Police: Man who shot Colorado gunman was killed by officer

[Kaleva]

29. And civilians who are armed are supposed to know what to do also.

A comment you made earlier:

"After the trauma of seeing a man with a gun and being forced to kill him...

I'm sure Hero wasn't thinking clearly."

Emphasis mine.

The purpose of training is so one doesn't have to think while in a high stress situation because, as you said, people don't think clearly and bad things can happen as in this case.


Picking up the AR15 was a bad move and indicative of a lack of proper training on what to do after a shooting. His killing of the bad guy suggests he spent time on the range practicing drawing his weapon and shooting but picking up the AR15 leads me to believe he had no training on what to do after firing his weapon.

Below is what I believe is the proper response that is commonly taught:

"3. INITIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE: From a safe position or location, call 911. Request emergency medical services if they are needed for you, the suspect or others. Describe what you are wearing, and let the dispatcher know you will not have your weapon in your hand when the officers arrive. Tell the 911 operator something similar to, "I had to use the weapon in self-defense," "I was forced to defend myself," "I was in fear for my life," or "I was attacked." Do not give a detailed account of the incident. This is not the time.

4. PREPARE FOR RESPONDING OFFICERS: When you see police cars or officers getting close, or hear their sirens, holster your weapon. Officers responding to a shooting incident often have a heightened level of concern for their safety, so be prepared to follow their directions. Raise your empty hands above your head with the palms face forward, and listen to their commands. They will disarm you and may handcuff you."

https://ccwsafe.com/blog/what-next--what-to-do-after-a-self-defense-shooting

"You have to remember a person holding a gun is an imminent threat, before any questioning or explanations can begin, police officers will and must remove that threat. If you are holding a gun and refuse to put it down, you may get shot. And the officer would be justified in doing so based on the totality of circumstances and the information that officer had at the time. So, in the unlikely event that you are involved in a shooting, please do what the officers tell you as they secure the scene."

https://gundigest.com/gun-reviews/after-the-shooting-do-what-the-police-say

"10 things you should NEVER do after a self defense shooting

Have your gun in your hand when the police arrive. Police will be responding to a "man with a gun" or "shots fired" call and won't know who's the good guy and who's the bad guy. They will view anyone holding a gun as a threat and will deal with you as such. In short, reholster your gun or set it down if you don't want to get shot."

https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/10-things-you-should-never-do-after-self-defense-shooting

While I have a handgun and CPL, I only need the CPL to make it more convenient to transport my weapon to and from the local shooting range. I do not carry off my property as I know I don't have the level of training I feel is needed to do so competently and I don't have the time or desire to achieve that level of training which is much, much more then putting rounds on target. I have general knowledge but not the time or desire to do the repetitive training needed to use that knowledge instinctively.

Police will arrive at an active shooting scene jacked up and will view anyone with a gun in their hand as an immediate threat so it is imperative that a civilian who chooses to carry in public to train on what to do after a shooting to lessen the chance of being viewed as a perp with a gun and end up getting shot themselves.

I'd be very interested to hear on what you were taught and how you train on how to act after a shooting incident.