Video: Security Guard Shoots Robber

[1stWatch]

I just found this video while looking around on various websites. It looks like it may have been around for a while, but it's interesting to watch. This one shows a security guard shooting a robber at some retail store.

http://www.dump.com/links.php?link=1020941&q=security+guard&c=2&a=1&v=text

[N. A. Corbier]

Clerk, actually, carrying on a concealed weapon permit. In a hotel. This one made the rounds a bit ago. There was another video angle revealed which showed the woman and child was not in danger of cross fire. When this was shown on Officer.com, it became "stupid f-ing security guard shooting at that robber, I'd of never..." then quickly became "If you were off-duty, would you of?" and "I'm trained to shoot, though, I'm a police officer, a security guard isn't." It took a few cops to remind everyone else that there's no indication that a security guard wouldn't be in uniform and would be carrying concealed - that it was a clerk.

[sgtnewby]

You gotta admit, that camera angle looks pretty bad though...

[1stWatch]

Clerk, actually, carrying on a concealed weapon permit. In a hotel. This one made the rounds a bit ago. There was another video angle revealed which showed the woman and child was not in danger of cross fire. When this was shown on Officer.com, it became "stupid f-ing security guard shooting at that robber, I'd of never..." then quickly became "If you were off-duty, would you of?" and "I'm trained to shoot, though, I'm a police officer, a security guard isn't." It took a few cops to remind everyone else that there's no indication that a security guard wouldn't be in uniform and would be carrying concealed - that it was a clerk.

Interesting. The attitude from that website doesn't surprise me a bit. There is, however, such a thing as a plainclothed security guard with a concealed weapon. TX refers to it as a personal protection officer (PPO) and has a security certification for it. They are most often used in banks and liquor stores.

[N. A. Corbier]

Yeah. Up here, that has to be a private investigator, and they have to be a sworn LEO (active duty) with their private police/security firearms card.

Florida has those things, but its a grey area. Security personnel can be armed for about 3 days while in plain clothes. PIs may never open carry unless performing security duties (and have security license), and may carry on their firearms license. Same license means concealed or open for two different professions.

The civilian CCW does nothing for an armed professional.

[EMTGuard]

"I'm trained to shoot, though, I'm a police officer, a security guard isn't." ....

I never understood this mentality. Like having a police ID card behind your badge somehow made you a better shot. Security and even Corrections Officers here all qualify on the same POST shooting test as the cops take. Many police officers never fire thier guns except for the few dozen rounds they spend each year to requalify while others enjoy shooting as a hobby and fire hundreds of rounds at ranges in their off duty time. It's the same for Security or Corrections. Some of us never carry or fire fire arms and then there are those of us that never miss a chance to drive to the local range and put some 9mm or .223 downrange.

off topic- I always chuckled when we followed the POST script exactily when we had to requalify at the prison. We'd have to yell "POLICE, DON'T MOVE" but I always had the desire to yell, "CORRECTIONS OFFICER". Never did though since I didn't want to cause problems with the range officer. I always had to qualify on the revolver, Mini-14 rifle and the 12 guage shotgun and didn't want to have the range officer on my case.

[N. A. Corbier]

That's frightening, man. What do security yell? If you got into a shoot, and the first words out of your mouth were "POLICE, DON'T MOVE," and you are not a sworn police officer (maybe corrections doesn't count in LA), you're impersonating a LEO with compounding felony of the gun in hand.

People fight as their trained.

[1stWatch]

off topic- I always chuckled when we followed the POST script exactily when we had to requalify at the prison. We'd have to yell "POLICE, DON'T MOVE" but I always had the desire to yell, "CORRECTIONS OFFICER". Never did though since I didn't want to cause problems with the range officer. I always had to qualify on the revolver, Mini-14 rifle and the 12 guage shotgun and didn't want to have the range officer on my case.

I can see problems arising from the requirement of making every person yell "POLICE, DON'T MOVE" if they are not all police officers. Imagine if one of us gets into a heated situation and has to draw on someone and then shouts "POLICE, DON'T MOVE". We could easily be charged with impersonating a police officer. I'm sure it has happened more than once.

[davis002]

From what I can see in that video, the clerk drew his weapon and the robber fired at least one shot that struck the wall on the left side of the screen... the clerk then reacts with a few rounds of his own. I can see how some people would dwell on the fact that the clerk fired his weapon in close proximity to the woman and child, but if you draw your weapon and the robber fires first, would you react differently? It's a good chance that the clerk prevented injury to himself, his co-worker, and the woman and child.

Does anyone know where this happened and when? Even better, any news stories to go along with this video?

[Guest]

I never understood this mentality. Like having a police ID card behind your badge somehow made you a better shot.

No, being a cop does not make one a better shot, but cops are more highly trained than security guards and FAR more proficient with their weapons.

The vast majority of police departments I am aware of shoot a combat course for requalification. Most have to requalify quarterly, but a few requalify twice a year. Most security guards only have to requalify once a year, if that.

Combat courses consist of shooting from cover, shooting while moving, shooting from various distances, shooting at multiple targets, shooting at moving targets, combat reloading, combat malfunction clearing, weak hand shooting, and others. I know of no state-mandated security guard firearms courses that shoot a combat course. Security guard firearms courses that I am aware of shoot a total of 50 rounds at either a standard bulls-eye target or a human silhouette targets from known distances. They never shoot with their weak hands nor while moving nor while kneeling nor against multiple targets that also move.

Although a security guard may be a more accurate shot than a police officer, that same security guard would probably fall apart in an actual gunfight because security guards are not trained for combat

[davis002]

No, being a cop does not make one a better shot, but cops are more highly trained than security guards and FAR more proficient with their weapons.

The vast majority of police departments I am aware of shoot a combat course for requalification. Most have to requalify quarterly, but a few requalify twice a year. Most security guards only have to requalify once a year, if that.

Combat courses consist of shooting from cover, shooting while moving, shooting from various distances, shooting at multiple targets, shooting at moving targets, combat reloading, combat malfunction clearing, weak hand shooting, and others. I know of no state-mandated security guard firearms courses that shoot a combat course. Security guard firearms courses that I am aware of shoot a total of 50 rounds at either a standard bulls-eye target or a human silhouette targets from known distances. They never shoot with their weak hands nor while moving nor while kneeling nor against multiple targets that also move.

Although a security guard may be a more accurate shot than a police officer, that same security guard would probably fall apart in an actual gunfight because security guards are not trained for combat

Don't you feel some of your statements are generalized? Yes some security companies have minimal standards, but not all. I know of quite a few security professionals that could outperform your average street cop in a force-on-force scenario. For example our firearms training covers Shooting on the move, Shooting moving targets, Low light shooting, Weak hand shooting, Multiple targets, Cover/Concealment, etc. So for you to say that ALL security firearms training is inferior to police firearms training is a generalized statement. Further, we qualify bi-monthly. Does that make us better? Absolutely not. But we do see the value in the training. Granted not all security companies invest as much time, money and energy into firearms training as us, but that does not mean they don't exist.

[Guest]

Don't you feel some of your statements are generalized?

Yes, my statements are generalized because my comments are meant to broadly apply to the security industry as a whole. I realize that there are individual exceptions, which I have stated numerous times on this forum.

From my own direct experiences with the security industry, the vast, vast majority of security companies do not provide their employees with ANY amount of training beyond what the state and/or licensing body require. I have known individual security guards (myself included) who have sought out extra training on our own time and at our own expense, but we are in the minority.

Even the police department I currently work for does not provide a whole lot of training; of course our isolation plays a major role in that. Hawaii is the closest place we can go to train, and Hawaii is 2400 miles away. So I spend a lot of my own money and time taking internet-based training courses such as those offered by FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) and the Multi-Jurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training in St. Petersburg, Fl. However, my department does reimburse 80% of the cost of the classes and books.

[Black Caesar]

From my own direct experiences with the security industry, the vast, vast majority of security companies do not provide their employees with ANY amount of training beyond what the state and/or licensing body require. I have known individual security guards (myself included) who have sought out extra training on our own time and at our own expense, but we are in the minority.

It was the same with me. Got my (lvl3) Armed Officer cert while I was at Wackenhut. Worked for two different companies armed on Federal Accounts (GSA and HUD, the 2nd company took over both accounts from the 1st company, I transfered to the HUD account after the takeover) and worked for a 4th company armed after that, and a 5th company a couple years ago when I left the college district for a short time (4 months).

The 4th company "allowed" me to take the PPO course, but then deducted the fee from my check. Every security company I ever worked for made me pay for my own guard card (armed or unarmed) unless I already had it ,sometimes i didn't because of the amount of time between private security jobs. Not once was I ever offered anything past what the state mandated, not even on the federal contracts.

Contrasting that with what I've had to do to qualify in the Academy, and both Police jobs (the current one with the college, and the previous one working for a small town) and it just dosen't compare at all. Both departments qualified quarterly. Both in daylight and lowlight (for the small town, it was an outside range, we'd wait for dark, drive a squad up to the line, turn on all the lights, and have to shoot while backlit by those lights, the college uses the Collin County Police Academy Range, it has built in alternating lights). Against pop up/pop down targets, moving targets, and stationary target where the shooter moves. Strong hand and weak hand. Tactical reloading and one handed reloading drills, ect ect.

But, like I said in another thread, certain interests always find a way to get changes to the laws shot down here. The security companies don't want to have to pay more for training, and the the various corporate lobbys don't want the price of security to go up, so they support the security industry lobbiests efforts to get change squashed......

[Mr. Security]

One reason why I prefer unarmed security is due to the tremendous responsibility that one accepts when they strap on their firearm, whether security or LE. Many LEO's have found themselves behind the defendant's table to answer charges for manslaughter/homicide even though they have more training than most s/o's in deciding to shoot or not to shoot, and certainly had no intention of taking life unless absolutely necessary.

Security officers are even more likely to face charges when discharging a firearm due to the skepticism that many DA's and the police have about their qualifications. Sure, the pay is better. If you screw up though, don't expect to see the light of day from outside a prison for many years to come.

[mh892]

Although a security guard may be a more accurate shot than a police officer, that same security guard would probably fall apart in an actual gunfight because security guards are not trained for combat[/QUOTE]

Watched many actual police shoot outs?