How officers train to keep suspects’ hands off their guns

Nate Salazar
·2 min read

FENTON, Mich. (WLNS) – One of the biggest fears for law enforcement is losing their weapon during a struggle with a suspect.

Lansing Police say that happened earlier this month. Two detectives had their weapons taken by a suspect during a struggle off Holmes Rd. Two uniformed officers were shot by one of those detectives’ guns.

That got the attention of other departments in the state, including the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department and 6 News was invited to see how hard and often the department trains to make sure suspects don’t get their hands on them.

Genesee County Sheriff’s Department officials train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Genesee County Sheriff’s Department officials train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)

Wrestling with a suspect who’s grappling for a gun on a law enforcement officer is a very serious situation, and it happens often in the field, says Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson.

“Most of our confrontations are close quarters, most of them go to the ground,” he says. “What we’ve learned from other incidents is me in particular personally, that’s when you have to maintain control and weapon retention. And we’ve experienced that in 1999. We had one of our deputies that was disarmed and that weapon was taken and used to kill two people in Chicago.”

Once a month Swanson’s department conducts rigorous “simulations” to prepare officers for anything that may happen in the field and come out on top and safe.

Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson. (WLNS)
Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson. (WLNS)

“It’s every cop’s nightmare to lose their weapon,” Swanson tells 6 News. “You’re responsible for every bullet that leaves that barrel. And when you carry that weapon that can be used for deadly force —  you are responsible for that weapon.”

Swanson says the trainings are based on the experiences deputies have had on patrol. He says the department – and law enforcement – learn from mistakes and implement those lessons in their training.

Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)
Officials from the Genesee County Sheriff’s department train on techniques to retain their weapons during struggles with suspects. (WLNS)

“We debrief every part of that scene,” he says. “What we could have done better, what we did well, and what we need to do different. That’s good policing, and that’s police evolution.”

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