How many times throughout your career have you used your firearm or had to pull it?

r/

When you’re on patrol, or out in the field. Not during the academy or training.

Is it a rare occurrence or is it a common thing like shown in movies?

Comments

  1. 72ilikecookies Avatar

    Pull it? I’d say 3-4 times a week. This is gonna vary wildly based on location, shift, assignment (SWAT vs SRO), etc.

    Fire it in the line of duty? Twice in over a decade.

  2. RRuruurrr Avatar

    I draw it all the time for different reasons. I live in a place where we get a lot of vehicle vs deer/elk accidents. In the busy season I shoot one every week or two.

  3. EliteEthos Avatar

    Pulled it?

    All the god**** time…

    Used it? Never.

  4. StevenMcStevensen Avatar

    I’ve drawn it a thousand times, never actually fired in a non-training setting aside from dispatching injured wildlife.

    The movie trope of the cop who has never drawn his gun on somebody always annoys me – I’m a big people person, really good at persuading people and resolving things through persuasion. But no matter how good you are, everybody runs into tons of situations where you would absolutely be remiss to not draw down on somebody.

  5. Complex-Candle-9076 Avatar

    It gets drawn a lot. I’ve only had to tickle someone with 9mm once.

  6. Whatever92592 Avatar

    Pull it, dozens.

    Pull the trigger, once.

  7. sockherman Avatar

    Pull it all the time. Used it once to shoot a dog who mauled 5 people before I arrived and then attacked me.

  8. Normal-Cartoonist203 Avatar

    I draw it every shift multiple times. Only needed to use it once so far. No paper work required for us just because we unholster our weapon. That sounds like a terrible policy.

  9. Extra_Floor_6800 Avatar

    Ever car stop pulled it used once

  10. sconnick124 Avatar

    It’s been drawn many times.

    I was only on scene for one active shooting, and I didn’t let any rounds go.

    EDIT: I have had to put down deer, raccoons, etc. Does that count? 🤣

  11. Ill_Success_2253 Avatar

    Not a LEO. There’s many studies on this. The vast majority rarely pull it more than once.

  12. eatmypooamigos Avatar

    I’ve pulled it out once.