A Chicago police officer’s gun jams. Her attempt to clear it and get back in the fight is a disaster.
Two Chicago police officers pull up to a person walking down the sidewalk. As the two officers walk toward the person, the individual pulls out a handgun and fires at the two officers.
The officer’s Glock jams when she goes to shoot back. She fired a round, but her handgun didn’t cycle, and at that point, she was out of the fight. She retreats to the patrol car with her partner.
She tries to pull the slide back on her first attempt to clear the gun, but it doesn’t work. After trying to rack the gun multiple times, she tries to pull the magazine out but does not push the magazine release button.
It took her a while to look into the firearm to see if it jammed, but she eventually realized a casing was in the chamber. She pulls the casing out, tosses it on the ground, then bends over to pick it up. All the while, someone with a gun is still in the area.
Fortunately for the officers involved, the suspect fled the scene and did not continue shooting at the two of them.
“On September 2, 2023, there was an officer-involved shooting. Preliminary information indicates that this incident began when two on-duty Chicago Police officers responded to a person with a gun. When the officers arrived, they encountered two individuals. When the officers attempted to engage with one of the individuals as they were walking away, they turned and pointed a firearm in the direction of the officers. Both officers then discharged their firearms in the direction of the individual, who then fled on foot. At this time, the individual has not been identified. A gun was recovered near the scene.”
You can find the complete report and more videos here.
Importance of Firearm Training
Many things went wrong during this encounter, but let’s concentrate on the malfunction. Once you engage in a gunfight and your weapon malfunctions, you need to do everything possible, as fast as possible, to get back into the fight. If you practice malfunction drills enough, your subconscious and muscle memory will take over and get the job done.
I went through the video frame by frame, and there wasn’t a clear view of her grip. Still, it doesn’t appear that her primary hand is too high, and it doesn’t look like her support hand was in the wrong position. Either of those could have caused the slide to not fully cycle.
I’m chalking this up to a lack of training and practice. Luckily, the officers survived because, as frequently seen in the news, the threat does not always disengage and run. Attacks have become more violent and brazen.
Number of Chicago Police Shot
Criminals have shot and killed multiple Chicago police officers in the past couple of years.
- May 6, 2023, Officer Aréanah M. Preston: A person shot and killed Officer Preston when she was getting home after her shift.
- March 1, 2023: Police Officer Andres M. Vasquez Lasso: A fleeing subject shot Officer Lasso while being chased after a domestic dispute.
- August 7, 2021: Officer Ella Grace French: They gunned down Officer French during a traffic stop.
In 2022, there were 56 Chicago Police officers shot or shot at in the line of duty, and eight of them got hit. In 2019, there were only 22 officers shot at or shot. That’s not an encouraging trend.
Chicago’s year-to-date shootings include 470 shooting deaths, 2102 shooting injuries, and another 53 homicides from various causes, such as stabbings and strangulations.
When your life depends on it, and you need to use your firearm, the last thing you want is a weapons failure. In the real world, things go wrong; when they do, you better be prepared to overcome the obstacle.
I cannot stress enough the importance of not only training but also the PROPER training. The time to realize you don’t know how to clear a double feed is not when you are fighting for your life.