There is an interesting article written titled Armed jihadist assaults on the horizon?  The article links some of the latest attempts of terror at home Fort Hood, Christmas day bomber and the Times Square attempt as warning to what lies ahead for the United States.

Every time there is a police related shooting, I hear questions: Why did they have to kill him? Why did they shoot him with lethal force? Why did they not shoot the gun out of his hand? How about hitting him in the leg or just wounding him? All questions asked for reasons I feel are related to a serious lack of understanding of what police officers can and cannot do when it comes to life- threatening circumstances and handling their weapons.

By Fred Leland

“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in the days to come.” ~Proverbs 19:20

My Saturday morning Coffee and Conversations topics are usually my own thoughts on topics related to law enforcement and security.

“The essence of winning and losing is in learning how to shape or influence events so that we not only magnify our spirit and strength but also influence potential adversaries as well as the uncommitted so that they are drawn toward our philosophy and are empathetic towards our success.” ~Col. John Boyd

The strategic and tactical mindset should have these words from Boyd in mind while we interact with our environment  and our adversary.

By Fred Leland

The tactical dimension of dealing with conflict and violence is built on the foundation of strategic and operational elements. (We’ll talk about the lost operational art next week) The tactical dimension is the when and the where of the situation, the  time and place.

An active shooter is defined as "... an armed person who has used deadly physical force on other persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims.[1]

The vision most law enforcement officers have when it comes to an active shooter is one or two people with guns moving through a building, randomly shooting anyone in their path. Active shootings are often thought of as taking place in a public place, such as a school where kids attend.

“The essence of winning and losing is in learning how to shape or influence events so that we not only magnify our spirit and strength but also influence potential adversaries as well as the uncommitted so that they are drawn toward our philosophy and are empathetic towards our success.” ~Col. John Boyd

“Citizens of the community, administrators, and heads of law enforcement agencies desire to interact with friendly officers. While a friendly image does much to promote a positive image for the officer and the department, overly friendly behavior at an inappropriate time may cause some offenders to view this as a sign of vulnerability.” ~Violent Encounters, A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our nations Law Enforcement Officers, Federal Bureau of Investigation