N.C. Shooting Demonstrates Value of Armed Officers

Incident could have been much worse if officers didn't have weapons.
Published: November 6, 2011

The shooting of a former student who was apparently brandishing a semi-automatic rifle this weekend is yet another instance where armed higher education officers were able to respond to an armed aggressor. While most incidents do not make the national news, they illustrate the capabilities that are only present when officers are armed with a firearm. 

Over the course of two decades as a university police officer and school district police chief, I can think of dozens of instances where no one was killed or injured that might easily have turned out differently had the officers involved not been carrying a firearm. In each of these instances, a suspect was armed with a firearm or edged weapon, but they surrendered to one or more armed officers without a shot being fired. In at least a dozen of these cases, an aggressor reached for or brandished the weapon but gave up when confronted with the business end of an officer’s weapon. 

Though there are many instances such as this recent case where officers must fire their weapon to control a dangerous situation, the majority of suspects drop their weapon when challenged.

Many college and university officials around the country will no doubt contemplate how much worse this situation might have ended were it not for campus police officers who were not only willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others but were armed so they could do so. This is important. It is also important for them to understand that there are many other situations that are not reported in the news where the fact that an officer has a firearm makes a difference between life and death. 

——Article Continues Below——

Get the latest industry news and research delivered directly to your inbox.

I am grateful that dedicated and armed officers were on duty at Elizabeth City State University in the wee hours of the morning this weekend. Though the facts are sketchy at this point in time, it appears likely that they rose to the challenging occasion superbly. 

The very special people who raise their right hand and swear an oath to protect others help make the college experience far safer for everyone else.

Related Articles:

Posted in: News

ADVERTISEMENT
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series