Firearms training is one of the most enjoyable parts of the police academy experience. After all, where else can you go to shoot a bunch of ammunition on somebody else’s dime? However, it doesn’t take long for the new recruits to realize these lessons could very well save their lives at some point during their career.

The week begins in the classroom with the students learning the nomenclature of pistols, revolvers, amd shotguns (Remember, not all academy training is the same). They learn how to field strip (take apart) each weapon, clean it, and to safely re-assamble them. They’re taught how to properly lubricate their weapons, and how to check them for damage.

Police officers use pump-type shotguns

After the instructors are certain the rookies are able to safely handle their weapons, they begin teaching how to hold and grip a pistol or revolver. They also show their students the best method of drawing the weapons from a holster.

At this stage, the students get their first experience of drawing their weapons while giving the command “Police, don’t move!” They also practice drawing from various positions, such as standing, kneeling, and while lying prone, on the ground.

Shooting from prone position

Students learn to reload while under fire. They also learn to clear their weapons from jammed cartridges and other stoppages. The recruits practice lifting their weapons to eye level; they learn to focus on the weapon’s sights while keeping the target in their line of vision, and they practice breathing properly. All this rehearsal time builds the recruit’s strength and stamina, an important attribute when they’re in a do or die situation.

Looking through the pistol sights. It’s important to line up the front, single dot sight with the two rear sights (the front dot is the larger white dot in the center).

Soon, the time comes to actually fire their weapons on the range. After dry-firing a few times, they’re ready to load live ammunition.

Police recruits are taught to shoot center mass of their target, meaning the center of the largest portion of the target. On a human, that would be the torso area. To help police officers become accustomed to aiming for center mass, silhouette targets are used for practice in the police academy.

(The following excerpt is from the Virginia Minimum Training Standards for Law Enforcement Officers)

Virginia Modified Double Action Course for Semi-Automatic Pistols.

Target – Silhouette (B21, B21x, B27 or Q).

Minimum Qualifying Score – 70%.

(a) Each officer is restricted to the number of magazines carried on duty. Magazines shall be loaded to their full capacity. The range instructor shall determine when magazines will be changed.

(b) Phase 1 – seven yards, hip shooting, crouch position, load magazine, fire one round double action on command (two seconds); or fire two rounds (three seconds), make weapon safe, holster, repeat until six rounds have been fired.

On command, draw and fire two rounds (three seconds), make weapon safe, holster, repeat until six rounds have been fired.

On command, draw and fire 12 rounds in 20 seconds, make weapon safe, and holster.

(c) Phase 2 – 15 yards point shoulder position. On command, draw and fire one round (two seconds); or draw and fire two rounds (three seconds), make weapon safe, holster, repeat until six rounds have been fired.

On command, draw and fire one round (two seconds) or two rounds (three seconds), make weapon safe, holster, repeat until six rounds have been fired.

On command, draw and fire six rounds (12 seconds), make weapon safe, holster.

(d) Phase 3 – 25 yards, kneeling and standing position. On command, assume kneeling position, draw weapon and fire six rounds, then fire six rounds weak hand, standing, barricade position, then fire six rounds strong hand, standing, barricade position, until a total of 18 rounds have been fired (70 seconds).

Before police officers actually hit the streets to begin making arrests, directing traffic, responding to domestic complaints, and investigating murders, they must attend a basic police academy to receive their certifications as police officers. The time spent at a police academy varies. Some basic classes last for as little as twelve weeks while others may last in excess of five or six months. Police academy training is quite similar to military basic training.

Some academies require police officer recruits to live on-site during their training, such as the Virginia State Police Academy pictured above. The VSP academy is a full-service operation, complete with dormatories, an indoor pool, and cafeteria facilities.

Police academy training is similar to basic training

Other locales require their police candidates to attend public police academies, such as the ones taught in some local community colleges. These officer candidates must pay for their own training before they can apply for a job with the prospective police agency.

Basic training consists of many aspects of law-enforcement, but perhaps the most memorable course – the one course that sticks in the minds of all police officers – is Defensive Tactics. Recruits refer to this week in the academy as Hell Week.

During Hell Week recruits learn how to defend themselves from weapon wielding attackers, weapon retention, weapon disarming, handcuffing, baton use, Taser and stun gun use, and the use of pepper spray. They’re also required to excercise and run. Lots of excercising and running. And when they’ve finished all that excercising and running, they run and excercise some more. I probably still have blisters on my feet from the weeks I spent running through the grounds of the VSP academy.

The training is intense, very painful, and exhausting.

Recruits learn to control and handcuff combative suspects by using pain compliance techniques – wrist locks and joint control. These techniques are based on the techniques used by martial artists. Aikido and Chin-Na are two of the styles of martial arts used to develop these hghly effective techniques.

         Aikido                      Morihei Ueshiba – Aikido founder

Aikido uses the attacker’s own force against him.

A wrist turnout applies intense pressure to the joint in the wrist, forcing the suspect off balance.

Proper grasp to begin the wrist turnout (Kotegaeshi Nage) technique. To complete the technique the officer maintains his grasp, rotates the suspect’s hand up and to the rear in a counter-clockwise motion while simultaneously stepping back with his (the officer) left leg. The suspect ends up on the floor on his back (see picture below). Any resistance inflcts excrutiating pain in the wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

Combative suspects are normally forced the ground for handcuffing. From this position, a quick turn of the suspect’s wrist and arm will force him to roll over on his stomach. Any resistance causes extreme pain and could severely injure the controlled wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

To effectively control the wrist, the elbow must be stationary. From this position, the suspect is easily handcuffed.

This wrist lock can cause intense pain in the wrist, the elbow, and the shoulder. Forward and downward pressure forces the suspect to the ground.

– My thanks to the martial artists in the photos – Chris Fowler and Jesse Allen. Also, a big thanks to Stephani Fowler for snapping the pics. Stephani is currently working on her first book.

* I was a police academy instructor and instructor trainer for many years. I taught basic, advanced, and in-service classes in defensive tactics, officer survival, and firearms. I also trained, certified, and re-certified police academy instructors. Outside the academy, I taught classes in rape-prevention and self defense as well as classes for executive bodyguards. I trained others in stick (tambo) and knife fighting. Throughout my career I maintained the rank of Master Defensive Tactics Intructor/Aikido and Chin-Na Black Belt.