Faulkner
Member
Here’s a little humorous story that might make some of you chuckle.
I was at the Sheriff’s Office firing range recently facilitating some semi-annual qualifications for the night shift deputies and a few other deputies who missed the scheduled day shift qualifications. There were also a half dozen municipal officers from a couple of city PDs who, for one reason or another, needed to get qualified.
As I generally do, I got everyone’s attention and assembled in a semi-circle with them facing the range and reviewed the range safety rules and my expectations from them as the range officer. Since, on this day, I was the only range officer I would allow six people to shoot on the line at a time. Those not shooting were to leave their firearms holstered or cased but could load up their magazines if they wished. I told them to determine among themselves who were to be the six to shoot first, and then start gearing up.
As the officers were getting ready I saw one of the young city police officers talking to a couple of the sheriff’s deputies. One of the deputies smiled and turned and pointed at me, and the officer started walking in my direction.
As he walked up to me he said, “LT Faulkner, I’m Bobby Bane,” and he told me the department he worked for.
“Officer Bane, what can I do for you?” I asked.
“Well sir,” he said, “I was talking with a couple of your boys over there and they said you were the he-dog shooter of the sheriff’s office.”
I just stood there and looked at him blank faced.
“What I mean, sir, is that they said you’re the man to beat when it comes to qualifications scores.”
“Well Officer Bane, I’m not here to qualify today myself. I’m here to see that the rest of you qualify. If any of you have difficulties doing so I’m available to provide remedial training. Do you think you need remedial training Officer Bane?”
He smirked and said, “No sir, I think I’m good to go, sir.”
“Officer Bane, how long have you been out of the academy?” I asked.
“Eight months, sir, but I’m sure I can hold my own in a little friendly high score competition.”
I looked up and it seemed that our conversation had attracted the attention of most of the other officers and deputies getting ready to qualify. The thought that was running in the back of my mind was, this kid kinda reminds me of me when I was right out of the academy.
“Officer Bane, since I’m the only range officer here today, I don’t think it’s appropriate that I step out on the line and shoot a qualification course with you and the rest of the officers. But since you are itching to demonstrate your prowess with your duty gun, I have a proposal. While everyone else is getting geared up lets you and I step out on the range at the 50 yard line. We will each fire two rounds out of a cold barrel at the head of the target. Both rounds must hit the head and whoever has the closest holes wins.”
“Wins what?” he asked.
I reached and pulled $5 from my wallet. He did the same.
I turned to the guys getting ready and shouted, “the range is hot!”
Officer Bane and I put on our eyes and ears and we stepped out to the 50 yard line and since targets were already set up we picked the ones we intended to shoot. 50 yards is a long shot for a handgun and I told Officer Bane to take his time, we weren’t under the pressure of a clock. He was shooting a S&W M&P 9mm, I had my trusty Glock 23 in .40 S&W. We both drew from the holster and after a few seconds, I fired first. He fired his first round a split second after mine, then a second or two later he fired again. A second after that I fired my second round and we both holstered our guns.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the $5 bill and handed it to Officer Bane. He looked a little puzzled and said, “are you sure, I can’t even see the holes from this distance.”
“I’m sure,” I said. “Now please go fetch both targets and bring them back so we can all see.”
He jogged down to the targets and when he stopped in front of them he just shook his head. When he brought the targets back so we could all see, sure enough his two rounds were in the head and about an inch and a quarter apart . . . pretty good shooting. When he showed them my target everyone started laughing.
Officer Bane’s face turned beet red and he reached into his pocket and handed me the two $5 bills.
“No, no,” I said, “you won fair and square.”
He shook his head and said, “it sure don’t feel like I won.”
My target is below . . . .
I was at the Sheriff’s Office firing range recently facilitating some semi-annual qualifications for the night shift deputies and a few other deputies who missed the scheduled day shift qualifications. There were also a half dozen municipal officers from a couple of city PDs who, for one reason or another, needed to get qualified.
As I generally do, I got everyone’s attention and assembled in a semi-circle with them facing the range and reviewed the range safety rules and my expectations from them as the range officer. Since, on this day, I was the only range officer I would allow six people to shoot on the line at a time. Those not shooting were to leave their firearms holstered or cased but could load up their magazines if they wished. I told them to determine among themselves who were to be the six to shoot first, and then start gearing up.
As the officers were getting ready I saw one of the young city police officers talking to a couple of the sheriff’s deputies. One of the deputies smiled and turned and pointed at me, and the officer started walking in my direction.
As he walked up to me he said, “LT Faulkner, I’m Bobby Bane,” and he told me the department he worked for.
“Officer Bane, what can I do for you?” I asked.
“Well sir,” he said, “I was talking with a couple of your boys over there and they said you were the he-dog shooter of the sheriff’s office.”
I just stood there and looked at him blank faced.
“What I mean, sir, is that they said you’re the man to beat when it comes to qualifications scores.”
“Well Officer Bane, I’m not here to qualify today myself. I’m here to see that the rest of you qualify. If any of you have difficulties doing so I’m available to provide remedial training. Do you think you need remedial training Officer Bane?”
He smirked and said, “No sir, I think I’m good to go, sir.”
“Officer Bane, how long have you been out of the academy?” I asked.
“Eight months, sir, but I’m sure I can hold my own in a little friendly high score competition.”
I looked up and it seemed that our conversation had attracted the attention of most of the other officers and deputies getting ready to qualify. The thought that was running in the back of my mind was, this kid kinda reminds me of me when I was right out of the academy.
“Officer Bane, since I’m the only range officer here today, I don’t think it’s appropriate that I step out on the line and shoot a qualification course with you and the rest of the officers. But since you are itching to demonstrate your prowess with your duty gun, I have a proposal. While everyone else is getting geared up lets you and I step out on the range at the 50 yard line. We will each fire two rounds out of a cold barrel at the head of the target. Both rounds must hit the head and whoever has the closest holes wins.”
“Wins what?” he asked.
I reached and pulled $5 from my wallet. He did the same.
I turned to the guys getting ready and shouted, “the range is hot!”
Officer Bane and I put on our eyes and ears and we stepped out to the 50 yard line and since targets were already set up we picked the ones we intended to shoot. 50 yards is a long shot for a handgun and I told Officer Bane to take his time, we weren’t under the pressure of a clock. He was shooting a S&W M&P 9mm, I had my trusty Glock 23 in .40 S&W. We both drew from the holster and after a few seconds, I fired first. He fired his first round a split second after mine, then a second or two later he fired again. A second after that I fired my second round and we both holstered our guns.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the $5 bill and handed it to Officer Bane. He looked a little puzzled and said, “are you sure, I can’t even see the holes from this distance.”
“I’m sure,” I said. “Now please go fetch both targets and bring them back so we can all see.”
He jogged down to the targets and when he stopped in front of them he just shook his head. When he brought the targets back so we could all see, sure enough his two rounds were in the head and about an inch and a quarter apart . . . pretty good shooting. When he showed them my target everyone started laughing.
Officer Bane’s face turned beet red and he reached into his pocket and handed me the two $5 bills.
“No, no,” I said, “you won fair and square.”
He shook his head and said, “it sure don’t feel like I won.”
My target is below . . . .
