in the event of a bad shooting. Thats the bottom line. Combine that, in our case, with an instructor Cadre who really doesn't have any lowlight training themselves, and you get a program where "Lowlight Shooting" in the Academy consists of a 30 minute lecture on different ways to hold a flashlight with your gun. And the instructors push back against the idea of any discussion of tactical use of light, because "its too high speed for them", and frankly they don't know what they don't know. I dont think its much different in most departments, so its no mystery you see poor manipulation skills.