One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Police Officers Practicing Ambush Response with Paintball Told to 'Hit 'em in the Head'
Photo by Mafe Aristizabal M via Flickr
Want to experience a day in the life of a SoCal policeman? Head over to Paintball U.S.A in Santa Clarita -- that's where, the Daily News reports, a group of about 30 local officers trained yesterday on how to respond to a gunfire ambush.
The exercise was led by 65-year-old Roy Burns of InteragencyOne, a company that offers auxiliary police training. A Vietnam vet, Burns told officers to be aggressive, mobile and on their feet, and had this to say about how to fire back at attackers:
"I want to see head shots, guys, incapacitation...You can hit 'em in the body, but they're not going down. You can hit 'em in the heart, they may not go down. Hit 'em in the head, they're going down."
The idea behind the excursion was that it was better for trainees to experience their first ambush with paintballs instead of bullets, and that preparation is key, since three out of four officers shot and killed on duty last year were victims of ambushes.
Burns wasn't the only one who had few kind things to say about would-be attackers. Here are the feelings of 66-year-old trainer Jerry Fritz:
"(Expletive) 'em," he said. "I'm not gonna bleed for nobody. I done all my bleeding in Vietnam."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
