Yup-plans are already in the works. RTK and some of you others have had a chance to practice a possible "one handed response", already. By the way, RTK is joining Mary, her husband Steve, and some others tomorrow, doing the "Polar Plunge" for Special Olympics MN. And it's not his first time, either. Way to go, RTK!

I have practiced this drill (drawing and firing from a retention position with weak hand extended to target) and it makes you VERY nervous the first couple times you do this. However, it's easy to do safely IF YOU'RE UNDER THE INSTRUCTION of a capable firearms instructor. Do not try this by yourself, and do not try this at a public range (you'll probably get booted and asked never to return).

You want to have a second experienced person (instructor) watching, and do a few dry runs to make sure you can do it safely. They can see things you cannot, since you should be focusing on the target. Basically you push into the chest/neck area, and fire into the hip/pelvis area.

It should be noted that if it gets to this point of having to fire in VERY close proximity, you already failed several steps of situational awareness.

Let me state that if you are thinking you need this kind of skill, then you probably are ready for some more advanced training.

Actually, there's one more step in there. The dispatchers don't actually answer the phone - they only dispatch. My job (and others down there) is 9-1-1 operator, which are the folks that answer the phone. We enter the call, which send it to dispatch, they read it and dispatch it to the squad(s) and send it to the squad(s) MDC. And no, it does not usually go as smooth or as fast as that sounds.

In this case, which I think I recall hearing about since I was working, no call would be entered if you weren't going to wait. A message would have been sent to all of the Pct., which while it sounds good in reality accomplishes nothing since the skyways aren't usually patrolled by cops.

If you had decided to wait, in light of this being an attempt only and the suspect had departed, it would have likely been downgraded to a report call and you might still be there waiting (not really, but you get my drift).

I'd be happy finding a class just to take it to the first level. I suppose that could be considered the "next" level after the carry permit class. Every class I've seen has been an intermediate to advanced defensive pistol class. I'm still looking for the basics. I can stand at the line and shoot paper all day long. I need the next step.

It's interesting how we all envision a different scenario. I wasn't drawing into a brawl in mine. At least not yet. But I was contemplating that ready position and the merits of using the universal stop hand signal in addition to the verbal command. Using the hand signal does exact a price in personal safety, but perhaps the moral and de-escalatory effects are worth the sacrifice. Ultimately Joel is right, it's up to me. That's why I challenged it here.

When I teach any type of retention drill, there are very, very specific steps to follow. I would recommend that any retention work only be done with an instructor experienced with "close up" work. One slightly wrong movement could have hazardous results, IMHO. As far as "follow on" classes, there's some good training available locally, as well as nationally, depending on one's level of interest, and budget.

While true for Minneapolis (as Spiowicz is definitely an authority on the matter and would know), it should be noted this is not always the case for every place that takes 911 calls in the metro area.

Sure. My own take, for what it's worth, is that particular bit of nonverbal communication breaks the frame, and interrupts the pattern; it has a definite risk of being rude to somebody who really didn't deserve it, but has the definite benefit of quite possibly deescalating a problem early, which is the best time, of course, to handle that.

All in all, I think it's a gain in personal safety, rather than the loss, almost all of the time.

But, sure, it's your call.

Challenging it here seems to me to be a good thing; discussing this stuff is, at worst, mildly useful.

Very true - thanks for clearing that up. Different PSAPs (Public Safety something or other - basically the emergency comm. center) have different staffing types. Also, many departments not utilize the county versus having their own dispatch. For example, Henn. County receives 911 calls and dispatches for I'd say about half of the county PDs. GV/SLP compromise another center.

At one point there was consideration for MECC to be swallowed by Hennepin County, until they realized that MECC itself deals with more then all of the jurisdictions Hennepin COunty dispatches for combined.

There's definitely something to be said for people designing call/response centers and procedures to know something about the subject matter.

If you're going to have a regional one, for example, it's probably a good idea to think about, in advance, how resources are going to be shared across boundaries -- Minneapolis, for example, is dramatically understaffed compared to, say, Richfield, next door. What do you do about, say, Bossen Terrace-- the Mos Eisley of South Minneapolis, part of the single largest sector in the entire city, which has one car (at most) on patrol, when across the highway, Richfield -- about the same size and population of that sector -- has a minimum of four. The taxpayers of Richfield aren't going to be very happy if their guys are routinely being pulled across the highway to solve my city's problems.

I've been involved in several DGU's, going as far back as 1994, and one of them was almost identical to yours (although I was near Block-E) and I say you did just fine. Your actions were simple direct, and clear, not to mention clear-headed.

Good job.

Oh, just as an FYI, I teach all my carry students to make very, VERY SHORT 911 calls. Even after a no-shots-fired scenario (which thankfully, most are) we're likely a bit high on adrenalin and there is a tendency to talk too much. In your case, the perp had gone, and you correctly gave a description of the PERP (although I would have left off any comment regarding YOUR actions - see below).

But once shots are fired, the 911 call should be limited to a request for Police (and an ambulance) and only enough information to direct them to your location - then HANG UP! No comments WHATSOEVER regarding the incident. More than a few folks have lived to regret what seemed to be innocent comments recorded on 911 calls. Ask any good attorney (who, by the way, should be the SECOND person you call).

Again, good job.

Glad you and yours are safe and sound, which is, after all, the real goal, isn't it?

ROTFL - sorry, I have experienced first hand (well, first hand in the MECC) the absolute validity to this. That sector is 330, who in reality if often in any sector BUT 330.

It's simple. You blame everything on the landlords.

Much the same can be said of sector 530.

Again, very true, unless you're in the area of 58 - 60/Nic . . . .