                         DOWN BUT NOT OUT!
    You're shot, you're down but are you finished? Your move...
                         By Brian C. Smith
                  Combat Handgunning, April 1994

     The motion picture industry poses a big influence on how we
perceive a person should react when shot. For those who have never
seen or experienced first hand a person being shot, I want to
assure you it's quite different from the movie scene where a person
is lifted off the ground and thrown back 8-10 feet from the impact
of a bullet. Most lay persons don't understand that if a bullet
from a firearm could perform such a feat, that firearm would also
knock the shooter back 8-10 feet as well. As a Police Officer for
15 years, I have investigated incidents where the shooting victim
was hit with a variety of handgun bullets, including 9mm, 40
caliber, 45 caliber, and 357 Magnum. There were numerous cases
where the victim was not knocked down and either returned fire or
fled the scene. To review one of my own incidents, I shot a gun
wielding assailant who was shooting at me from the porch of his
home. When I returned fire at the gunman in self-defense, with my
9mm service pistol, the gunman walked inside the building in a
casual manner. I questioned my marksmanship at this time, until I
heard the gunman screaming inside the building due to pain from the
gunshot. The gunman had been wounded in the arm.
     Even though a person may have been struck by gunfire and is
down due to lack of control of his/her motor skills, the fight is
not necessarily over. If there's an ounce of strength left, a law
enforcement officer who has been shot and downed should continue
the fight with any means necessary.
     One training drill that I teach in my police survival classes
is the DOWNED OFFICER SHOOT. Where the officer in training can
practice and increase his shooting proficiency in one-hand
shooting, utilizing both strong and weak hand shooting while in an
unnatural proned shooting position, which simulates an officer
wounded.
     I find when teaching this drill, shooting at the metal falling
plates or balloons is a far better test of accuracy than shooting
at paper targets.

The Downed Officer Shooting Drill
     The trainees are instructed to shoot until the target is down
or until the weapon is empty. whichever occurs first. No reloading
is required until after each stage is completed.

Stage One The trainees lie flat on their back with their body in a
position horizontal to their target. With a one-hand hold of the
weapon, in the hand closest to the target.

Stage Two The trainees remain in the same position as stage one,
with the weapon in the opposite hand, with the gun hand reaching
across the body and then shooting.
     * Note--Stages Three and Four are performed in the same manner
with the trainee's head pointed in the opposite direction.

Stage Five The trainees lie on their stomach with their body in a
horizontal position to their target. The weapon is in the hand
closest to the target.
     * Note--stage six is performed in the same manner as stage
five, with the trainee's head positioned in the opposite direction.

     The author also recommends that the trainees use some form of
protection for the face being flat on the ground or range floor.
Using such items as a carpet square, cardboard, or a clean paper
target.


      About the author:

     Brian C. Smith, is a 15 year veteran and Patrol Sergeant for
the Chicago Heights (IL) Police Department. He is a N.R.A.
certified firearms instructor and a member of the National Tactical
Officers Association, Illinois Tactical Officers Association
I.A.L.E.F.I.,  A.S.L.E.T and serves as Vice President of the Police
Survival Tactics Committee. of the American Federation of Police.
