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Training. For a true professional in any field, it never ends. In the field of Law Enforcement it is especially true. Every LEO goes through an academy, some are tougher than others. Everyone must pass the minimal requirements in order to graduate. Most academies, like the one I attended are called “Basic” Academies. That is because as difficult the academy is to complete, everything you learn is just the basic knowledge that is required to start your career.
It has always been suggested by instructors and tactical staff that one should seek further training in the future. It is a suggestion that I have taken to heart.
I will only focus on gunfighting classes that I have taken with this post focusing on my lastest class I attended last week.
This is my After Action Report (AAR) of Falcon Ops Group LEO/MIL 1.5 Pistol Deployment:
This was a 1 day/8 hour course that was for LEO’s and active Military members only and it was completely sold out. Since it was a one day course, no time was wasted. We quickly signed in and loaded up and went through the safety brief. All of the instructors were well experienced in gunfighting and are currently LEO’s or retired or come from the competition world. They all have nicknames with the lead instructor being called “Hollywood” because of all the movie quotes he mentions throughout the day.
After the safety brief, Hollywood went over the 7 shooting fundamentals: Stance, Grip, Sight Alignment, Sight picture, Breathing, Trigger Control, Follow Through. He then demonstrated each and told us why Trigger Control was the most important of them all. Hollywood explains that with their teaching method, they will tell us to do something a certain way and will always tell us why they want us to do it that way; that way, we better understand the technique.
We did some basic drills to focus on the fundamentals then we did a partner drill that was extremely difficult for me and many of the other students to accomplish. The first shooter shoots a shot anywhere on the target, the partner then follows with drawing their pistol and firing a shot with the goal of hitting the first hole. This was repeated five times per shooter then the roles get reversed. I only got close to one with one of my shots.

The Falcon Six drill was fun and challenging at the same time. You have six small circle targets and you shoot two rounds each with 4 rounds in your first two magazines, thus requiring you to reload after two targets. It was a great drill for testing your speed and accuracy. They teach us that accuracy is final. I definitely wasn’t the fastest shooter out there but I never missed on the several runs we did with this drill.
Right after lunch, we got into more dynamic shooting. Shooting and moving, shooting from dynamic positions like dynamic prone and having shoot/don’t shoot scenarios. The only part of the class I had some confusion with was the shoot/ don’t shoot drills. The instructors used picture targets and tape to cover certain areas on the pictures. We were supposed to make a decision and at the same time, communicate with the subjects, your partners with what you saw and when you needed them to cover you when you needed to reload. When it was my turn, I didn’t know who/what was in play. After the drill was over, the instructors explained what was what and what to look for and that’s when I really understood the drill. I gave my feedback about this drill and the instructor told me that they will definitely make changes to it in the future.
Then we moved onto the steel targets. With them, we had to move laterally, turn and face the targets and shoot. We then got down and went into the dynamic prone on both sides. Hollywood then taught us the best way to move with your pistol in a different position than I was trained with in the past. It is a modified version of pistol indexing. Your pistol is pointed up near your head with your trigger finger out of the trigger guard and on the frame. this way, your reaction hand/arm is free to move obstacles, bystanders, fight off an attacker and you will not point your muzzle at your partners or anyone you don’t want to. I thought this technique was very useful, especially in practice. Hollywood also taught us how to properly pie a corner while making yourself the smallest target possible. We then were sent downrange to shoot and move from cover to cover until you got good hits on steel with resounding ‘dings’. At the end of the class, we had a shoot off starting with a steel torso at 25 yards, miss and you’re in the loser’s circle. I miss my fit shot and was out, the sole winner got out to 50 yards.
At Falcon Ops, they didn’t want to yell at us because we wouldn’t learn as well and retain the information. They only yelled at us twice, once when a student muzzled an instructor and second when my group was missing 50-60% of our shots on the shooting and moving drills.
Overall it was a great course and training experience. I took away new techniques and I know what I need to work on in order to improve. I do plan on taking more classes in the future. I highly recommend Falcon Ops Group, I had a lot of fun while learning from experienced instructors. For more information and course schedules go to:
www.falconops.net

I dedicate this post to my dad. It’s his birthday today. Both he and my mom passed away when I was a teenager in a car accident.
My dad taught me many lessons in life. He raised me, made me into the man I am today with the limited time he had. Many of the lessons included: respect others, especially your elders, work hard in life, enjoy life, always do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, be responsible for your actions.
I’m going to focus on the last lesson for this post. In my experience, professionally and personally, I see too often that adults do not take personal responsibility seriously. Professionally, I don’t know how many people that I have talked to over the years, whether it was in jail or in court, that pass the responsibility of their own actions on others. It’s rare to hear someone own up to why they are in their current situation.
Personally, I see and read about pretty much more of the same.
I can only speak for my own experiences. I am not perfect and never say that I am. I myself am responsible for every decision that I make. I was forced into making adult decisions at an early age. I decided to do whatever it takes to make my parents proud. I am where I am today due to the decisions that I have made. I stand by each of those decisions, both good and bad. Bad decisions, without making mistakes and acknowledging them, you are definitely doomed to repeating them. I know I am a better person by being responsible one. It is difficult at times to swallow my pride and admit fault when I make a bad decision, but that’s life and I’m only human. My dad was a good man. He worked hard to support our family and I strive everyday to be a man he’s proud to have raised.

AR-15’s, there are so many different manufacturers to choose from. I myself only have one. I choose a gas piston rifle: the LWRCI M6A2 chambered in 5.56 or .223. As with all firearms, it comes down to the owner’s preference. I’m not here to say that gas piston is better than direct impingement. Don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it! There’s plenty of articles and opinions out there. I used to have a Frankenstein AR-15 with a CMMG upper. I sold it to a friend not long after I had the M6A2. Anyone who owns a DI AR-15 knows that it’s a pain to clean after a long day of shooting. With the M6A2’s short stroke gas piston system, cleaning is an easy task; just clean the barrel and wipe down the bolt and that’s pretty much all there is to it. I didn’t choose my AR just because it was easy to clean, I choose it after I did my research. I do a lot of research before I come up with my decision to purchase anything, especially firearms.
LWRCI is known for making high quality short stroke gas piston rifles. All of their rifles are made here in the USA. I originally wanted an HK MR556, but with msrp starting around $3,000.00, that was out of my reach financially. So LWRCI was my next choice. The M6A2 along with all of the rifles they make have 41V45 steel alloy barrels that are cold hammer forged and coated with a NiCorr finish. A standard M4/AR-15 barrel usually lasts about 6-10,000 rounds before needing to be replaced, the LWRCI barrels are rated to last 20,000. The Bolt Carrier is nickel coated to enhance reliability. Overall, every piece in their rifles are of high quality and made to last. This is why I only need one AR-15-want is another story as I always want more! I bought my M6A2 many years ago for $2,100. It’s considered a legacy rifle system on their website currently. If you follow the gun industry, there’s always something new coming out. My M6A2 is still relevant even today and probably for my entire lifetime. It has a mid-length Troy picatinny rail and BUIS.
Appearance: My personal M6A2 has Magpul furniture all over it: an ACS stock, MIAD grip, XTM rail covers, AFG1. All of the furniture has been customized with a dye job by a good friend of mine and it looks close to Multicam.
Optics: I have a Trijicon RX30 reflex sight with a 6 MOA Amber dot. I choose this optic because it requires no batteries to operate, it uses fiber optics to catch ambient light and self adjusts brightness automatically. In low light/no light, it uses tritium. The dot is a bit big at 6 MOA, but it is easy to acquire and it is good enough to engage a man sized target over a 100 yards and beyond. It is zeroed in at 50 yards. The Troy HK style BUIS are heavy duty and well made.

Weapon Light: currently attached is a Streamlight TLR-1 HP LED weapon light. It has an output of 200 lumens and runtime of 1.75 hours. I have a remote switch that attaches to the picatinny rail, which makes it easy to switch on with my support thumb.
Muzzle Device: it came with a standard A2 birdcage and a good friend of mine gave me a Surefire MB556K, which is now attached. I still have yet to shoot it with it on, but I am sure it’s going to be loud! Surefire is developing a concussion reduction device that will attach to it and I plan on getting one when they’re available.
On the range: the M6A2 is accurate. At 50 yards where it is zeroed, it shoots groups much smaller than a dime. I’ve run it through classes and training days at the range with no failures whatsoever.
In conclusion, the LWRCI M6A2 exceeds my expectations and requirements of a carbine. It’s much heavier than most other AR-15’s, and has a price tag of more than double of a standard rifle. It’s not the latest and greatest rifle out there, but it has been reliable and accurate. I am confident I got my money’s worth out of it.

This is my first gun review post. I am a firearm enthusiast if you don’t know that yet. I’m not the best shooter out there and will never claim to be. I am however, very effective with my pistol and am comfortable with almost any weapon system that is in my hands. This comes from owning different types of firearms, shooting my friends’ and renting guns at gun ranges. Some of you will be surprised to the fact that most cops are not ‘gun people’. A lot of cops have one firearm- their department issued duty weapon. To many it is just a job. As long as they qualify, they’re good to go. To me, it is probably the most important tool on my duty belt for many reasons: 1. It is the only tool that can solve the most dire of situations, a deadly force incident. 2. It is a deadly weapon and it can be used against myself if it is taken away. 3. I am responsible for each and every round that I fire.
As you can see, it is a lot of responsibility to have carrying a gun. Training is always ongoing and having confidence in your ability to use your duty weapon will one day make a difference when it counts.
Onto my review: my current duty weapon is the Sig Sauer of Sig Arms P229R 9mm, equipped with a Surefire X200b.
Sig Sauer is a high end weapons manufacturer. They are a Swiss company that has all of their weapons built in Germany. They now have factories in the US. The handguns are expensive, with msrp starting out at $800 and up (for the classic full metal framed pistols) you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to firearms.
The P229R is considered a compact version of the P226R. Commander Steve McGarrett from Hawaii Five-0 (my wife and I love the remake) carries one of many versions of P226 throughout the show; with his SEAL background, it makes sense since the MK25 is the handgun of choice for the US Navy SEALs.

The P229 has a shorter barrel and grip. Why not carry a full-size P226? My P229 was my off-duty weapon and I decided to make it my duty weapon mainly because I already had it and didn’t want to buy a new gun with all of it’s accessories. If I had a P226 I’d be carrying it. The trigger system is DA/SA or Double Action/Single Action with a decocking lever. It has a passive firing pin safety and doesn’t have a physical safety switch. It can be safely carried in a holster with the hammer down or decocked. With the hammer down, the first DA trigger pull is heavy at 10 lbs. The following SA trigger is set at 4.4 lbs. It takes a lot to get used to a DA/SA trigger system. It requires a lot of practice to master the heavy DA trigger. This setup originates from European Law Enforcement, they deemed it safer for officers to carry a pistol that had a heavy first trigger pull to make sure that the first shot is deliberately pulled. Although I agree with that way of thinking; if you train correctly, your trigger finger never enters inside the trigger guard until you are on target and ready to shoot. It however, makes it very safe to carry.
Sig Sauer guns are known for their durability, reliability and accuracy. That is why the Navy SEALs carry them and many law enforcement agencies.
My P229R is probably the single pistol that I have the most experience shooting. I had my department armorer install Sig’s Short Reset Trigger (SRT). Before the SRT, there was no real positive reset, you’d have to totally disengage from the trigger to let it reset. With the new trigger, making faster, accurate follow up shots easier to accomplish. If you have a Sig Sauer pistol, I highly recommend this upgrade!
I have put thousands of rounds through it from qualifying, practicing and through training classes. Other than some rare magazine failures, the gun always fires. It has been drug through the dirt, while in a drop leg holster and it never stopped shooting.
Weapon Mounted Light (WML) in my opinion every duty weapon should be equipped with one. Doesn’t matter what your assignment is, or even if you’re law enforcement. You never know when you might find yourself in a low-light/no-light scenario. If you carry a gun, you better have at least a flashlight on your person. If you think shooting in a high stress environment is tough, (look at the shooting statistics of Officer Involved Shootings) try shooting one-handed with a flashlight in the other. If you train often, then that’s no problem. If you had a WML on your gun however, you can identify your target and shoot with a two-handed grip, allowing you to make (more) accurate shots. This is why I have one on my duty weapon. Surefire needs no introduction. They are also very expensive. Again, you get what you pay for. The X200b is a bit outdated with the 500 lumen X300U now available, but it still works fine and therefore doesn’t need to be replaced. The LED bulb puts out 80 lumens of light and is indestructible, never bothered by recoil.
Together, the P229R and the X200b makes a reliable and accurate duty weapon for me.
In the near future: I am waiting to pick up my Heckler and Koch VP9. That may one day be my duty weapon, we’ll see!
Please let me know what you think about my review and if you have any questions, I’ll answer them!

*Note: whatever I mention in this post or any of my posts for that matter, are NOT here to be used as legal advice!*

Traffic Court is probably my least favorite calendars to work for many reasons:
1. In my opinion, the fines and fees are ridiculous. The State takes the majority of it. I therefore have some empathy for everyone that comes in…keyword is some; many however are deserving of the ticket they were issued.
2. The defendants aren’t usually fun to deal with. They are not used to the criminal justice system, therefore they tend to act more aggressively in some cases than a person who has much more serious charges against them.
3. The calendar is usually huge with hundreds of cases to get through in a day.
A judge once said: “Traffic infractions aren’t crimes of intent…”
Some facts, through my observations:
1. Those who challenge their tickets in court and have the Officer testifying usually lose 80-90% of the time.
2. Those who choose to testify during their trial, usually incriminate themselves in their testimony.
3. Those pesky traffic red-light cameras are spot on! Not only are they accurate, they also record video of seconds before, during and after a violation.
I want to share some of the excuses that don’t seem to work, that I’ve heard:
1. “I was only in the Carpool lane because I had to avoid an accident because traffic just stopped in front of me.”
2. “I was just keeping up with traffic, everybody was going the same speed.”
3. “The radar/laser/lidar must’ve mistaken my car for someone else’s!”
4. “I was not going as fast as the Officer said I was…I was going __mph” (usually over the posted)
5. “I don’t think the Officer saw me…I didn’t see them. I wouldn’t have been ______ if I saw them there!”
These are some of the most common excuses I’ve heard. Bottom line, traffic officers write these citations in order to save lives so please drive safe!

When I got into this line of work, I never really thought much medical skills. It wasn’t my job to patch people up…so I thought. I didn’t want to be a doctor or paramedic because I’d rather not deal with blood and gore. In the academy, the medical/first aid training that we received was in my opinion, inadequate when I think of it now. We got CPR dialed in but everything else, not so much.
A few years back, I decided to take a Shooter’s Aid course taught by Magpul Dynamics. I figured I should know how to save my own life or that of my partners’ of one of us got shot. That class was a wake-up call for me. In the academy, we were taught not to apply tourniquets, unless it was the last resort. What I learned was the exact opposite. Everything taught in that class was up to date with all the current medical knowledge that comes from our military’s experience in our current wars. You put that tourniquet on ASAP!
Emergency medicine is every first responders’ responsibility, especially Peace Officers because we are usually at the scene first and although our fellow first responder colleagues (Fire and EMS) have extremely fast response times, a victim bleeding out may not make it until they get to them-and that’s not counting for a hot zone, where they are not allowed to come in.
Looking back at why I chose this profession, I want to help people and make a difference, to save lives. I can only do that with me having knowledge of what to do when it needs to get done!

What you carry on duty is your preference, as long as you’re within your department’s guidelines and policy. Fortunately I’m allowed to choose what I carry, as long as I purchase the weapon and all of it’s accessories myself. Some departments do not allowed their officers to carry anything other than what they are issued. I’ve had 3 duty weapons in my career so far.

Glock 22 .40 cal.
This pistol was most likely the one that the infamous ATF agent used to accidentally (or negligently) shot himself in his foot with; there’s no such thing as a Glock 40 as he states in the video. The Glock 22 is the .40 caliber model that is almost identical to Gaston Block’s already famous Glock 17 chambered in 9mm. The 22 is my department’s current issued duty weapon, it replaced the dreaded SW99, Smith & Wesson’s version of the Walther P99. The SW99 has numerous issues; they would have parts break off during range sessions. So in came the the Glock 22. I was one of the first classes to get the new department issued Glocks. I could’ve carried whatever I wanted in the academy, but I didn’t want to stand out by being the only recruit with a different weapon. The Glock 22 is an excellent weapon system that is inexpensive and extremely reliable. I was shocked to learn from the armorers, that in order to take the gun apart, the trigger needed to be pulled. In order for the Glock to have the least amount of parts, this was the end result. Other than that issue, the weapon never failed me after thousands of rounds in the academy. I didn’t carry the Glock for long afterwards. Like I said at the beginning, it is all about preference.

Heckler and Koch USP .40 cal
When I turned 21, the legal age to possess a handgun, I went straight to the gunstore and purchased my H&K USP .40. With everything that I buy, when it comes to weapons and duty equipment, I do extensive research before I make up my mind. During my research for a pistol, it came down to the H&K USP .40 and the Sig Sauer P226 in .40. The H&K narrowly won that competition. I carried the USP for a few years and it worked great with no problems until I mounted a weapon mounted light on it. One drawback on the design is the proprietary H&K rail. In order for me to attach my Surefire X200b weapon mounted light onto it, I needed a rail adapter made by Surefire. The X200b also had a pressure switch that ran under the trigger guard and was activated by squeezing your middle finger. With a combination of the rail, light and pressure switch along with the placement of the magazine release, this led to a unique and deadly malfunction: whenever I shot a round with this setup, the magazine would be ejected-every time! Please note, I’m the only one who has had this malfunction with this setup. I have asked everyone who has my similar setup if they have had any issues and it seems like I’m the only one. As a result, I ran the gun without a light until I ran into problems with my magazines. My magazines wouldn’t lock the slide to the rear when they were empty. After that issue, I no longer wanted the USP as my duty weapon. Sure I could’ve replaced the magazine springs or replaced them, but I really wanted to have the capability of employing a WML. Having a WML greatly enhances your ability to identify your target in a low light or no light situation, while allowing you to fire your weapon with a standard two hand grip.

Sig Sauer P229R 9mm
This pistol was actually my off-duty weapon for a while until I went with a subcompact option. The Sig Sauer P229R is the compact version of the P226R. Sig Sauer pistols are known for their reliability and are used by the US Navy SEALs (MK25), US Secret Service (P229), US Air Marshals, FBI and many other agencies and departments. The ‘R’ after P229 indicates that it has a picatinny rail on it’s frame, which makes it easier to attach a WML or laser etc. to the weapon. My P229R is currently my duty weapon and it has the Surefire X200b WML attached. I have had no problems with the Sig, I’ve been drug through the dirt with it in my drop leg holster during a training class and it was just caked in sand and dirt. When I drew it to fire, it performed flawlessly. It lives true to one of Sig Sauer’s slogans, “to he’ll and back reliability.” For now it’ll be my duty weapon for the time being. Who knows what I might choose later on…

This case was something that you’d think came out of a Hollywood movie. It involves bank robbery, kidnapping and guns; all meticulously planned by the defendant. However in the end, unlike the A-Team, where the plan all came together; the defendant is currently serving 2 life sentences plus 20+ years.
This case was my second jury trial during my bailiff training, it was also the longest case I’ve worked since.
All serious felony cases take around two years from the date of incident/arrest to make their way to a jury trial.
The actual robbery took place after many months of planning by the defendant. The defendant and his family were going through extreme financial difficulties. He had no criminal record prior to this case and decided to solve his financial problems with this elaborate criminal plan to rob a bank. The defendant found his target bank and spent weeks and months along with his accomplices staking it out. They all knew who every employee was, what they did and where they lived by following them all home. The defendant picked the assistant manager because she was the one with the keys and opened the bank every day.
On the day of the robbery the defendant was dropped off at the assistant bank manager’s home by his wife. He pretended to be a delivery man, delivering a box to her husband. At the door, he forced his way into her home with a silenced pistol. The assistant manager was 8 months pregnant that day, she cooperated with the defendant, who told her that he wasn’t there to hurt her and that there’s a gang who has his son hostage; that they were watching them from outside and if things didn’t go as he says, they will kill his son. He also mentioned that they knew where her husband worked, where all her employees lived with accurate details. Whether she believed his story or not, he was armed with a silenced pistol and told he that no one would hear her if he shot her. She wasn’t just protecting herself, but her unborn child as well; the only way to survive is to comply with his demands.
The defendant had her drive them both to the bank in her car. He then told her to have a coworker come out of the bank so he could have assurances that she would get what he wanted done: get all of the cash in the vault without the trackers or paint and come back to the car. She was able to convince her coworker to come out to the car. The defendant then held her at gun point and told her the same story. He held the bank employee in the car while the assistant manager went in to get the money. She told the manager her situation and that they knew where he lived as well. She then came back with the money. The defendant then told her to drive away from the bank along with her coworker and himself. Once they were several blocks away, he had her park and then told them both to go back to the bank and to wait 15 minutes, then call the police and FBI and repeat to them his story. He told them to face forward until he was gone then they were free to go. He left with the money and was in the wind, free and clear- so he thought.
The assistant bank manager, her coworker and manager were all treated as suspects. The investigators initially didn’t believe her story and all the victims went through a lot of scrutiny until they were cleared.
Many months later, the defendant was arrested. His plan had failed. DNA evidence was left behind at one of the crime scenes. The investigators had an idea that the defendant was involved and followed him and collected a DNA sample that he left behind while they were watching him. The DNA was a match and not long after, he and his accomplices were all in custody.
During the whole trial, the defendant showed absolutely no remorse. He was actually upbeat when he thought the case was going in his favor. The jurors found him guilty of all counts.
On his sentencing day, 30 days later, he faked a fall while walking up to the courtroom in the back tunnel. He was sent to the hospital with two deputies. An x-ray revealed that he had foreign objects kestered up his you know what. There were two handcuff keys made from staples, a shoelace with toothpaste packages tied on each end (to choke out one of us). He failed again, this time to escape custody.
At the rescheduled sentencing day, he requested not to be present, which was denied. He then choose to stay inside the cage and cowered in there, never showing his face to anyone.
The victims read their impact statements and they all were greatly affected because of the incident. They all live in fear every single day.
Of the hundreds of thousands that were stolen, some of it was recovered,  the rest unaccounted for.
One thing is for sure: the defendant will never see the outside of a prison for the rest of his days.

Everyone knows what a Bailiff is. If you’d seen Judge Judy, Bailiff Byrd is always standing by in her courtroom. What most people don’t know is what they do exactly, besides just being in the background.
The Bailiff is responsible for courtroom security, which includes themselves, the judge, clerks and everybody else in the courtroom. Multi tasking is a huge part of the job. Security and safety is the absolute priority, but it is just one of many tasks at hand. Different courtrooms have different calendars and cases that are split between civil and criminal. Each courtroom has a team that runs it either well or poorly. The team consists of the Judge, Clerk, and Bailiff. They do not have any dog in the fight, if you will. The Judge hears the case and makes a ruling based on the law, the Clerk makes sure everything is done correctly and is recorded, the Bailiff maintains order and in charge of movement in the courtroom.
What you normally see on TV and films are either civil trials and jury trials. It’s only a small glimpse of what really goes on in the justice system. I’ll go into the courts in depth on a later post.
Back to Bailiff’s. On a daily basis, depending on the courtroom assignment and calendar, they make sure the courtroom is free of any possible dangerous objects or hazards. They address members of the public, defendants, witnesses, jurors, attorneys, pretty much everybody who comes through the courtroom doors; where to sit and what to do, when to do it. They also are in charge of moving inmates into and out of the courtroom. They constantly enforce the law and court rules that are in place. Paperwork, yes that’s part of it too. Every defendant that has completed their case either by pleading guilty or are found guilty after trial gets a set of paperwork that has instructions on their sentence and probation.
Bailiffs are usually alone in their courtrooms and therefore have to be always ready to react to anything that happens in their courtroom, their partners’ courtroom or anywhere in and around the courthouse. They are at foremost, the first responders of the court system.
I am currently a Bailiff and I take my job seriously because the lives of others depends on me know what to do when things go sideways.
I may have a steady schedule, which is nice; but there’s nothing routine about what I do everyday. It’s just like there’s no such thing as a ‘routine car stop’. Some may think that this assignment is boring and yes, it could be. I however, enjoy it because I learn something new everyday. I get to see cases from the start to finish and how our justice system really works. Our system is far from perfect, but in my opinion, it’s far better than in most other nations.
A lot of stories will come my experience here in the court system and there’s plenty of them!