Inside your patrol car may be one of the last places you’ll ever want to fire your gun, but there may come a time when blasting rounds out through glass may be necessary as a desperate move to save your life.
If that’s the fate thrown to you — whether by a staged ambush or some other sudden emergency like a gunman rushing your vehicle — here are some pointers from championship shooter and respected trainer Ron Avery, president of the Practical Shooting Academy and a popular Police1 Columnist.
Option One: Drive!
If you’re able to drive out of the kill zone, scoot low to make yourself a harder target and hit the gas, either roaring forward or in reverse. “Tilt your head sideways with as much of you below the dash as possible to lessen the risk of ricochets coming off the hood,” Avery says.
“You may think if you’re shot at, you have to shoot back. But a better immediate option than trying to draw and fire from the cramped space behind the wheel may be to use your vehicle either as an escape mechanism or as a weapon. Run over the suspect if your life depends on it to stop the attack or gain distance.”
Whether you opt to flee or must stay and fight, “stay off your radio initially,” Avery advises. “Your immediate response must be decisive, fast, and effectively defensive. Calling for help is a secondary priority to forcefully fighting back by escaping or shooting.”
Anticipate Sound Effects
A gunshot from inside your vehicle “will sound like a huge cherry bomb going off, especially if your windows are closed,” Avery says. “Glass reflects sound to magnify the effect. But, ironically, the sound may not register on your brain if you’re fighting for your life or it may seem very muted, even though the percussion may be capable of blowing out your eardrums.
“If you haven’t anticipated either the full sound or some distortion of it, it may be a momentary distraction. Also, you may not be able to hear your radio or even your own voice for some time afterward.”
Fire Multiple Rounds
“Glass can be tricky to shoot through,” Avery cautions. “The angle may be deflective and if you have limited-penetration ammo, it may come apart when it hits the glass surface. If the suspect is moving, impacting your target will be even tougher.
“For starters, you want a good bonded-core bullet that won’t shed its jacket when going through glass.
“Trying to figure out the best shooting angles while being shot at is not something to dwell on in the moment. Ideally, once you’ve penetrated the glass, you want to place subsequent rounds through or near the same hole, shifting the angle of your body to accommodate changes of location by the suspect.
“Don’t expect your first round to hit your adversary. Always be prepared to fire multiple shots. Putting more shots through the window will send more lead downrange to hopefully reach the threat and take it out.
“And don’t worry about glass fragments spraying back at you from your rounds. They’ll fly outward. Incoming rounds, however, may create that secondary danger from glass fragments in your eyes and face. If you’re wearing sunglasses, they may provide some protection.”
Expect Visual Limitations
Automotive glass that “spider-webs” instead of shattering completely may obscure your visual on the suspect. “Crazed glass can be almost opaque,” Avery says. “This can be a limitation especially at night, when any kind of light on the window makes the situation worse.
“Spider-webbing is best defeated with your feet, elbows, or some object that can smash the glass.”
Bail Out... ASAP
When hostile fire is involved, “your squad car is a fishbowl,” Avery says. “You don’t want it to become your coffin.” Shooting through glass, he stresses, should be “a short-term strategy.” Assuming you can’t escape by driving, he recommends bailing out within 4 to 5 seconds if at all possible.
“Use your vehicle as cover from the outside or run as fast as you can to better cover nearby,” he says. “Ideally, you want a place of safety that provides opportunity for observation, movement, and distance—and the chance for you to gain the initiative in the battle. Inside the car itself is not a good cover station and your shooting flexibility there is severely compromised. You can’t stay there and be effectively offensive.
“Whatever you can’t grab as you’re leaving, stays. Don’t plan on being able to get back inside your vehicle during the gunfight. You should always carry extra ammo on your person, besides what’s on your belt. Extra magazines and even an extra gun in your ‘go bag’ are desirable too, along with first aid materials for gunshot wounds.”
Practice!
You may be able to get some chipped but essentially intact windshields from glass shops, auto repair facilities, or salvage yards for practice purposes, Avery suggests. “Shooting in the open air won’t duplicate being inside your car,” he says, “but it will give you some experience with glass and the deflection and penetration problems you may encounter. You’ll get a feel for what works at different distances and angles.
“Practice shooting through distractions and include in your rehearsals shooting around vehicles for when you’re no longer inside. Know the cover points of your unit. Practice employing ‘visual leverage’ when using the vehicle for cover to make yourself nearly invisible while still being able to see your attacker.
“As with any skill, repeated prior practice will pay off in the heat of battle.”
More information about Ron Avery’s training courses for law enforcement can be found at: www.practicalshootingacademy.com.
Our thanks to police attorney and deputy sheriff Richard Crites of Springfield, Mo., for suggesting this topic.
