Things Armed Guards need to know

About the author.

Michael Taylor is a retired director of P.S.G. Personal Security Group based in Sydney Australia, holds several degrees and has spent valuable time in positions ranging from Armed Forces, Federal Government through to Private Security. Michael has been involved in the security industry for over 30 years, during that time he has been faced with almost every situation you could imagine, he has been forced to use a weapon on more than a few occasions and has felt the pain of a bullet several times. The information contained here is based on his first hand knowledge and experience. Although many people have experience in the security industry, few have experienced the trauma and stress involved in the actual use of a firearm in life threatening situations.

The information presented below attempts to fill that gap.

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This site is specifically for those Security Officers who currently carry a firearm, or are considering applying for a firearms license. If you are applying for a license, thinking of applying or already have a license, this information is for you.
It is one thing to be issued a firearms license; it is another thing entirely to walk the streets with a gun strapped to your hip.

Most people apply for a firearms license because the job requires it; maybe get better pay, more status etc. Others apply because it seems like a cool thing to do, (makes you feel big to wear a firearm, gives you something to brag about at the pub with your mates). We have known some who did it to impress girls and still others because they think it would be cool to shoot somebody (it's true, we know them).

No matter which of the above reasons applies to you, there are some basic things you need to know, and you need to know right now.
When you carry a firearm on duty you are:

a. A Priority Target. b. A Threat. c. A Lethal Weapon and d. Dangerous.

What you are trained to do

Make no mistake here, what you are trained to do is simple. If you went to a Japanese Ninja school or some Black Samurai training camp they would train you, eventually, to kill. This would take many years of hard slog, unbelievable dedication, commitment, pain, broken bones and most of your spare time, but at the end of all this you would be a trained killer. If you join the army the same thing applies, years of training, promotions through the ranks and eventually combat, you would be essentially a trained killer.

As an Armed Security Guard you undergo 1 day of theory, one day of practical then, as long as you can hit the target, you get your license. In two days you have become a trained killer. Ok, you were not told to shoot to kill, you were told shoot to stop, but you KNOW that if you pull that trigger enough times, no matter how bad a shot you are, the target you aim at will die.

You are trained to kill.

What you are carrying

A firearm, be it a handgun (semi-auto or revolver), rifle, assault weapon, long bow, cross bow or air gun, is a weapon designed with one purpose in mind. To kill.
Carrying a firearm is a serious responsibility; it doesn't matter if you are in the police force, security industry, armed forces or just an idiot with a gun. What you have strapped to your side, stuffed in your pocket, your glove box or hidden inside a cake, is a weapon that can, and probably will, take another persons life. This is not a toy, it is not a status symbol or a baton. This is a weapon designed with one purpose in mind - and one purpose only.

In the lead up to actually carrying a firearm you should have undergone a course of some kind, studied the Firearms Act, studied the associated regulations, passed a whole load of tests and blasted a hundred or more holes in a sheet of cardboard. You can now load, draw, aim and hit that target, that's great, a pat on the back and well done.

All this - does not make you competent or safe in public.

Cardboard vs. Flesh

Have you noticed, now that you have your firearms license, that all those people out there on the street, the ones walking around and talking, enjoying life, don’t look anything like the cardboard targets you learned to shoot at? Not only that but they don’t seem to just hang around either. Cardboard targets don’t give you strange looks, they don’t move away from you when they see the weapon, they don’t stop breathing when you blast holes in them, they don’t cringe in pain as they fall and they sure as hell don’t bleed.

People on the other hand, DO.

The percentage of armed security officers who have actually pulled the trigger while aiming at another living person is minimal, even among police officers the percentage is small. In fact the percentage of armed security guards or police officers who have actually faced a situation where they had to draw their weapon is minimal. It is easy to draw and shoot at a cardboard target, they don’t move and they are not threatening you - minimum stress.

Replace that target with a living, angry, determined person, possibly in a public place with a range of innocent bystanders, and it’s a whole new ball game. Looking into the eyes of another living person and pulling that trigger is not so easy, trust me on that.

As you read on you will find information vital to you, tips, hints, rules and regulations applicable to the carriage and use of firearms in NSW particularly, and, in most cases nationally. Some of you will already know these things and may find fault, remember, every individual has their own mind, reacts their own way and has a past that is specific to them. If you have never fired your weapon at another living person, then you do not know and should never assume that you know better.

You should read and understand all of these things because one day you may have to use that firearm against another living soul. You need to know the consequences you face if and when that happens.

NSW Firearms Regulations

NSW Firearms Regulations are constantly changing as Government and Police try to reign in gun related crime. This is a good thing, but it also means that you, as an armed officer, must be aware of - and acting within - the law at all times.
I repeat - AT ALL TIMES

NSW Firearms Act 1996

NSW Crimes Act 1900

I have met, and know, several security guards who treat this as a joke, they truly believe that just because they work for Mr 'Whoever' the law does not apply to them. Many of these people couldn't hit a target if it was blue tacked to the front of their weapon, they have little to no regard for life and even less for the law. These people should not be carrying a firearm but they have 'passed' the required tests (a little like some people who should not be driving).

Do not become one of these people, even if you do work for Mr 'Whoever', do it right or you may one day do it hard. Imagine if one of your family members accidentally became involved with one of these cowboys, would you still think it was funny as you stood at the graveside?

It takes just two (2) days to learn a few basic rules, how to hold a gun, how to hit a cardboard target; it takes forever to forget that you took a life.

The law is strict, it is hard and some parts of it seem un-necessary, but it is there for a very good reason to protect life, including yours. Likewise, the rules and regulations associated with the law are there for very good reasons, if you are ever forced to fire your weapon in defence, appreciate them; they are your only friend.

Nobody in their right mind expects you to know the entire firearms act off by heart, but below are three (3) basic points you must know and understand.

Before discharging your firearm

1. YOU MUST FULLY BELIEVE THAT YOUR LIFE, OR THE LIFE OF ANOTHER PERSON IS IN REAL AND IMMINENT DANGER.

This does not simply mean you must 'feel threatened', it means that you must be CONVINCED that if you DO NOT discharge your weapon, your life, or the life of another person, will be taken. You must also be convinced that if YOU DO NOT SHOOT, the offender WILL KILL you or another person. 'I thought they might' is not being convinced, 'They could have' is not being convinced; only 'I truly believe they are going to' - is being convinced.

2. There must be NO OTHER MEANS of preventing the attack from being committed.

This means that you have tried every other way possible to solve the situation, you have taken every other available measure to prevent the attack, including escape.
The offender has left you with NO OTHER CHOICE.

3. NO INNOCENT PEOPLE must be endangered by your actions.

This means you must know where everybody is (offenders and innocent bystanders).
You have moved yourself into the best available position and you have checked to make sure that discharging your weapon will not harm anybody other than the offender. In this you must be sure that

IF YOU MISS - your bullet will not hit anybody else, even on rebound.

Your firearms instructor has told you all these things, he/she has tried everything short of tattooing the words under your eyelids to make you remember them, but will you? Most security guards forget these three points within weeks of doing the course.
Expecting you to remember them while your life is being threatened seems ridiculous.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THEM, UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

Repeat those three (3) basic points to yourself every time you sign out your weapon, every time you sign it back in, Understand the meaning of all three (3) and make them second nature to you, turn them into instinct, no thought required. If you do this, you reduce your chances of making a mistake by around 95% - mistakes are something you can not afford.

Mistakes

Most people under stress do not think normally, they do not consider mistakes - they act on impulse. It is only after the stress is gone that the brain begins to rationalize what has happened. It is here that your mind starts to make sense of what happened, it is also here that you start covering your tracks and protecting your back. This is normal human behaviour, it is part of our makeup, as far back as Adam and Eve you will see man laying the blame on anything other than him, nobody wants to be blamed, so we find ways to protect ourselves.

If you made a mistake, now is the time you will rationalize that mistake, find ways in your mind to explain that it was 'not' a mistake, that you 'had no choice', that your 'gun just went off etc'. You do all this because your conscience needs forgiveness, you need to find ways to clear the blame from yourself, this is a normal reaction - and it will not work.

If you made a mistake it is too late, especially for an armed security guard who has discharged a weapon, somebody is injured, or worse, dead.

With a lethal weapon in your hands you can not afford to make mistakes, you must be in control and calm at all times. I know this sounds crazy, impossible and in some ways you are right. Not many people can stay calm when they have a gun or knife pointed at them; as an armed security guard you 'must' remain calm.

The only way to do this is to - 'know your job', 'know your tools' and 'know your limits'.

Knowing your job

You are a security guard, this means that you are charged with the security and well being of your client or your client’s property. Your job places you in danger at all times, you are a target for criminals. You are the first person they will need to disable, disarm or remove. If you are armed, and the criminal 'knows' you are armed, then you become priority one, you 'must' be neutralized immediately. Knowing this, you, as priority target number one, must be aware of your surroundings and the people in them, at all times. You can not relax your guard and, extreme as it may sound, you must expect every person in your immediate area to be a potential threat. Criminals do not always wear hoods and they are not always men. Remember this, a criminal bent on armed robbery has spent time watching the target, they know what happens, they know who you are, where you stand and how well trained you are. They will not always smash through the door wearing hoods and waving shotguns, we wish they would because it would make our job easier, but it doesn't always happen that way.

That couple sitting over in the corner, the ones who have been there several nights over a two week period, they seem really nice, the woman is pretty and friendly, hell she even talks to you and gives you that 'kiss me now' smile. One night these two might just decide to make some easy money. This is a bit far fetched you say, yes it is, but it has happened before and it will happen again. You see, nobody takes much notice of that couple, the guys in the bar may be able to describe the woman, after all they have probably spent most nights 'appreciating' her looks, but they won't be able to describe the man. The woman can easily change her looks, a wig, the right makeup, right clothes. So here's the scenario, they have been sitting in the corner quietly drinking and watching. The guy gets up and heads for the men’s room, he has already seen that it is empty. While in there he slips on a hood and pulls a gun out of his pocket. Meanwhile the woman has quietly moved to another part of the room. The man comes out of the toilets gun in hand, you react but suddenly there is something pressed into your back. Behind you is another hooded figure, came in while you were watching the woman. You had your back to a door and were not taking notice of your surroundings, you are now neutralized. Any other security guard on site is also neutralized because you are now a hostage.

Another example occurred recently in a bank, a man sat quietly on one of the convenient seats provided for customers located very close to the doorway leading into the teller areas. The security guard was apparently not concerned about this man and, due to this, nor were staff members who had been happily opening and closing the door regularly. The man sat there for almost an hour then suddenly, as another staff member opened that door, in he went, weapon in hand. Nobody could correctly describe the man because nobody took any notice of him. By the time he had gone through that door he had pulled on a hood and had free access to everything. Too late to press the panic buttons or close the safe. The security guard could do nothing for fear of innocent people being injured.

The guard should have noticed this man, he/she should have seen the proximity of the chair to the door, noticed that the man was alone and not, apparently, doing business. He/she should have asked the man if he needed help or asked him to move to a different seat, whatever, the point is that this man should have been seen as suspicious after 5 minutes of doing nothing. He came into the bank, sat down and stayed there until the right opportunity opened up for him, nobody questioned him, or even asked if he needed help or wanted coffee.

1. Did the guard notice that this man was watching the door and who went through it, no.
2. Did the guard wonder why this man was sitting there alone, doing nothing, no.
3. Was there a description of this man given to police, yes, 5 - all conflicting.
4. Was there a video camera aimed in the direction of that door, no.

Criminals are not, on the whole, stupid. They plan, they watch, they study, they 'know their job' and they 'know how to do it'. If they see an armed guard who 'never' allows his/her back to be open to attack, never stands with hands behind the back, is always alert and never allows him/her self to be drawn into pointless conversation, the chances are they will go somewhere else because 'that' armed guard knows his/her job, too hard to hit.

Think about that.

CIT ( Cash In Transit )

When doing Cash In Transit (CIT) work, it is even more important to be aware of your surroundings. Criminals intent on stealing your cash KNOW that you have cash AND that you are armed. In these circumstances you are more at risk and definitely a higher priority target.

If you are the driver of a vehicle, and you are right handed, then your holster is most likely hindered by your seat belt and the door arm rest. This means you cannot draw your weapon as quickly or easily as if you were standing. You must consider this when doing CIT work and keep your vehicle doors locked at all times, windows up. Also, watch your mirrors constantly for any vehicle behaving suspiciously. Always leave enough room between your vehicle and the one in front of you to enable escape to another lane in an emergency. Never allow your vehicle to be 'boxed in' and always be aware of what is going on around you.

Do not exit your vehicle into a crowd; always wait until there is clear space between your exit point and the nearest person (possible offender) to allow you safe exit from the vehicle and time to draw your weapon if required.

NEVER DO 'ARMED' CASH IN TRANSIT ALONE.

Know your tools

When signing out a weapon there are some basic points to remember.

Check your holster, is it legal? Does it have all the parts it should have? Does it secure the weapon? Does it fit snugly against you? Is it the 'right holster for your weapon'?

When signing out the weapon, and before loading, holster it, remove it, re-holster it, do this several times and make sure the action is smooth. Holster the weapon and fasten the thumb strap, check it, is it loose? Is it positioned correctly? Can you un-clip it easily?

The vast majority of today's firearms can not 'accidentally' discharge, something, or somebody, has to make it go bang by pulling the trigger. The only person who can be held responsible for pulling the trigger on a weapon 'you' have signed for - IS YOU.

If your holster is correct for your weapon then the trigger can not be pulled until the weapon is removed from the holster. The only person legally allowed to do this is you. That weapon is signed out to YOU and nobody else must be allowed to use it - AT ANY TIME.

Take a long hard look at your weapon, have somebody show you how to pull it apart, look at everything that makes it work, study it, know what each part does. Make sure it has been serviced and that it works correctly. If your boss complains about this procedure then find another employer who won't. It is important that you know your weapon well, that it works.

Would you drive a car if the brakes or steering didn't work?

Smart Bullets?

Look at the rounds or bullets you will load into the magazine, give them a really close examination, see if you can find what makes them think, the controls that make them obey your commands. You need to find this because one day you may aim at the wrong thing, you will need your bullets to stop when you tell them.
Note: If you find this, please let us all know where it is.

A bullet does not think, it does not discriminate, it does not change its mind and it does not stop until it either hits something or runs out of energy. Once you pull that trigger you have sent a bullet on a mission that you can not alter or change. That bullet will keep going until it runs out of energy or hits what it was aimed at - what YOU aimed it at.

There is no such thing as an 'accidental shooting' for an armed security guard, your bullet hit what YOU aimed it at, you pulled the trigger, you sent that bullet on its mission, you had better be damned sure of what you aimed it at - and why.
Put simply, this means that you must be 'Absolutely certain' of what you are about to do. You can not give back a life. Once you have discharged your firearm in the direction of another living person, it is almost certain that you will take that persons life away. Doing so affects them, their family, their friends, you, your family, your friends and the rest of the lives of all of them. You have not only taken one life, you have changed the lives of many people, including your own - FOREVER.

Never assume that you will NOT hit an innocent bystander, always be aware of who is there and why they are there. There may be times when you can not avoid the chance of hitting an innocent bystander, for instance, if you do NOT shoot and shoot now, you or another person will be killed. In this case the choice is yours and yours alone, it is a choice I had to make once. I chose NOT to shoot and lost a lung. I am still alive and, thankfully, so is my client.

What made me choose not to shoot? Too many innocent people around, I did not want the death of an innocent person on my conscience. I knew the offender was nervous, agitated, I knew he would pull the trigger wildly if I drew my weapon, other people would have been injured. I chose not to draw but held my hand on my weapon to keep his attention focused on me. I also knew that I had backup - who caught the offender after he shot me. The choice is always yours.

Golden rule: If in doubt, DON'T.

Know your limits

Your limits are contained within the NSW Firearms Act 1996, within the NSW Crimes Act 1900, within your job description and within yourself. You know you can't lift a 10 ton truck with your bare hands, swim the Pacific Ocean on a single breath or jump into an active volcano without protective clothing. You also know you can't fight off 5 armed offenders at the same time on your own without the risk of injuring an innocent person - so don't do it.

Only YOU know YOU, nobody else knows what you do about yourself. Don't let what other people tell you to do rule your actions - the choice is yours and yours alone. You know what you are capable of, what your limits are and what you feel safe with. Remember, they won’t end up facing the prosecutor, you will. Stay within the law and within your limits, no matter what.

The effects

Taking the life of another living person sounds easy enough; after all they were probably threatening to take yours. We see it on the movies all the time, killing justified for one reason or another, but is it really that easy?

The answer is as simple as it is frightening - 'Yes'.

Taking a life IS easy, that’s exactly what the weapon you carry is designed to do, you load it, aim it and fire. Once the bullet leaves the chamber it will do its job, it doesn't think about it, doesn't discriminate, doesn't decide the target is too young, old or innocent, can't turn back, it simply destroys whatever it hits and it 'will hit' whatever you aimed it at. Remember this, the effect of your actions on your life, and the lives of others, is mind boggling.

Your bullet has just taken the life of another human being.

You will find changes in the way others see you, the looks you get will be different, some will look at you with a new respect, others with fear, still others with contempt. There will be hatred towards you from the family of the person whose life you ended, this will never go away. They will not see the reality of the situation - that you had no other choice - to them, there was always another choice. The friends of that person will hate you, some may even try to find ways to take revenge (this is not common but it is something you need to be aware of).

You will forever be the person who took away the life of their son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, grandchild, husband, wife, partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, or just plain friend. You are now the enemy and will never be forgiven by them. Their forgiveness, important though it may be, is meaningless if you can not forgive yourself.

Forgiving yourself is a long process, it will happen but only after many sleepless nights and self evaluation. This process is where knowing, and following the law is vital. If you acted legally and safely then you are NOT to blame. It will still take some time and it will not be easy (unless you have little to no conscience, in which case you should not be armed in the first place), If however you did NOT follow the law, if you fired your weapon in haste, anger or without consideration, then you may have ended a life un-necessarily, maybe even the life of an innocent person. This knowledge you will have to live with the rest of your life - this and the endless hatred that will follow.

So how does all this affect your family and friends, well that’s simple, you will be a different person. You will look the same, you may even talk the same, but you will not think the same or react the same way to every day situations. You have taken a life, you have changed the future for everybody concerned, you have become 'a killer'. You are no longer the person who 'might' shoot somebody; you are now the person who 'did' shoot somebody. This may not be the way YOU see yourself, but it is the way others will see you. How can you expect these people to treat you the same way - THEY CAN'T.

You will not look at people in the street the same way any more, people walking towards you will become a threat in your mind, you will expect somebody to tap you on the shoulder, jam a knife in your back, pull a gun on you even when you are not on duty. You can't stop this, it will happen anyway because your life is now changed, your mind is now changed, you are not the person you were yesterday. You now know the fear of death - from both sides.

How do I know all this? Because I have been there.

The Force Continuum

What is this Force Continuum and what exactly does it mean?
The Force Continuum is a set of rules you must satisfy before you pull the trigger, it is your strongest defence if you face court. In this sense it is possibly the single most important thing you need to remember. The Force Continuum is a series of stages that will, or should, eventuate if you find yourself in a threatening situation during your shift. These stages are important for you to understand for several reasons, both legal and moral. Should you, as an armed guard, find yourself facing court because you fired your weapon, the Force Continuum is something that will be raised by both defence and prosecution; it can be both your savoir and your executioner.

If you face court because you fired your weapon, and if that action caused the death of another person, you will need to prove two (2) things

Yes you read correctly - 'YOU' will 'need to prove' two (2) things.

1. You acted legally, within the regulations.
2. You were left with no other option.

Both the above will require your knowledge, understanding and compliance with the Force Continuum. If you do not know AND understand the Force Continuum, then the prosecution will send you to prison.

The 6 stages of the Force Continuum.

1. Officer presence.

This means quite simply that you must be there; if you were not there then you would not be involved in the incident. (Your presence is meant to be a deterrent, however, it can also be the catalyst that creates the problem)

2. Communication.

This means attempting to calm the situation by talking to the offender, attempting to calm the situation and end the threat without force.

3. Open Hand.

This means that the offender is not responding to communication and you find it necessary to make defensive hand gestures while maintaining a safe distance. This does not involve threatening the offender or using any form of weapon.

4. Closed Hand.

This means that the offender has become threatening, you now find it necessary to use minimum force to defend yourself or restrain the offender; in this stage you are NOT using any weapon other than your hands or feet.

5. Filled Hand.

At this stage you have found it necessary to use some form on NON LETHAL weapon to defend yourself against the offender, perhaps they have become violent or produced a weapon of some kind. At this stage, if you have no other weapon available, removing your firearm from its holster is considered acceptable.

6. Lethal Force.

The final stage, discharging your firearm in an attempt to STOP the offender from causing you, or another person - to lose their life. You had NO OTHER CHOICE. It is vital that you understand all six (6) stages of the Force Continuum, paying particular attention to the wording in stage 6. The key words are 'Stop' and 'Lose their Life'.(The importance of these particular words will become obvious to you if you face a court) Study the Force Continuum until it becomes second nature to you, you must know and understand these stages so well, that in an emergency or threatening situation, you will act instinctively - and calmly.
Most mistakes are made while acting in haste or under stress, a mistake made while you are armed could end a life, and destroy what is left of yours.

Cardboard or Flesh

Shooting at a cardboard target suspended from something 10 metres away is easy, maybe you hit it, maybe you don't, doesn't matter really. The target stays there waiting for you to either shoot it again or bring it back to gloat over how many times you hit the bullseye.

People don't do either of these things, especially people who are angry, crazy, criminal, suicidal, or just simply have a will to live.

They are so inconsiderate that they won't even stand still while you take aim.

So, you have done your training, hit the bullseye on your cardboard target, been granted your license and maybe even been back to the range every day for 6 weeks practicing, hell you are a marksman. Now however, you are on the street, with a client, in the car, whatever, and some maniac threatens you or your client with a weapon. This isn't a cardboard target, it won't just hang there and wait and it doesn't have convenient markings for you to aim at. It is moving, shouting, waving a weapon and trying really hard to stop you from pulling that trigger.

Do you know how long it takes the average person to travel 10 metres if they are determined?
Do you know how hard it is to hit a moving target dead centre?
Do you know how difficult it is to pull that trigger calmly?
Have you noticed that the other person is NOT calm?
Do you know fast a bullet fired from a handgun travels? (800 metres per second average)

Stress experienced at the shooting range while trying to pass a test is nothing compared to the stress you will be under at the moment somebody is threatening you and you have your finger on that trigger.

Let me go through the steps for you, the things that will go through your mind as you stand there, weapon out, aimed, trigger finger tensing (note, the following words may be less offensive than those passing through your mind at that moment).

1. Shit!
2. Shit! Shit! shit!
3. Shit! Shit!! Shit!!! Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang etc.

If your aim was true you stopped the threat with the first shot, all the others were reflex actions because the threat was still moving towards you - momentum will do that. If your aim was not true, then you are probably dead and the rest of this doesn't matter.

Real life isn't like the movies, when you pull that trigger, the target doesn't simply fall down, the target doesn't jerk backwards and go into spasms (unless you are firing a 308 Carbine and hit them in the head), the target keeps coming and you keep pulling that trigger. Why? Because you were under unbelievable stress at that point, you just wanted to stop the threat, you don't know how many times to pull the trigger, you don't even know how many times you DID pull the trigger, all you know is that you needed to stop the threat.

Actually the truth is that you didn't want to die - so somebody else had to.
Killing is easy to do - it is NOT easy to live with.

Are you ready to face the rest of your life knowing that you took a life, never being certain that you had no other choice?

I spend my every waking hour wondering if I will have to draw my weapon, wondering if I will have what it takes to pull the trigger if needed. I spend my waking hours wondering these things because I have done it before, I know what it feels like and I pray I will never have to do it again. The difference for me is this, I KNOW that I would pull the trigger without hesitation, I already know the nightmare that comes every night, I have lived with it for more than 30 years.

If you saw me on the street and were walking towards me with your hand in your pocket, I would be wondering why you have your hand in your pocket, what have you got in that pocket. If you are across the street while I am at a cafe, I am wondering why you are watching me. If you are at a venue and have a back pack, I am wondering what you have in there. If you move to a spot inside a venue and have your back to a wall, I am wondering why. I have already decided what to do in each of these situations if you suddenly produce a weapon. I do not sit with my back to a wall, I do not allow myself to be placed into a situation where I can't see all around me - even when off duty and unarmed. Am I paranoid, yes, but I am still alive and can honestly say I have never lost a client or injured a single innocent person.
Not so long ago a friend, who also happens to be my lawyer, mentioned to my business partner that he had seen me in a shopping centre. He said I looked like I was ready to shoot somebody. My business partner smiled and told him that is my normal look; he was right.

This is just one of the effects of taking another persons life.

After the noise stops.

OK, the threat is ended, you can holster your weapon again, it's all over now and you are still standing. Phew, that was close. Now all you have to worry about is the paperwork right?

Wrong!

You are about to go through an even more stressful situation, you are about to face the courts.

If there are no witnesses, or even worse, if there ARE witnesses and they happen to be hostile, for instance friends or accomplices of the offender, you will need to defend your actions in a court of law. The prosecutor, if they are in a good mood, will try to get you on manslaughter. If they have had a bad day you will face murder, trust me, this experience will stay with you the rest of your life. You can't blame the prosecutor or the hostile witnesses, the family members or friends of the person you shot, they all have a job to do, put you away.

In this case it is up to YOU to prove that what you did was justified, that you followed the law and that you had no other option. You see, despite all you have seen in the movies, despite all you know about the law, the fact is you are NOT innocent until proven guilty, in this instance, YOU MUST PROVE that you didn't 'want' to shoot.

Now you need The Force Continuum and the Three (3) Basic Rules.
Don't think you are alone in this situation, even police officers who use their weapon face the same ordeal, the difference here is that they have counsellors and legal representation to help them, you don't (unless you work for a unique company who cares about their employee) You must find - and pay for - everything.

Facing court.

Facing court is never fun, even on petty matters, but facing court on a manslaughter or murder charge brings a whole new range of emotions. What happens during the trial is something you will not forget quickly, even if found innocent.
Understand something from the very outset, YOU HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER PERSONS LIFE.

This is what the prosecutor will tell the court and everybody in it at the time, including the media. How you took that life, and why, is what the court needs to hear.

It is at this time that you need to know and understand the Force Continuum AND the Firearms Regulations.

One of the most often used defence arguments is the 'Split Second Decision', meaning that the court will be told that you had to make a life or death decision in the heat of the moment. Everybody understands this defence; it is emotional, real and powerful.

It is also wrong.

Some years back two (2) Military Police Officers faced civilian court (unusual) on an assault charge. They had restrained a drunken man at the entrance to a military facility. The man fell breaking his arm, he later claimed brutality and un-necessary force. He won the case despite the fact that he started the ruckus in the first place, why?

The prosecutor asked the military police a simple question.

"Are you, or are you not, trained to kill?"

He asked this same question several times, each time receiving a vague answer. After the fifth (5th) time he received the answer he was looking for. The answer was equally powerful and extremely damaging - "Yes"

The prosecution argument was simple, as 'trained killers', these men should not have tried to restrain a drunken man, this was 'un-necessary force'.
Although the military police officers were only reprimanded by the courts and fined, it shows the way a prosecution counsel will work, what they are after and how they get the result.

As an armed security guard, you face the same problem.

As a trained professional, and that is what you are, you carry a weapon designed to kill another person, you are fully aware of the law, you have been trained to aim at the 'largest visible area of the target', you know that if you pull the trigger - the person in front of that weapon will die. 'YOU are trained to kill'.

"You have undergone months of training; you have years of experience behind you, right?
Well? Answer the question - is that right?"

The truth is that you have probably only ever fired a weapon at a cardboard target.
You did a two (2) day course in an enclosed, safe environment with a qualified instructor watching your every move. You have probably been employed for many years, during these years you have been back to the pistol range at least six (6) times every year to practice, you are a good shot. You have done a re-accreditation each year since your license was issued, but this was the first time you ever faced a life threatening situation. You are a rookie.

The police don't want you walking the streets with a weapon, the government doesn't want you walking the streets with a weapon, hell, the majority of the public don't want you walking the streets with a weapon, but the law allows you to.

The prosecutor, the judge, the jury, the members of the public in the gallery of the court and the media all want guns off the streets. You are just another step in that process. This isn't personal, you have not been singled out and you are not being badly treated. You have fired a weapon resulting in the death of another person, they didn't do this, 'you did'.

The 'Split Second Decision' defence.

This defence strategy is based on the fact that you had an attacker threatening your life, or the life of another person, and you had to make a 'split second decision'. The prosecution loves this defence because it is rubbish, easily shown wrong, it is the best weapon they have against you, they WANT you to pull this one.

You can't use the 'split second decision' defence because you know the law, you have thought about what you would do, you have been trained to do it, there is no split second decision to be made.
The instant you unclipped the thumb strap from your weapon, you had committed yourself to action. The decision was made at that moment.
No matter which way you look at it, you had decided that you would have to shoot to stop the threat because you had no other options available to you.
You had tried to talk them down, you had tried to back away, indicated that you were armed, looked for escape routes, checked for innocent bystanders, thought about what would happen if you didn't draw your weapon, decided that it was a 'life threatening' situation and realised that your life, or the life of another person, was in 'real and imminent' danger.

Yes, you did have to make a 'split second decision' at the moment you pulled the trigger, but that is not your defence because you knew this might happen the moment you signed out the weapon, you were already prepared for it, you were trained for it. YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL. You hoped and prayed that it wouldn't happen, BUT IF IT DID, you knew what you would need to do. Getting the point?

Your only defence is the law, the NSW Firearms Act 1996, and the regulations covering the use of firearms. If you followed these then you are OK.
If you didn't - then you can kiss your butt goodbye.

I personally have other reasons to fear using my weapon now, the courts and prosecutors KNOW that I have done it before, I have far more experience now than I did before that day, I KNOW the consequences, the prosecutor can now imply that I should have known better, that I enjoyed it.

Understand something here, you cannot simply do a two (2) day course, strap on a firearm and suddenly become experienced, it doesn't work that way. You MUST know and understand the law and the regulations, you must be able to quote applicable sections of them under stress, let's say in a court while under attack from a prosecutor. They must be second nature to you.

At the time you pull that trigger you must be ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED that you have NO OTHER OPTION AVAILABLE, that YOUR LIFE or THE LIFE OF ANOTHER PERSON is in REAL AND IMMENT DANGER and that NO INNOCENT PERSONS WOULD BE INJURED BY YOUR ACTIONS AND - THAT YOUR INTENTION WHEN YOU FIRED WAS TO STOP (not kill) THE OFFENDER.
This is your only defence.

The prosecutor will attack you with every argument possible, aimed at making you slip up, say something that he/she can use to show that you pulled the trigger in anger, frustration, fear, revenge, or worse still, because you wanted to. The prosecution will have information on your past that you had forgotten about, they will know every time you lost your temper, every argument you had with your wife or kids, every drink you ever had, every driving offence you were ever charged with, every minute spent in juvenile court, your behaviour at school, anything they can use to show that you should not have been carrying that weapon.
They are not out to prove that you deliberately shot somebody, they are out to prove that you 'did not have to shoot'; that you did the 'wrong' thing.

The words they are trying to get you to say are 'KILL', 'DEAD', 'DON'T KNOW', 'WASN'T SURE' and 'MAYBE'.
Any of the above words coming from your lips can condemn you.
DO NOT USE THOSE WORDS IN ANY ANSWER - ANYWHERE.

Understand this point well, just as your job is to protect your client, so the prosecutors job is to see you found guilty of a crime, there is no animosity towards you personally, they have not picked you out as a scape goat, they do not particularly want to see your life ruined, they did not come looking for you, they are just doing their job.

What you have to do is show that you were doing your's.

Your defence has to show very clearly that you DID YOUR JOB, that you did it SAFELY and in THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD under the circumstances.

Don’t get me wrong, not every security officer who shoots somebody ends up in prison, some don't even end up in court, but you might, and you had better be prepared if you do.

The Media

The Australian media will not be kind to you in most cases, unless it was blatantly obvious that the offender you 'stopped' was a nasty person with a mind set on killing you, they will look for the most sensational angle, the 'news that sells papers'.

Again these people are doing their job, they don't know you or the circumstances leading up to what you did, they don't care much either. Their job is to report news, and YOU ARE NEWS. The more controversial they can make your case the better. This is what they are trained to do, what they get paid to do. This can work for you or against you, depending on the situation and how you handle it.

Many journalists will be sympathetic to your case, they will understand and in some cases appreciate that you had a job to do under dangerous circumstances, but many won't. It is not so much the journalists you need to worry about, it is the editors and the public perception.

With journalists, the absolute best defence is to let your lawyers do the talking, if you MUST answer questions use the same rules as in court, steer well clear of those same words you avoided in court and NEVER speak badly of the offender, he/she is not on trial, you are. Remember, judges and jurors read papers, what they read WILL affect how they see you.

The aftermath.

The court case and resulting media coverage is bad enough, but it isn't the end of your ordeal by a long shot (forgive the pun), you still have your conscience and the hate to deal with. Court may go away, other stuff doesn't. If you have never looked somebody in the face and pulled the trigger then you have no idea what to expect, the doubts, the emotions, the turmoil inside you, these things will not go away easily. Unless you are an un-feeling, emotionless rock with no conscience (in which case you should find another career), then you will do battle with these things for years after the event.

Those people who were family or friends of the person you shot will not forget you, they will not forgive you, their lives have been changed forever. The offender didn't change their lives, you did, you are to blame and as far as they are concerned, you should pay.

Never appologise for what you did (unless you were wrong), and never ask the family of the offender for forgiveness, this simply reinforces to them that you are guilty. They will not forgive you, they can't. To them there was always another option, always another way, you didn't have to shoot, you could have run away, you could have handed over your weapon, you could have begged, anything at all. You see - to them, having the person you shot in prison FOR SHOOTING YOU was a better option, because at least they could still see and talk to them, now they can't.

This may not make sense to you, but it does to them because YOU are not important, YOU were not their friend, YOU are not family, YOU are a no-body who had a gun. He/she would not have shot you, only wanted the money, was sexually abused as a child, had mental problems, was under the influence of drugs, alcohol, love, it wasn't his/her gun/knife, anything at all to excuse the offenders behaviour. You should have known these things, you should have taken all this into account and understood the pressures the offender was under, you should NOT have fired your weapon.

Understand this, they loved him/her - they don't even know you.

You think this won’t affect you? Think again. Not only have their lives changed forever, so has yours. Whenever the police need to do a criminal history check on you this will show up, it will be there on record when you apply to renew your passport, apply for a foreign Visa, try to enter another country, join the Armed Forces or simply apply for a Government job.

You are stuck with this for the rest of your life, and if that isn't bad enough, so is your family - wife, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings. All these people are affected by your actions. You do not want this hanging over your head, or theirs, unless you had 'no other choice'.

Conclusion

Why have I outlined all this stuff? Why have I pointed out all the bad things associated with carrying a weapon? Why have I been so hard line about it? Easy - for your protection.

I have been on both sides of a discharged weapon, I know what it is like to shoot somebody and go through all that I outlined above. I also know what it is like to be shot, how it feels, what it does and how it changes things. It isn't easy, no matter which end of the barrel you are at when it goes 'bang', but being on the trigger end has far worse and long reaching effects. Doing time in a prison cell may not be fun, but at least you pay your debt and eventually you are forgiven, doing time in your head never ends, never gets easier. I still see the faces, I still hear the sounds, I still feel the pain, even though it has been more than 25 years since I last fired a shot at an offender, even though I acted legally and safely, even though I know I had no other choice, even though I know he would have shot me. I took another persons life and I can’t forget that.

How would you feel if somebody shot your wife, husband, child, father, mother, brother, sister or best friend?

When you sign out that weapon, keep in mind that you have the power of life over death in your hands, you are responsible for that power. It is not something to be proud of, it is not something to be toyed with, bragged about or treated lightly. This is not a video game or movie, those people out there on the streets are not actors in some script or characters in some game, they can't be re-set or re-created, they are real and they deserve to live just as much as you do, no matter who they are. If one or more of them chooses to forfeit that right to live by forcing you to pull the trigger, then you are not to blame - but you must live with the consequences.

No matter how you look at it, you must always remember one thing.

"Life is the inherent right of every living thing, the one thing you cannot replace.
It should not be taken lightly"