Weapons Study Flashcards
Firearm justification
You are only justified in discharging your firearm when there is an immediate risk to your life, or the life of someone else, or there is an immediate risk of serious injury to you or someone else and there is no other way of preventing the risk.
Safe direction
A safe direction is a direction in which any unintentionally fired shot, would be safely stopped and contained with no human injury, and at most, only minimal property damage.
Stoppage
A stoppage is anything that prevents the pistol from firing, when the user intends that it should fire.
Glock definition
The Glock Pistol is a mechanically locked, recoil operated self-loading pistol, with inbuilt trigger, firing pin and drop safety mechanisms.
Trigger Characteristics
12.5mm of trigger travel
4mm forward of trigger reset
Glock safety features (3)
- Trigger safety
- Firing pin safety
- Drop safety
Discharge steps of Glock to fire
- The firearm must be a functional, working model.
- There must be a round in the chamber; and
- someone must pull the trigger.
General safety principles (4)
- Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
- Be conscious of where the muzzle of your. firearm is pointed at all times (never allow the muzzle of your firearm to cover another human being unless it is required by your duties as a police officer)
- Keep your finger off the trigger and on the receiver until your sights are on target and you have decided to fire; and
- Be sure of your target. (know what it is, what is in line with it and what is behind it. Never fire at anything you have not positively identified).
Loaded vs Unloaded Glock
- Mag containing round fitted / not fitted
- Round in the chamber / not in chamber
- Pistol can be fired / cannot be fired
Parts of Glock 17
- Slide
- Receiver
- Recoil spring assembly
- Barrel
- Magazine
Functioning sequence of Glock
- Firing
- Unlocking
- Extracting
- Ejecting
- Feeding
- Locking into battery
- Locking open (last shot)
Function checks (after reassembly)
- Trigger
- Trigger reset
- Slick lock
Glock 17 weight (loaded/unloaded), muzzle velocity
Loaded - 1045g
Unloaded - 759g
Muzzle velocity - 375 m/s
Glock Ammunition
Speer Le Gold Dot 9mm Luger
Handcuff Justification
The decision to handcuff rests with you. officer safety is paramount. Generally, you are justified in handcuffing prisoners only when they have tried to escape, or to prevent escape or injury to themselves or others.
Parts of handcuffs
- Swinging arm
- Fixed arm
- Knurled locking barrels
- Body (or chain)
- Hinge
Handcuff principles
- Apply
- Adjust
- Double lock
- Check
Handcuffing safeguards
- Approach from a safe angle using body position
- Remain alert and prepared for sudden resistance
- Adopt good tactical position and maintain control by keeping person off balance
- Ensure handcuffs are double locked to prevent escape, and check by pulling and pushing on the swinging arm
Baton Justification
The decision to use your baton rests with you. You may use your baton if in danger of being overpowered or to protect yourself or others from injury. The forced used must always be reasonable.
Baton non-strike areas
- Head
- Neck
- Groin
Baton - primary strike areas
Legs - from hips to toes
Baton - secondary strike areas
Arms - from shoulder to finger tips
The Baton (fixed) facts
- diameter, length, weight, made from
- Aluminium and hollow with black anodised finish.
- Diameter = 3.175cm
- Length = 66.04cm
- Weight = 540g
Parts of Baton (fixed)
- Tip
- Shaft
- Rubber grommet
- Knurled handles
- Butt
Expandable baton facts - Length (closed + open), weight, other facts
- Made of 2 hollow shafts, locked into place by friction
Length - 19.74cm - 51.28cm
Weight - 462g
Expandable Baton - Parts
- Tip
- End shaft
- Middle shaft
- Handle
- End cap
Oleoresin Capsicum Spray Justification
Use defensive spray for:
- Protection of human life
- A less lethal option for controlling people, where violent resistance or confrontation occurs (or is likely to occur),
- Protection against animals
OS spray Facts
- max/min range
- weight
- %
- based
- shelf life
Max range - 3.5m
Min range - 90cm
Weight - 42g
Water based
20% solution
Shelf life - 5 years
OC operational considerations
- Room size
- Exists from room/building
- Air conditioners
- Enclosed spaces
- Wind
- Rain
- Don’t do drivers
- Don’t do near ledge
- Don’t for punishment/interrogation
- Don’t for control and compliance
OC target areas
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
OC tactical movement
Spray > Move > Assess
OC decontamination (7 steps)
- Control - verbal comms/ physical constraint
- Instructions - “remain calm”
- Removal from spray area - reduce secondary contamination
- Reassurance - “effect will wear off soon”
- Decontaminate - water in eyes
- Medical - ambo / hospital
- Observe - watch person until effects have worn off
OC other considerations
- Inform custody manager
- Inform time of spray
- Approx. amount of OC + how long
- If asthmatic
- If restraints were used following spray
- What decontaminations was used
- Record on COPS
Conducted Electrical Weapon (CEW) Taser Justification
Discharge a Taser to:
- Protect Human life,
- Protect yourself or others where violent confrontation or violent resistance is occurring or imminent,
- Protect an officer/s in danger of being overpowered or to protect themselves or another person from the risk of Actual Bodily Harm, or
- Protect from animals
Taser Considerations
Before drawing and using your taser you should continually assess the situation, whilst always having a backup plan.
Parts of the taser (8)
- Rear sights
- Front sights
- Speaker port
- Trigger
- Cartridge release button
- Arc switch
- Rechargeable battery pack
- Central Information Display (CID)
Taser Facts
- spread/distance
- min/max range
- what does effect taser cause
- how many tasers per car
- Other facts
- 30cm spread per 3.3m of travel
- Min range - 90cm
- Max range - 11m
- Taser causes NMI
- 1 taser per 2 officers
- Ambos called for every discharge
- don’t hand taser to another officer in the field
- CEW ignite fuels, defence and hair sprays
Taser Preferred Target Zones
- Back - larger muscle groups and minimal sensitive body parts
- Split the belt line
- don’t target head, eyes, throat, chest, genitals
Taser Secondary target zones
- the front of the body
- one probe above and one below waistline
Criteria to draw and cover with CEW
- Do not draw or aim unless you consider you are likely to be justified to use it
- When drawing the taser, it must be immediately armed upon removal from the holster (turn it on as soon as you draw)
Taser restrictions for use
- anything flammable
- Possible secondary injuries (falling from height)
- mental health people to make them submit to medication/treatment
- elderly or disabled
- handcuffed persons
- pregnant people
- small people including children
- driver of vehicle
- someone fleeing
- pain compliance
Taser operational use
- cycle lasts for 5 sec
- arc switch pressed for another cycle
- trigger pulled for a second time for second probes to be discharged
- max 3 cycles then consider other options
Taser modes of use (3 +1)
Warning arc
Probes discharged
Drive stun
Painting
Taser Function test
completed to verify the CEW’s core electronics and both cartridges are working.
Taser Function test (STEPS)
- Taser off
- Examine body for damage
- Hold both arc switches until CID shows %
- Turn on Taser, yellow background and black squares
- Press arc switch, examine arcs for proper function
- Turn taser off
Holster
