Sometimes, your only option for stopping a deadly threat may be to aim at center mass of the target presented.
That was the lesson taught to law enforcement in the nation’s first documented non-wartime active shooter incident that I could find in my research, which occurred on December 26, 1900, in Eufaula, Oklahoma. This deadly incident was concluded by the incredible law dog, U.S. Deputy Marshal Grant Johnson. One of the lessons he demonstrated has still not been assimilated by many in law enforcement.
On that morning, a man named John Tiger caught the residents of Eufaula unaware as they were celebrating Christmas morning. Tiger opened fire for no identifiable reason, instantly killing three men and shooting the buttons off the pants of a small boy.
The shots were heard by nearby Deputy U.S. Marshal Grant Johnson, who instantly arrived and engaged the shooter, driving him behind a large tree for cover. During the ensuing gunfight, Marshal Johnson noticed after each shot that the killer pulled back behind the tree, but left his elbow hanging out. Between shots, Marshal Johnson took careful aim, center mass of the elbow, which was the only target available to him and carefully pressed the trigger of his Winchester.
Bang!
The marshal sent a bullet spiraling toward and into the killer’s elbow, incapacitating it. Tiger roared in pain, dropped his gun and surrendered immediately.
Shoot the gun out of the hand?
Most firearms training time is spent firing at the traditional “center mass,” with a great deal of emphasis on the fact that when in a deadly force situation officers should never aim to shoot a suspect in the arm, leg, etc. Generally speaking, this is good advice since it is totally unreasonable to expect that any officer could hit a suspect’s hand in a dynamic gunfight.
Center mass of the target presented
However, during a dynamic gunfight, an officer might have absolute justification to use deadly force, but because of the suspect’s movements and use of cover the traditional center mass might never be made available. More often these days in real-world incidents the suspect doing the killing is wearing a vest, protecting the traditional center mass area.
It is vital officers be trained that when the traditional center mass is not presented, but the suspect poses a threat of imminent death or great bodily harm to the officer or someone the officer is sworn to protect, to consider aiming carefully at and shooting to center-mass of the target presented. The suspect may:
- Be behind the car, but his ankles are visible beneath the car. Aim at and shoot to the ankle.
- Be wearing a vest but facing the officer. Shoot to the eyes, or take a “pocket shot.”
- Be wearing a vest, but facing away from the officer, while firing at innocents to their front. Shoot to the base of the skull, or upper spine.
- Be wearing a vest but turned with his side toward an officer while the suspect is shooting at innocents to their front. Place a round into the ear.
- Have ducked behind cover after firing and left their shoulder, knee, elbow, foot, toe, or even buttocks hanging out from behind cover. Shoot center mass of the target presented.
“Pocket shots”
For clarification, taking a “pocket shot” means firing where the suspect’s front pants pocket areas are. When the bullet strikes, it will hit the pelvis, which will be a physically debilitating wound. It may also strike the femoral artery, which even if it is not an immediate game-ender, is definitely a gamechanger. It is a larger target area to hit under pressure than a head shot.
“Watch the hands! The hands kill!”
In one actual case when a suspect was firing repeatedly at police, after killing one of their own, an officer noted that the suspect kept presenting his rifle out of a window and firing. This officer took careful aim at the spot where the weapon was emerging and the next time it came out the officer fired.
The officer’s round blew the trigger finger off the hand of the suspect. This painful and partially debilitating wound inspired the suspect to turn the gun on himself, ending the deadly confrontation.
One thing you must be certain of when shooting center mass of the target presented is that you still are shooting at the suspect posing the imminent deadly threat. You must still have proper target identification, acquisition and isolation when you fire.
Practical discussions and drills
I offered all officers I have trained to be honorable gunfighters the opportunity to discuss the concept of “center mass of the target presented.” I also provided a simple related drill, with admittedly crudely home-made targets, on which I offered the options of firing to the eye, base of the skull, ankle and the hand with the weapon in it, during a multiple repetition drill. If you are a trainer, consider offering this drill but with more accurate representations than my crude etchings, which were created with a limited budget and limited skill.
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to emphasize I have not changed the traditional “center mass.” I have expanded your tactical ability to stop a deadly threat by suggesting a suspect may offer you the ability to do so by presenting the opportunity to shoot to “center mass of the target presented.”
One more thing to remember. If you are presented with a dire situation that affords you the opportunity to save lives by shooting to center mass of a target presented, aim small and miss small.
