Security guard Brian Harrison is leaning on a counter, arms crossed, when 34-year-old Laurence Turner of Rockford, Illinois enters the bank and fires a shot in the air. Officer Harrison’s situational awareness level is low before the attack. That’s entirely understandable given . . .
how crushingly boring his job must be. I bet he’s gone years without any incidents. Of any kind. And you can’t fault Officer Harrison for not swinging immediately into action the moment the tellers hit the deck and Mr. Turner shoots the ceiling.
Even in a bank, yes even for a security guard, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Not to mention the fact that a gunshot interferes with your brain’s processing power; it takes a second or two for that OODA loop to spool up.
Notice that there’s a latched gate in front of Officer Harrison that swings inwards. I’m not sure if he’s supposed to be stationed in the main foyer, but that gate limits his mobility BIG STYLE.
He should have been aware of that fact, just as you should be aware of your environment from a self-defense POV.
I reckon Officer Harrison should have kept the gate open, or at least unlatched it. Failing that, he should have considered positioning himself in another, more maneuverable position.
Officer Harrison fires a single shot and moves back when the gunfight begins. Right answer! He gets off the X. He then moves towards Mr. Turner, bravely, to stop the threat. Also right answer!
Mr. Turner hugs the counter for concealment. Officer Harrison knows Mr. Turner’s position. He leans around the counter and shoots Mr Turner one-handed — illustrating the importance of one-handed shooting.
[Having watched a number of behind-the-counter self-defense shootings, I remind you that it’s not advisable to shoot from the same position every time. If you peep out from the same location, the bad guy will know where to shoot.]
Officer Harrison watches Mr Turner leave, mortally wounded, then lowers his gun by his side. Maybe not the best idea? But, of course, result. And of course, he wasn’t prosecuted. (Why was this even a question?)
Also, if you’re in the bank and a bad guy fires a shot, do not hesitate to GTFO (as one of the tellers wisely does) or open fire. As an armed civilian, chances are you will not be directly in the line-of-fire.
Anyway, result. And of course, Officer Harrison was not prosecuted. (Why was this even a question?)