I was never in law enforcement but I learned a long time ago to take a seat that allowed me to always be able to watch the door and the "crowd". All good advice. I appreciate your stories.....great lessons!
There were a couple of family style places we would take meal breaks. We often sat in a closed area, and, as Scotty said, backs to the wall. We ate well, and had a few appetizers provided on the arm. We also did not usually pay full price, so when you went to pay at the front register and were charged half price or less for your meal, the waitress (it was always a lady) got a big tip. I was taught how to tip and pay by older deputies.
Years ago I read an article about the Philadelphia police academy. At the time they required cadets in the academy to wear a red band around their wrist, I forget which wrist, as a reminder to always keep your gun hand free. The instructors constantly watched to make sure the gun hand was free. Until then I had never thought about it. I enjoy these stories, the best!
Valid. As a kid rookie, I was told the same thing. I never ate with my back to the restaurant/sub shop/etc door during my 30 years on the job. I also tried to avoid booth seating that can restrict reactive movement.
Excellent advice, especially in these times. Tactical thinking should become 2nd nature to all LEOs! Fyi, in a 2 week span we've lost 2 officers in western Washington to gunfire!!🇺🇲🇺🇲
All of my First Sergeants and Sergeant Majors had been on multiple tours in Vietnam when I was in the Corps. They taught us this type of thing and much more. Saved my ass and I'm sure alot of my fellow Marines lives. You don't learn these things at schools. SEMPER FI
I was taught by my OTJ mentors to always keep my gun hand free, back to the wall... but nothing was ever said about eating. 90% of the time we ate in the unit.
Backup gun offside front pocket always solves a lot of potential problems on or off duty. I'm just an armed guard now but still. Happily eating right handed now facing door. They would see me bite into my gyro right handed while left is getting micro compact out of my left pocket under table.
I was taught something very similar by my fto fortunately for me I'm a left-handed and I carry my weapon on the right . Another thing he told me is you don't frequent the same restaurants more than once a week while working which makes sense because you don't know who's watching you .
Had a TO say something similar to my academy classmate when he saw him drinking coffee with his right hand (dominant hand). The TO asked him what if he had to shoot someone while he was drinking with his right hand. My classmate responds, “I’ll just drop my coffee and grab my gun”. The TO didn’t have a response. Ha! Got ‘em.
We’ve actually ran some drills doing just that, with soda cups filled with water. What we have found is that dropping something being held in your dominant hand in order to access a weapon is a bit slower, unless you specifically train for that. It’s not natural to simply let go, but must be specifically trained for.
Thank you so much I enjoy your videos I do sincerely wish I could meet you but being in Tennessee and you being in California is going to be extremely hard I really looked up to you you have done so much for the Special Operations community and for everyone that's gun people no one can say thank you enough I am the absolute same way I'm a very proud graduate of the Naval Academy I'm always profiling when I walk into a restaurant I will always go and sit at the very back with my back against the wall I will not walk into a building not knowing how I'm going to walk out I know where every exit is located and when I'm shopping besides the weapon systems that I'm carrying I'm always looking for weapons of opportunity when we are coming back into a house after being Away Jessica is with me as I am going through secure and every wrong we actually train together
Smart move. When they're closing in, stab them with the fork. ^^ I'll keep that one in mind. Do you got one for the head too besides never putting the belt on the hanger? I just remembered that from one show and later at a time were cops were targeted.
