We have told you time and again to shoot until the threat stops. STOP. THE. THREAT. In this video, you see a knife-wielding attacker charging at a police officer and getting shot six times for his efforts. The attacker went down — only to get back up and charge the officer again. This time, the officer, for whatever reason, chose not to shoot, and the attacker was able to get on top of the cop and apply a rear naked choke, putting the knife to the cop’s neck. What we didn’t show was the other officer taking a “hostage shot” to stop the threat and end the danger.

The truth of the matter is that no handgun round has the power to give you that lightning-bolt effect you see in Hollywood movies. Remember, you may use deadly force to stop an imminent deadly threat. If you use force and the threat stops, you must stop using force. But if the threat returns, you may once again use force to stop the threat. You don’t know what damage your rounds will do to an attacker. Keep shooting until the threat stops. Then move to a position of tactical advantage and, if the threat returns, shoot again until it stops. You can see from this video why that is important.

Caliber Doesn’t Matter

Shot placement matters. Real-world gunfights are not like the movies. Unless you hit one of the really small but very important parts of the body that causes an instant stop, you will have to keep shooting.

About Kevin Michalowski

Executive Editor of Concealed Carry Magazine Kevin Michalowski is a USCCA and NRA Certified Trainer and is a graduate of the Force Science Institute Certification Course. He has participated in training as both an instructor and a student in multiple disciplines. Kevin is also a fully certified law enforcement officer working part time for a small agency in rural Wisconsin.