# 'Taking the shot' for public safety



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

By Rick Armellino
Baker Ballistics, LLC

*Pre-emptive use of deadly force - the double standard
*
Many deaths or serious injuries to average citizens would be prevented if armed and hostile individuals were killed when the first legal opportunity for a clean shot was presented.
Think about it: VIPs are typically protected by armed bodyguards prepared to instantly neutralize an armed threat to their "protectees" by delivering a head-shot at the earliest opportunity to the offender. Police officers are very important people, too, thus the pre-emptive use of deadly force is an accepted method of protecting the physical safety and well-being of all law enforcement personnel. 
But members of the public at large, although entitled, seldom benefit from the same level of personal protection afforded to VIPs and law enforcement personnel. Instead, they're often left to fend for themselves until the potential killer goes "active" and becomes fair game for aggressive law enforcement action. 
The widespread institutional resistance prohibiting shooting an armed individual threatening to harm innocent citizens has created a host of less-aggressive and more politically palatable tactics, such as the automatic establishment of containment and negotiation. Even the most unsophisticated of juries understands that pre-emptive shooting of armed and hostile individuals may be necessary to save lives.

Full Article: http://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/1648192/


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