Welcome to a place where we can share ideas on use of force and related topics. This is not a place for blind agreement. Instead, this is an educational opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and move forward for the better for those willing to put on the badge and education for all stakeholders. No matter why you are here, we can have a conversation. This is an ego free blog.

I’ve worked at an agency in the United States for 17 years with around 600 officers. I teach Taser, firearms, tiers of contact, and use of force. I have experience in patrol, street crimes, narcotics, and training as a sergeant. I review in excess of 200 use of force incidents yearly for my agency and that has become my passion.

I have taken extensive use of force training including POST Use of Force Instructor Course, POST Use of Force Investigations, Force Science Realistic De-escalation Instructor Course, Force Science Certification Course, Force Science Advanced Specialist Course, and the Force Science (Raptor Protection) Methods of Instruction Course.

My purpose is simple. I want to find out why officers make the decisions they make in a use of force, explain those decisions in a human factor framework, and develop training to afford officers the opportunity to make the best possible decisions in a real world incident. This is not to say officers are always right, but there are human factor explanations as to why certain things occur under pressure—not just for officers but any human.

I believe strongly in three things in regards to use of force: 1) we must judge each use of force in the context of that incident under the parameters that Courts have set out for us, 2) police officers are human and will act as such and, 2) we need to train with empirically sound methods that afford officers the opportunity to make the best possible decisions leading up to a use of force (as well as during). This blog will center around those concepts.

Check out the link at the top of this page for my recommendations for reading on topics such as the ecological approach to training, use of force, and leadership.

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Let’s start a conversation.