by Lee Williams at The Gun Writer
It’s not easy to second guess a law enforcement officer’s actions during a deadly force encounter unless you were there, unless you saw precisely what the officer saw — from their perspective — and felt what the officer felt, including a massive jolt of adrenaline.
Deadly force encounters happen at the speed of life. They’re unbelievably quick — a couple seconds or less. Trying to judge whether the officer acted properly weeks or months later from the safety of a courtroom or a lawyer’s office can be difficult. There are too many variables to consider even if there is bodycam or security footage.
Of course, none of these considerations apply to an active shooter, especially one in a school. They are easy to judge, because there is only one correct way for police to respond to an active shooter — run to the gun.
If the officers didn’t immediately run to the gun, they erred grievously. It’s one of the few absolutes in police work. There is a myriad of ways to handle most routine calls for service, but there is only one way to respond to an active shooter — run to the gun, shoot the bad guy, a lot, preferably in the face, until he is no longer a threat.
Not one of the nearly 400 officers present at the shooting in Uvalde,…
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