The real risks during deadly police shootouts
| Author | Nathan D Dicks,William J Lewinski,Ron Avery,Jennifer Dysterheft,Jacob Bushey |
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355715582975 |
| Published date | 01 June 2015 |
| Date | 01 June 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
The real risks during deadly police shootouts:
2015, Vol. 17(2) 117–127
ª The Author(s) 2015
Accuracy of the naı¨ve shooter
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DOI: 10.1177/1461355715582975
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William J Lewinski, Ron Avery and Jennifer Dysterheft
Force Science1 Institute, Mankato, MN, USA
Nathan D Dicks and Jacob Bushey
Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN, USA
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the level of shooting accuracy demonstrated by law enforcement recruits upon
completion of their law enforcement firearms training in comparison with novice shooters. One hundred and
ninety-five male and 52 female law enforcement recruits volunteered. Participants were separated by firearms
experience into the following groups: expert (completed law enforcement firearms course, n ¼ 83), intermediate
(recreational experience, n ¼ 71) and novice (minimal/no experience, n ¼ 93). All subjects were tested for accuracy
at target locations from 3 to 75 ft. For all locations, no difference was found in accuracy between expert and
intermediate groups (p > 0.30). Experts and intermediates had better results than novices on all locations (p except from 3 to 15 ft. Alarmingly, experts were only 10% more accurate than novices between 3 and 15 ft. Finally,
novices and intermediate shooters were more likely to hit head locations from 3 ft (57%), whereas experts mainly
hit the body location (78%). The results of this study indicate that officers had no advantage over intermediate
shooters and a small advantage over novices.
Keywords
Law enforcement, shooting accuracy, aiming, police shooting
Submitted 12 Nov 2014, accepted 14 Mar 2015
Introduction
untrained suspects who might fire at officers. Investigat-
ing the accuracy of these inexperienced shooters is nec-
Of the 536 officers feloniously killed in the line of duty
essary because their accuracy directly threatens officers’
from 2000–2009, 490 died due to fatal gunshot wounds
safety in a deadly force conflict. Documentation of the
(Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 2014). Alar-
accuracy and speed of a novice shooter in the evolution
mingly, 290 of those officers were shot in the head and
of use of deadly force situations should influence the
neck (FBI, 2014). Although 29 of the 536 officer deaths
quality of instruction and standards officers must attain
occurred during tactical situations such as hostage tak-
for firearms training in both pre-service and in-service
ing, high-risk building entry, etc., the remainder of the
training.
officers that were killed were attacked while performing
routine arrests, investigations, traffic stops and other
duties. Numerous articles and reports have addressed the
issue of officer-involved use of deadly force and more
recently, the lack of shooting accuracy officers demon-
strate while performing in a high-stress gunfight. How-
Corresponding author:
ever, no known research has examined the opposing
William J Lewinski, Force Science® Institute, 124 E Walnut Street Suite
120, Mankato, MN 56001, USA.
side: the shooting accuracy of inexperienced and
Email: bl@forcescience.org
118
International Journal of Police Science & Management 17(2)
Literature review
the basic firearms training that law enforcement officers
receive may not be sufficient. On average, law enforcement
In 2012, there were a reported 8855 homicides and 142,568
academy training programs consist of 760 classroom hours.
assaults from firearms among the general, civilian popula-
One-third of these programs include an additional manda-
tion in the US (Criminal Justice Information Services Divi-
tory field-training component, averaging another 450 hours
sion, 2014). As noted in a 2011 report, a large contributor to
(Reaves, 2009). The average amount of training time spent
those crimes are more than 1.4 million active street gang
on firearms skills in the academy is a mere 60 hours, with
members, outlaw motorcycle gangs and prison gangs across
even less time spent on self-defense skills (Reaves, 2009).
the USA, DC and Puerto Rico (FBI, 2011). Gang members are
Even with in-service training, law enforcement officers may
responsible for nearly one-half (48%) of all violent crimes in
only receive another 12–16 hours or fewer of firearms use
most States; however, some States, such as Arizona, Califor-
training over the course of each year (Lewinski, 2013).
nia and Illinois, report that gang members are responsible for
Understandably, the amount of education and practice with
over 90% of violent crimes. Although the amount of firearms
firearms in which an officer may participate, external to the
and weapons training gang members receive is incredibly
police academy and training, can greatly enhance their per-
variable and mostly unknown, recent trends have revealed
formance. This can vary from military experience and certi-
some unnerving facts. According to the FBI 2011 National
fication courses to simply hunting or personal training from
Gang Threat Assessment, at least 53 gangs have been identi-
a family member.
fied as having infiltrated the US military, learning advanced
Although many officers have acquired experience from
techniques in weaponry and combat. Additionally, the FBI
numerous methods of firearms training and may continu-
(2011) report stated gang members are often able to acquire
ously work to improve their firearms skills, an argument
high-powered, military-style weapons, as well as body armor,
can be made that the current firearms training law enforce-
greatly increasing the risk of potentially lethal encounters
ment officers generally receive is lacking and may result in
with police officers and possibly other civilians.
severe consequences for officers (Chappell, 2008; Marion,
Although many gang members are becoming incredibly
1998; Morrison, 1998, 2006; White, 2006). For example,
lethal with dangerous weapons from experience in military
during practice, officers often fire only a single round at
or other training, individuals not affiliated with gangs still
a stationary target (Adams et al., 2009; Aveni, 2003), some-
pose a significant threat to officers. As previously stated,
times up to 50–75 ft away (Kelly, 2011). This may be ben-
over half of all violent crimes committed in most States are
eficial in practice, but a majority of gunfights and critical
not gang related and, in 2006, nearly 30% of violent felons
situations will likely involve multiple shots being fired in
had no previous arrest records (FBI, 2011; Reaves, 2006).
close proximity, usually within only 3–15 ft of the suspect
Additionally, a wide variety of individuals are likely to
(Kelly, 2011, 2012). A study of officer-involved shootings
have at least rudimentary knowledge of handgun skills.
in Philadelphia revealed that the average distance between
In 2011, Gallup, a daily news source, reported that 47%
the suspect and officer during a shooting incident was a
of American adults had a firearm in their home or else-
mere 3.52 ft (White, 2006).
where on their property (Saad, 2011). This is the highest
Additional research supports this lack of accuracy, indi-
level Gallup has recorded since 1993, albeit marginally
cating that when police officers use deadly force, more often
above the 44% and 45% highs seen during that period
they miss the target than actually hit the target (Matulia,
(Saad, 2011). Although firearm-related crimes have
1985). Although hit rates across different police agencies
declined significantly since 1993 (Langton, 2012), fire-
vary, officer hit rates often do not exceed 50% during
arms are easily accessible to criminals for criminal enter-
officer-involved shootings (Copay and Charles, 2001; Geller
prise. There are approximately 100 million gun owners in
and Scott, 1992). In a national survey completed by the
the USA, of these, 40–45 million own handguns (National
Dallas Police Department (1992), hit rates were recorded
Rifle Association of America – Institute for Legislative
as low as 25% in some locations. A study examining
Action (NRA-ILA), 2014). Although the number of these
officer-involved shootings found that as the distance
lawfully owned firearms used in crimes is statistically
between suspects and officers increased beyond 3 ft, non-
minuscule, it is no secret that gang members and other
injurious shooting (to the suspect) increased from 9% to over
criminals may acquire otherwise lawfully owned hand-
45% (in the 4–20 ft range) (White, 2006). Theoretically, this
guns through unlawful transactions and/or theft Overall,
may be due to the emotional response of the officer to the
about 1.4 million guns, or an annual average of 232,400,
high stress level that results when they are assaulted by dan-
were stolen during burglaries and other property crimes
gerous weapons or suspects shooting in proximity to and at
in the six-year period from 2005 to 2010 (Langton, 2012).
the officers (Schade and Bruns, 1989).
Meanwhile, as the number of citizens with firearms expe-
It should be noted that, according to Geller and Scott
rience is again growing, it has become more apparent that
(1992), academic studies of hit rates or hit accuracies
Lewinski et al.
119
may be inaccurate due to issues with gaining access to
with the instructor who had informed them of the study.
complete reports from officers about missed, or off-
At the time of data collection, none of the recruits from one
target shots, and the variance...
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