Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo demonstrates taking down a combative person.
By Lisa Morton
Van Horn was the centralized location for a Defensive Tactics Training Session last week hosted by Sheriff Oscar Carrillo of Culberson County. The program was for Van Horn law enforcement along with Hudspeth County and West Texas Corrections personnel. “Training is critical and teaching is enjoyable”, said the Sheriff.
When faced with a violent encounter, successful staff response is based on the training they receive. Many of our local law enforcement must often work alone, without back up, and must be able to control violent people. With the courts looking at every contact law enforcement officers have with the public, this training is imperative, and at the same time helps to maintain officer safety giving the officer maximum control of a suspect.
Although much of he population views law enforcement as proficient in all aspects of unarmed self-defense, practical experience proves otherwise. More often than not, officers receive little, if any, unarmed self-defense or defensive tactics training after their initial course of instruction in a basic academy. Studies show that defensive tactics is a much needed priority and deserves the frequency and type of defensive tactics training our law enforcement should have.
