Gunfighting Blues

A young me once asked my father if he was ever forced to draw his weapon and fire. Had he ever participated in an actual gunfight? Was it like those we watched on the television or at the movies—Dirty Harry, etc? His answer was usually stoic, reverent, and largely dismissive, albeit a “yes” with a huge disclaimer attached. No heroics, mainly survival, he’d say. A person was trying to kill you, after all. Pistol training, to some degree, went out the window. You point, you shoot, you maintain cover, you protect citizens and your fellow officers. It all pure adrenaline. Thanks to body cams, the internet, and sites such as YouTube, we can place ourselves directly in the firing line, witness to lightning-fast changes in situational demands, and the shock of terror when things suddenly become deadly. It’s all Hollywood to most—Cops-‘n-Robbers—Dad would say, until that first round zings just past your skull.

I imagine the task of describing one such encounter in a 500-word column with any degree of impact was a difficult task, yet here it is. Originally published Tuesday, September 9, 1988 in the Gainesville Times, Prof. Taylor lays bare the never-ceasing danger to all police. It could have been written yesterday. ('cept the .38 part!)