Diversify Your Use of Force OC-LL Range Training With Smart Options

What does range training for Law Enforcement mean? For some, it means “qualifications” to meet the state standards. To others, it combines advanced weapon handling skills such as shot timer/PAC timer drills, reactive steel targets, and, hopefully, some moving while shooting exercises. Critical components of your range development come from good ideas that never break the instructors’ range budgets.

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The MotoShot OC Spray Trainer provides simple yet enhanced training capabilities by using realistic human and canine targets that are quickly reactive to OC Spray, Live Fire Ammunition as well as non-lethal training ammunition (NLTA). When included in your range training or scenario-based training, the OC Spray trainer incorporates the officers’ ability to utilize an assortment of force options depending on the scenario provided by the instructor. You can replicate a “real-time” scenario using these systems while gauging the officers’ reactions to:

• Deployment of OC (if used with your agency)
• Deployment of ECD/Taser (if used with your agency)
• Deployment of “lethal overwatch” partner skill development
• Movement to safe areas after deployment by the officer
• Approach techniques upon deployment of OC spray or other lethal/non-lethal towards the aggressive canine and/or subject who poses a threat to you, your partner, and others involved in the situation

Adding tactical dimensions to your use of force program is critical and should include the use of your agency OC/Pepper Spray as part of your Use of Force-Force Option response methods.

Let’s think about a scenario that can play out on an officers’ response calls:
You respond to a domestic violence disturbance between a husband and wife that the dispatcher indicated has become physical. Upon the arrival at the residence, you knock on the screen door as you look in and hear yelling and screaming but do not see anyone. As you announce your presence, a male subject yells, “What the hell do you want? Get the hell out of here!” Suddenly a woman screams, “HELP ME!” You and your partner quickly make entry into the residence to address the situation, and you hear what appears to be a large dog barking in the short distance. As you stand in the living room, the male subject is standing 15 feet away from you in the kitchen area while holding onto his barking German Shepard’s collar while telling you to get out of the house. You don’t want to use deadly force on the dog, but you see the dog is appearing vicious and about to come at you.

• Will you or your partner deploy OC together? Or will one deploy OC while the other officer deploys “lethal overwatch?”
• Whether role-playing or on the range, have you trained for these moments in practical application?

Many agencies do not perform these tasks and quite frankly spend more time in getting the qualification scores completed than enhancing more street skills such as the use of other force like OC spray.

In closing, if realistic training involving variations of the use of force scenarios are rarely used during firearms mandated training, these types of critical situations can become a litigation nightmare for you and your agency. Invest in your personnel by giving them the most realistic training equipment available.

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The article was written by Jose Medina August 2020