Into the Kill Zone

What's it like to have the legal sanction to shoot and kill? This compelling and often startling book answers this, and many other questions about the oft-times violent world inhabited by our nation's police officers. Written by a cop-turned university professor who interviewed scores of officers who have shot people in the course of their duties, Into the Kill Zone presents firsthand accounts of the role that deadly force plays in American police work. This brilliantly written book tells how novice officers are trained to think about and use the power they have over life and death, explains how cops live with the awesome responsibility that comes from the barrels of their guns, reports how officers often hold their fire when they clearly could have shot, presents hair-raising accounts of what it's like to be involved in shoot-outs, and details how shooting someone affects officers who pull the trigger. From academy training to post-shooting reactions, this book tells the compelling story of the role that extreme violence plays in the lives of America's cops. Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

1 Choosing the Badge and Gun 15

2 Basic Training 33

3 Holding Fire 57

4 Pulling the Trigger 83

5 When the Smoke Clears 203

Epilogue 272

Glossary 275

Notes 283

About the Author 289

The Author

David Klinger is a former police officer who teaches criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. He is a highly regarded trainer and lecturer to police organizations across the country. He has appeared on the Today show, Chris Matthews' Hard Ball, Geraldo Rivera, and the History Channel.

"DRAMATIC AND PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A COP PULLS THE TRIGGER" —JOSEPH WAMBAUGH

Praise for Into the Kill Zone

"Puts the reader in the cop's shoes, and indeed behind the trigger." — National Review Online

"Into the Kill Zone is a startling and important book—a stark, no-holds-barred journey into the minds of the people who have made the ultimate decision. Klinger's prose captures the adrenaline, emotion, and split-second decisions his subjects faced in the field." — Christopher Whitcomb, author, Cold Zero: Inside the F.B.I. Hostage Rescue Team

"Police, military, and those who love them; military and police history readers; and readers of popular fiction should all read this book. Future depictions of combat should and will be held against the standard set by Into the Kill Zone." — Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, author, On Killing

"This book is a must-read for every police officer, police executive, and member of the general public who wants to know what it's really like to shoot someone. From the gritty, piercingly painful opening to the haunting, solemn ending, Into the Kill Zone reads like a novel and is almost impossible to put down." — Daryl F. Gates, chief of Los Angeles Police Department, retired