This is a body camera video of an officer-involved shooting from August 2013 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Bonner County Prosecuting Attorney said he believed Eric Johnston, 38, intended to commit suicide by cop and determined the officer-involved shooting to be justified.
A couple of things to consider;
1- Physical Condition
I say it in nearly every class I teach but physical conditioning is as important as practicing to shoot for self defense. Listen to the LEOs breathing after the shooting. There is an obvious adrenaline dump (SNS activation)
If we could take his pulse it would also be elevated yet he has done nothing physical. This was also a slow evolving threat. Your physical reaction (fight or flight) will be more or less severe depending on the perceived threat. If this had happened faster and more violently the physical effects the LEO experienced would be much greater. Is your body prepared for something like this? You want to be in the best physical condition that your present medical condition will allow.
2- Picture yourself in a similar situation
Something goes bump in the night, you arm yourself and go searching through your house. You find someone standing in your kitchen with your carving knife in their hand. Are you going to verbally challenge them? Would you have shot sooner or later that the LEO did in the video? How close would you let someone armed with a knife get to you? Are opportunity, intent and ability present justifying the use of deadly force?
- Shawn
